Not the father, but still a parent
Christine Becker and River Denton judge rules a same-sex parent listed on birth certificate should have visitation rights DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writertaffet@dallasvoice.com During a divorce proceeding that included a child custody battle, the attorney for the birth mom argued her wife should be denied visitation because, “She is not the child’s father.
Her status is no different than a step-parent.” But attorney Michelle May O’Neil argued in court just how wrong those statements were.
O’Neil’s client, Christine Becker, was there when her now-estranged wife gave birth to their daughter, and Becker is listed as a parent on the birth certificate, since Texas law allows two moms on the birth certificate, rather than a mother and father only.
Becker and her estranged wife were married when the child was born, and Texas law presumes a legal spouse to be the second parent, O’Neil pointed out.
