European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily 1agazine the rights of stepparents the second wave in the divorce phenomenon1 by Georgia Dullea new York times i n an age Ahr i one out of live american  is living at a sle family Wosten Moto than 1,000 new  lorm every Day and less than half or those marriages survive the rights of Slep Parons after divorce is emerging As a provocative new Issue in family Law. Jus i As parents of divorcing spouses began suing to visit grandchildren about a decade ago in Ine United slates spawning grandparent visitation Laws in nearly every slate stepparents Are now asserting claims Hoth in and out at court. The seeds Are being planted said Jay Folberg a family Law scholar who leaches at Lewis and Clark Law school in Portland Ore. We re going to see much More of this because we re seeing Many More step families ii s the second wave. In the divorce phenomenon already in the View of some lawyers the Legal system s sensitivity to changing social relationships and its broadening of the obligations informal relationships produce has complicated the divorce picture the courts have been plunged into a Twilight zone that no longer differentiates Between one s statuses Parent stepparent or Friend said Cary b. Cheifetz. A new Jersey family lawyer who has Willen extensively about the stepparent Issue while the trend is still Small lawyers speak of draling More and More divorce agreements thai provide for visits Between stepparent and child. In rare cases lawyers say. Parents Are agreeing to relinquish child custody to stepparents to Evert rarer cases stepparents arc agreeing to pay for the support of children no longer living with them Richard Victor a Michigan lawyer who Heads the Legal committee of the sle family association of America says he has seen Row Idress and hundreds of cases in which deputies Over visitation custody and supp we of stepchildren were resolved by negotiations in lawyers offices my divorce was rather bitter said Christy Wallace a marriage and family Counselor in Dallas but any relationship with Alt three stepchildren is still real Light written into our divorce decree is a clause thai i hair parents will not Block in any Way that relationship " like Many Slep parents who Torff Strong Bonds with Huir spouses children Wallace said she Learod she might become a stranger to them after the divorce they actuary spent More Lime Irving with me than with their biological Mot for. She said if Lac parents had my  to to Arranger Neil i in  a july have bought fur in Bic Uii belie 1502 no  in any stale had the for jul Annn a to make such  a him , a stepparents Are asserting visitation claims both in a id out of court. Of photo to Perls say Al Leasi a dozen Stales have passed Laws Hal can be interpreted an giving stepparents the right to Sec visitation or custody after divorce. Connecticut is the onry state in the now York Region to have such a Law California is among six states whose Laws spell out specific i sit Avion rights Tor stepparents. Lawmakers there amended a statute four years ago in response to a widely publicized Case in which a Slot alter was denied visitation rights to a b year old he had lived Wilh since the child was an infant in Itzig Ca so Folberg said the appellate court reversed the trial court Laking away his visitation at the same Lime the court said. This is a terrible result tint Iho statute gives us no authority to award Visi Lishon to a stunt alter holing  Hills pm visitation Ami  ire pending in Many olhr1 slates vector of the Slep Tamisy association Aid Somaio Laizir no id to Jukl is the problems of what we rail the Nevi american family the Vic Loci psychological family of children that encompasses stepparents grandparents and  Legal scholars say the theory behind the new Laws grow Oil of research developed and advanced by behavioural scientists. Basically. Inc theory holds that in is in the Best Ini costs of the child the guiding principle in visitation and custody decisions Hal significant relationships in a child s tile be preserved if possible after divorce writing in the juvenile and family court journal two family Law scholars Henry h. Foster and Doris Jonas freed discuss recent cases in which courts around the country have awarded custody to slip parents Over biology a parents. Stepparents who los there cases wore sometimes re Varod visitation they said As Consolation pro " vet they nolo. The  that Millood is thicker Ihan  Rit part Vail. A Many courts they also nolo that almost All the Vico Riotis ? were Slepman Yiirs win Halll nil a Niels Cnute and Sli uld  i n Doci Slort on the d35is of his r Arni Rui pulp tial built for than on filial in  i 1.1 Sun i hic or used  ,1 i list Iun ital the Ioco sri Scha. It ii , Iii or r i 15 Ralit it .1 Jerric n in -i1 wednesday March 13. 1987 the stars and stripes 13