MONROE, Mich. (AP) - A judge is urging two women in southeastern Michigan to reach a compromise in a dispute over rights to children after a broken relationship.
Jennifer Zunk isn't legally recognized as a parent because she didn't give birth to the two children. Her former partner, Dr. Carin Hopps, is seeking to end Zunk's limited guardianship.
Zunk and Hopps ended their 15-year relationship in 2015. They never married but had a civil union in Vermont.
Michigan law appears to be on Hopps' side, although Zunk tells the Detroit Free Press she wants joint custody and won't "go down without a fight."
Hopps' attorney told a Monroe County judge that it's not up to the judiciary to extend parental rights to people with no biological connection.
Judge Cheryl Lohmeyer ordered both women into mediation.
