Litigators on either side of a family law dispute gathered before the Supreme Court of Georgia on Tuesday to argue the constitutionality of Georgia's Equitable Caregiver Act, which establishes parental rights for nonbiological caregivers.

As appellant counsel Elizabeth "Beth" Pitts of Denney, Pease, Kirk & Morgan in Columbus sought to convince the high court to find O.C.G.A. §19-7-3 unconstitutional on its face and as applied in her client's case, appellee counsel Denise VanLanduyt of VanLanduyt Law in Decatur argued the statute did not violate equal protection.