Man adopts girlfriend

[Sunnichick31]

Creepy. A guy killed a woman while driving drunk and in order to protect his money, he adopted his girlfriend so that she would be considered his heir and would legally be entitled to some of his money therefore protecting it.

content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/02/attorney-man-adopts-girlfriend-to-preserve-trust-assets/1

[pastaswife]

And yet gays adopting will cause the rapture ;)

[Sunnichick31]

Haha exactly! So, does this mean that they guy is commiting incest if he keeps dating her?

[Rachel333]

Apparently this is something that quite a few gay couples have done so they can have a legal connection. I wouldn't have thought of that, but it makes sense.

[CanadianHippie]

Apparently this is something that quite a few gay couples have done so they can have a legal connection. I wouldn't have thought of that, but it makes sense.

Yup. One of many ways same-sex couples have come up with to get around the ban on same-sex marriage.

[BlackHawk]

Apparently this is something that quite a few gay couples have done so they can have a legal connection. I wouldn't have thought of that, but it makes sense.

I have never heard of this for a legal connection... We just have living wills that spell out each and every asset and connection we have. We update them yearly and once we have kids we'll have other plans in place to spell out how everything will work. I'd never think to have my partner adopt me.. just seems weird to me.

[valsa]

Apparently this is something that quite a few gay couples have done so they can have a legal connection.

As a lesbian, I have never, ever heard of this outside of Japan (and even then it's not adoption in the sense we think of it, more of an "addition to the family registry" thing)

[Boogalou]

Apparently this is something that quite a few gay couples have done so they can have a legal connection. I wouldn't have thought of that, but it makes sense.

I heard about this from a Law & Order episode. I found this:

http://beyondstraightandgaymarriage.blo ... rtner.html

It appears it does happen, albeit rarely.

[emmiedahl]

I think it is a little squicky to adopt someone you have sex with. But that's just my humble opinion.

As far are LGBT people adopting each other, I guess it is a solution? Albeit an unorthodox one. I would much rather they just be able to marry and have that marriage recognized in every state. It seems like a lot of legal finagling that should not be necessary.

[Terrie]

Yup. One of many ways same-sex couples have come up with to get around the ban on same-sex marriage.

Though, in many cases, judges have refused these or invalidated them. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy's adoption is overturned.

[Elle]

Why didn't this man marry his girlfriend instead?

[lilwriter85]

Why didn't this man marry his girlfriend instead?

I kind of wonder why he didn't do that. But maybe if he had married his girlfriend, the family of the DUI accident victim could still try and sue. Several years ago in my state there was an incident in which a drunk driver killed a family in an accident and the drunk driver died days later from his injuries. The family of the victims sued the guy's wife and the thing got really ugly and eventually thrown out of court.

[dairyfreelife]

I think it is a little squicky to adopt someone you have sex with. But that's just my humble opinion.

As far are LGBT people adopting each other, I guess it is a solution? Albeit an unorthodox one. I would much rather they just be able to marry and have that marriage recognized in every state. It seems like a lot of legal finagling that should not be necessary.

You and me both. I'd much rather allow consenting adult couples to marry whom they wish.

[Stickers]

I don't think it's creepy, she's 42 and it's not like it gives him control over her. But it's super scumbagy that he's only doing it in an attempt to keep from having to pay out in a wrongful death lawsuit.

[Terrie]

I kind of wonder why he didn't do that. But maybe if he had married his girlfriend, the family of the DUI accident victim could still try and sue. Several years ago in my state there was an incident in which a drunk driver killed a family in an accident and the drunk driver died days later from his injuries. The family of the victims sued the guy's wife and the thing got really ugly and eventually thrown out of court.

In some states, all money and property is held in common. So marriage wouldn't protect it in those states. In fact, it would make her assets vulnerable.

[ceg045]

I don't think it's creepy, she's 42 and it's not like it gives him control over her. But it's super scumbagy that he's only doing it in an attempt to keep from having to pay out in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Yeah, this. I don't find it particularly squicky since it's fairly clear that he was never (and likely will never be) acting as a parent/guardian figure to her. I do, however, find it assholeish that he's using a legal loophole to save his money after he made the monumentally stupid (and in this case, deadly) decision to drive under the influence.

[VintageJen1984]

Why didn't this man marry his girlfriend instead?

The man has money in a trust which must go to his children when he dies. This protects his money. Marrying her would not. (I asked the same thing when I heard about this yesterday).

[darkplumaged]

I had no idea that it was possible to legally adopt anyone over 18.

[Effie]

When I first saw the title I thought this had something to do with Sartre and his mistress Arlette Elkaïm. He adopted her when she was into her 20s. (Sorry I have been reading way to much about why great philosophers failed at love.)

[tropaka]

Not surprisingly, the man's other children have a problem with making their father's girlfriend their sister (and giving her access to their trust account). I like their guardian/lawyer's comments at the end

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/09/te ... irlfriend/