Court recognizes same-sex partner as 2nd parent for 1st time in Lithuania

VILNIUS – A Lithuanian court has for the first time recognized a same-sex partner as a full-fledged parent. 

"From today, our family feels safer. The Vilnius District Court's ruling that recognizes me as the mother of our little girl has come into effect," Jurate Juskaite, director of the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights (LCHR), posted on Friday.

She is raising her daughter with Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson Birute Sabatauskaite, the girl's biological mother.

The court made the ruling on November 6.

Donatas Murauskas of the law firm Ellex Valiunas, who represented Juskaite in court, told BNS on Friday that, to his knowledge, this is the first such court decision in Lithuania.

"In this case, the child will have two mothers," he said.

According to Murauskas, who is an associate professor at the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University, the ruling opens the way for Juskaite to ask the Civil Registry Office of the Vilnius City Municipality to list her as the child's second mother in official documents.

He said that while this case does not set a legal precedent, it could inspire other families in similar situations to improve their legal standing.

"Family cases are very individual, but yes, it could certainly inspire and give hope to families who don't fit the traditional definition of a family," the lawyer said.

"This case definitely shows that Lithuanian courts hear, assess the factual circumstances, see the constitutional standards, know the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and examine each individual case very carefully," he added.

According to the lawyer, Juskaite now acquires all the rights and obligations of a mother.

"The legal status of parenthood greatly influences both the rights and obligations regarding the child. Juskaite will be able to take parental leave, handle practical matters as the child's legal representative, such as taking the child to the doctor, communicating directly with the child's teachers, picking up and dropping off the child, without the need for special authorization or proving each time that she is not just a random person," he explained.

Murauskas noted that this will also make things easier for the child, such as granting her the right to inherit property without additional taxes.

Neither same-sex partnership nor same-sex marriage is legally recognized in Lithuania.