Columbia v. Lawton

¶ 1. This case requires us to consider the constitutional rights of a putative biological father who seeks an order of parentage when a court has already issued a parentage-order determining the minor child’s parents. We conclude that Vermont’s parentage statute does not authorize a court to allow a second parentage action involving a particular child brought by or against a different putative parent unless constitutional considerations require the court to entertain the second parentage case. In this case, even if plaintiff is the genetic parent of the minor child, he does not have…