SB 274

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Under existing law, a man is conclusively presumed to be the father of a child if he was married to and cohabiting with the child's mother, except as specified. Existing law also provides that if a man signs a voluntary declaration of paternity, it has the force and effect of a judgment of paternity, subject to certain exceptions. Existing law further provides that a man is rebuttably presumed to be the father if he was married to, or attempted to marry, the mother before or after the birth of the child, or he receives the child as his own and openly holds the child out as his own. Under existing law, the latter presumptions are rebutted by a judgment establishing paternity by another man. This bill would authorize a court to find that more than 2 persons with a claim to parentage, as specified, are parents if the court finds that recognizing only 2 parents would be detrimental to the child. The bill would direct the court, in making this determination, to consider all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the harm of removing the child from a stable placement with a parent who has fulfilled the child's physical needs and the child's psychological needs for care and affection, and who has assumed that role for a substantial period of time. (2) The Uniform Parentage Act defines the parent and child relationship as the legal relationship existing between a child and the child's parents, including the mother and child relationship and the father and child relationship, and governs proceedings to establish that relationship. This bill would provide that a child may have a parent and child relationship with more than 2 parents. The bill would require any reference to 2 parents to be interpreted to apply to all of a child's parents where a child is found to have more than 2 parents, as specified. (3) Existing law requires a family court to determine the best interest of the child for purposes of deciding child custody in proceedings for dissolution of marriage, nullity of marriage, legal separation of the parties, petitions for exclusive custody of a child, and proceedings under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act. In making that determination, existing law requires the court to consider specified factors, including the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Existing law establishes an order of preference for allocating child custody and directs the court to choose a parenting plan that is in the child's best interest. This bill would, in the case of a child with more than 2 parents, require the court to allocate custody and visitation among the parents based on the best interest of the child, as specified. (4) Under existing law, the parents of a minor child are responsible for supporting the child. Existing law establishes the statewide uniform guideline for calculating court-ordered child support, which is rebuttably presumed to be the correct amount of child support. Existing law provides that the presumption may be rebutted by admissible evidence showing that application of the uniform guideline would be unjust or inappropriate because of one or more factors found to be applicable and the court provides certain information in writing, as specified. This bill would direct the court to apply the statewide uniform guideline in a case where a child has more than 2 parents by dividing the child support obligations among the parents based on the income of each of the parents and the amount of time spent with the child by each parent. The bill would require the court to divide child support obligations among the parents in a just and appropriate manner, as specified, if the court finds that applying the statewide uniform guideline to a child with more than 2 parents would be unjust and inappropriate, as specified. (5) Under existing law, the birth parents of an adopted child are, from the time of the adoption, relieved of all parental duties towards, and all responsibility for, the adopted child, and have no right over the child. This bill would provide that the termination of the parental duties and responsibility of the parent or parents may be waived if both the parent or parents and the prospective adoptive parent or parents sign a waiver at any time prior to the finalization of the adoption. (6) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Sections 7601 and 7612 of the Family Code, proposed by AB 1403, to be operative only if AB 1403 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective January 1, 2014, and this bill is chaptered last.