A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex couples who want both spouses listed on their child’s birth certificate could impact a ruling in a similar case in Indiana. Supreme Court justices issued an opinion yesterday in an Arkansas case; before that ruling married lesbian couples there had to get a court order to have both spouses listed on the birth certificate.

A group of eight lesbian couples is suing in Indiana to have birth certificate rights. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled in favor of the couples last year, but the state is appealing. The 7^th Circuit Court of appeals heard arguments at the end of May but hasn’t issued a ruling.

Karen Celestino-Horseman, a lawyer representing the Indiana couples, says the 7^th Circuit could decide the Supreme Court ruling encompasses Indiana as well, or the court could argue the cases are distinct enough that the new ruling doesn’t apply.  Celestino-Horseman says in the meantime, the Hoosier couples are hoping the change will mean a ruling in their favor:

“These women, they’ve planned for their children, they’ve put all kinds of money into the expense of being able to conceive, I mean they’ve shown a commitment to these children. They deserve to be named on the birth certificate.”

Celestino-Horseman says there’s no indication of when the 7^th Circuit will rule in the case.