Product Description

The Massachusetts Parentage Act (An Act to Ensure Legal Parentage Equality), set to take effect on January 1, 2025, represents a landmark shift in family law. This program provides an in-depth analysis of the new law and its impact on parentage determinations. Participants will learn how the MPA modernizes parentage laws by ensuring equal treatment for all children, regardless of the marital status, gender, or sexual orientation of their parents. The act establishes clear legal pathways for determining parentage through diverse means, including assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and de facto parentage, while aligning Massachusetts law with the Uniform Parentage Act (UPA) principles.

 Attorneys attending this program gain critical insights into the procedural and substantive changes introduced by the MPA. The session will cover key provisions related to establishing parentage and understanding the legal rights of parents under this new framework.

PROGRAM SPONSOR

Agenda & Materials

• 2:00pm 2:10pm

  Welcome and Introduction

  Patience Crozier, Esq., GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders , Boston
  
• 2:10pm - 2:25pm

  Updates to Chapter 209C: Gender Inclusion and Voluntary Acknowledgements of Parentage

  Patience Crozier, Esq., GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders , Boston
  
• 2:25pm - 2:40pm

  Centering MC Children & Families: A de Facto Parent Family Perspective

  Darmany Jimenez,
  
• 2:40pm - 3:00pm

  De Facto Parent Provisions

  Prof. Douglas G. NeJaime, Yale Law School , New Haven
  
• 3:00pm - 3:20pm

  Assisted Reproduction Provisions

  Catherine Cappelli, Esq., Cappelli Law LLC , Newton Upper Falls
  
• 3:20pm - 3:40pm

  Surrogacy Provisions

  Kathleen A. DeLisle, Esq., Nichols, DeLisle & Lightholder, PC , Southborough
  
• 3:40pm - 4:00pm

  Q&A & Conclusion

  Patience Crozier, Esq., GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders , Boston
  

Please Note

MCLE webcasts are delivered completely online, underscoring their convenience and appeal. There are no published print materials. All written materials are available electronically only. They are posted 24 hours prior to the program and can be accessed, downloaded, or printed from your computer.

Chair

Faculty