Transgender people have unique needs and vulnerabilities in the family law context. Any family law attorney engaged in representing transgender clients must know the ins and outs of this rapidly developing area of law. Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy is the first book to comprehensively address legal issues facing transgender people in the family law context and provide practitioners the tools to effectively represent transgender clients. The chapters address a broad range of topics, including: Culturally Competent Representation - Recognition of Name and Sex - Relationship Recognition and Protections - Protecting Parental Rights - Relationship Dissolution - Parental Rights after Relationship Dissolution - Custody Disputes Involving Transgender Children - Protections for Transgender Youth - Intimate Partner Violence - Estate Planning and Elder Law Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy is written by attorneys with expertise in both family law and advocacy for transgender clients, including: Kylar W. Broadus, Patience Crozier, Benjamin L. Jerner, Michelle B. LaPointe, Jennifer L. Levi, Morgan Lynn, Shannon Price Minter, Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder, Zack M. Paakkonen, Terra Slavin, Wayne A. Thomas Jr., Deborah H. Wald, and Janson Wu. This is a must-have, practical guide for attorneys interested in becoming effective advocates for their clients. It is also a valuable resource to consult for any transgender person who is forming, expanding, or dissolving a family relationship. "An outstanding book with contributions from some of the most respected and knowledgeable practitioners in an area of family law that, until now, has been largely uncharted. Those who read Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy will learn from the experts how best to advocate for clients whose rights are, sadly, all too often overlooked." - Julie Greenberg, Professor of Law, Thomas Jefferson Law School "As more and more transgender people come out and claim their rights, Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy has come along at just the right time. Any transgender person who is facing a family law issue should hand a copy of this book to their attorney." - Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality "This is a groundbreaking book. Family law deals with deeply personal issues that can be uniquely challenging for trans people, who are already extremely vulnerable in the legal system because of pervasive bias and misunderstanding. This is required reading for family law practitioners seeking to provide effective representation for our community." - Joanne Herman, author of Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not "Clear and comprehensive, this text brings together some of the most knowledgeable and respected legal minds working in the field of American transgender family law. An indispensable resource for litigators and scholars seeking practical, effective wisdom. " - Jamison Green, PhD, author, educator, transgender activist Edited by Jennifer L. Levi and Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder Jennifer L. Levi is the Director of the Transgender Rights Project at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders and a nationally recognized expert on transgender legal issues. Jennifer has served as counsel in a number of precedent-setting cases establishing basic rights for transgender people, including:  O'Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue which established that medical care relating to gender transition qualifies as a medical deduction for federal income tax purposes; Doe v. Yunits, in which she represented a transgender student denied the right to attend school because of the clothing she wore; and Adams v. Bureau of Prisons, which successfully challenged a federal prison policy excluding medical care for transgender inmates who came into the system without a transition-related medical plan, among many others. She also has worked on a number of high profile family law cases including the Miller-Jenkins case establishing full parental rights for a Vermont civil union spouse and cases in Connecticut and Massachusetts that established the right of same-sex couples to marry. Jennifer is a law professor at Western New England University. She serves on the Legal Committee of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and is a founding member of both the Transgender Law & Policy Institute and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Transgender Family law A GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY AuthorHouse Copyright © 2012 Jennifer L. Levi & Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4685-5214-0 Contents Preface —Jennifer L. Levi.........................................................................................xviiAcknowledgments..........................................................................................................xxiContributors.....