In early March, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that denied the parental rights of a partner in a former same-sex couple. The woman, referred to as V.L. in court documents, had adopted the three biological of her partner, E.L., under Georgia law. When the couple separated, V.L. sought joint custody in their home state of Alabama. Although the state initially agree to uphold the Georgia adoption order, the Alabama Supreme Court later ruled that the Georgia adoption was “invalid” and that V.L. had no rights to the children.

V.L. appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which quickly and unanimously overruled Alabama’s decision, upholding same-sex adoption and reaffirming the inability of one state to disregard rulings made in another state. It is the second loss for the Alabama Supreme Court, set on battling same-sex couples. In March, the prohibition on probate judges from granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples was lifted, a victory for children and prospective adoptive parents.