Child Custody Determination

Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were completed with eleven legal service professionals including District Court judges, attorneys, guardian ad litems, and court evaluators in Denver, Colorado to explore the issues lcsbian mothers face in child custody cases. Respondents agreed that in Colorado courts, even though a mother's sexual orientation should only be treated as an issue when it creates adverse effects on the child's mental and emotional well-being (the nexus approach), in many cases judges decide against thesc mothers solely based on their sexual orientation without taking any evidence into account (per se approach). Future research focusing on custody standards and the legal obstacles these mothers are facing is proposed.