LGBTQ+ Families
Legal Protection for Every Way Families Are Built
Family is defined by love, commitment, and intention—not by gender or biology.
Nevada law recognizes and protects LGBTQ+ families.
The Cooley Law Firm helps make sure those protections are secure, permanent, and recognized everywhere.
Attorney Shelly Booth Cooley has been at the forefront of modern family-building law in Nevada, including her advocacy and leadership in AB 227 (2025). We proudly represent LGBTQ+ parents and families across the state.
Building and Protecting LGBTQ+ Families
Every family’s path is different. We help LGBTQ+ individuals and families at every stage.
Confirmatory Adoption
If you are already your child’s legal parent through assisted reproduction or surrogacy, a confirmatory adoption provides added protection.
Created under AB 227 (2025)
Confirms both parents’ rights without terminating existing parentage
Provides nationwide and international recognition
Close-Family Adoptions
We help LGBTQ+ relatives and chosen family members formalize caregiving relationships through:
Close-family adoptions
Kinship and identified adoptions
These options reflect the reality of how families care for one another.
Assisted Reproduction and Surrogacy
Nevada law recognizes intended parents as legal parents in ART and surrogacy arrangements.
We assist with:
Drafting and reviewing gestational carrier agreements
Donor agreements
Compliance with Nevada’s modern surrogacy and parentage laws
Parentage and Recognition of Parenthood
We establish and confirm parentage through:
Court orders
Voluntary acknowledgments
Confirmatory adoptions
Our goal is to ensure every parent has full legal authority and every child is fully protected.
Name and Gender Marker Changes
We guide adults, children, and families through the confidential court process to:
Change a legal name
Update a gender marker
We handle these matters with care, privacy, and respect.
Divorce, Custody, and Support
We represent LGBTQ+ clients in:
Divorce and domestic partnership dissolution
Custody and parenting time matters
Child and spousal support cases
Our advocacy is grounded in fairness and equality under NRS 125 and NRS 125C.
Nevada Law and LGBTQ+ Family Rights
Nevada is a national leader in inclusive family law.
Key Protections Include:
Marriage and domestic partnership equality (NRS 122A)
Gender-neutral parentage laws
Streamlined adoption and confirmatory procedures under AB 227 (2025)
Recognition of out-of-state parentage orders
These laws promote equality—but formal legal steps are still essential for full protection.
Why Legal Confirmation Still Matters
Even when parentage is clear in Nevada, other states or federal agencies may not automatically recognize it.
A confirmatory adoption or parentage order acts as a permanent safeguard by:
Preventing future challenges to parentage
Ensuring access to benefits and services
Protecting custody and inheritance rights
Providing recognition in every jurisdiction
The Cooley Law Firm Approach
Our work is grounded in:
Affirmation – Every client is treated with dignity and respect
Experience – Deep knowledge of evolving family-building law
Precision – Careful drafting and statutory compliance
Confidentiality – Sensitive matters handled discreetly
Whether you are growing your family, protecting your parental rights, or navigating change, we are here to help.
Serving Nevada’s LGBTQ+ Community with Pride
Your family deserves more than recognition.
It deserves protection.
Contact The Cooley Law Firm to schedule a confidential consultation with Shelly Booth Cooley, a Nevada family building and family law attorney, Certified Family Law Specialist, Adoption & ART Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, and Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
We are honored to stand with LGBTQ+ families across Nevada.
