From Above the Law: In a momentous first for the state the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) issued its first three-parent birth certificate. Though this is the first time RVRS issued this certificate, Massachusetts courts have long been legally recognizing three-parent family structures through adoption.

The issuance of this certificate has significant concern with respect to the different forms of family. 

According to the legal practitioner, there ere are many forms of families where more than two adults are fully functioning as parents of a child but not receiving the legal recognition or the rights and responsibilities (such as being able to register a child for school, to provide health insurance, or to seek custody, etc.) that importantly come with legal recognition. 

This is just a start. Although this first birth certificate is a strong step forward, legal practitioner explained that Massachusetts is overdue for an update to its parentage laws. A revised version of the uniform parentage act has been introduced to the Massachusetts legislature this session and would bring greater clarity and protection to the modern realities of family formation, especially those turning to assisted reproductive technology.