[pillars]

As bizarre as even you seem to find it, that is exactly what is happening. There are MANY cases out there where stepparents are being forced to pay financially for children that are not biologically theirs. One criteria that the court uses is how long you have been in the childs life. Step-parents, and even grandparents, petition for visitation rights these days. I can even recall a case where an ex-boyfriend petitioned for, and won, partial custody of 2 boys (in that case, the mother had died, and the grandparents had custody). So, as strange as it may seem to you and me, biological ties are NOT the only ones that bind, according to our court system.

[flyervet]

As bizarre as even you seem to find it, that is exactly what is happening. There are MANY cases out there where stepparents are being forced to pay financially for children that are not biologically theirs.

Hmmmm... nope, I don't buy this at all. Give me one instance where a step-parent has been forced to pay for someone else's children.

Step-parents, and even grandparents, petition for visitation rights these days.

Of course, visitation rights are not custody rights. But you knew that, right?