Chatterjee v. King
New Mexico Supreme Court
280 P.3d 283 (2012)
Bani Chatterjee (plaintiff) and Taya King (defendant) lived together in a committed same-sex relationship when King adopted a child. Chatterjee co-parented and financially supported the child for years but never formally adopted. After the couple separated, King moved away and tried to cut off Chatterjee's contact; Chatterjee sued to establish parentage, custody, and timesharing. The trial court and intermediate appellate court both held Chatterjee could not establish natural parentage under the Uniform Parentage Act (UPA) because its father-establishing provisions did not apply to her.
Whether the same-sex partner of a person who adopts a child qualifies as a natural parent under the Uniform Parentage Act if the partner supported and cared for the child since the child entered the couple's lives.