CHILD-CUSTODY DETERMINATION - IMPLICATIONS FOR LESBIAN MOTHERS

Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were completed with eleven legal service professionals including District Court judges, attorneys, guar dian ad litems, and court evaluators in Denver, Colorado to explore th e issues lesbian mothers face in child custody cases. Respondents agre ed that in Colorado courts, even though a mother's sexual orientation should only be treated as an issue when it creates adverse effects on the child's mental and emotional well-being (the nexus approach), in m any cases judges decide against these mothers solely based on their se xual orientation without taking any evidence into account (per se appr oach). Future research focusing on custody standards and the legal obs tacles these mothers are facing is proposed.