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After relationship ends, 2 women go to court over kids

steve carmody
/
Michigan Radio

MONROE, Mich. (AP) - A judge is urging two women in southeastern Michigan to reach a compromise in a dispute over rights to children after a broken relationship.

  Jennifer Zunk isn't legally recognized as a parent because she didn't give birth to the two children. Her former partner, Dr. Carin Hopps, is seeking to end Zunk's limited guardianship.

  Zunk and Hopps ended their 15-year relationship in 2015. They never married but had a civil union in Vermont.

  Michigan law appears to be on Hopps' side, although Zunk tells the Detroit Free Press she wants joint custody and won't "go down without a fight."

  Hopps' attorney told a Monroe County judge that it's not up to the judiciary to extend parental rights to people with no biological connection.

  Judge Cheryl Lohmeyer ordered both women into mediation.

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.
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