Jonathan Lane

Jonathan D. Lane is a family law attorney and mediator who specializes in serving nontraditional, ethically non-monogamous, LGBTQ+, and sexually diverse communities. He is the founder of JD Lane Law (Maryland & Washington, DC), and his practice focuses on divorce, child custody, de facto parenthood, premarital agreements, and protections for families outside the “traditional” model. Jonathan is known for bringing both compassion and legal rigor to complex relational dynamics. He has co-authored influential legal scholarship on polyamorous and multi-partner families—especially how courts should apply the “best interests of the child” standard in custody cases involving polyamory.

He earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was Executive Editor of the Journal of Law and Social Change, and holds an undergraduate degree (summa cum laude) from Washington University in St. Louis. In practice, Jonathan has secured groundbreaking results—such as winning a three-parent custody case in Maryland leveraging de facto parenthood doctrine. He also successfully argued appeals in family law cases, pushing courts toward more inclusive interpretations of parental rights for nontraditional families. Jonathan is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. He has presented on legal futures for multi-partner families at the Sexual Freedom Summit and has been cited in major media outlets like The New York Times on topics of polyamory and co-parenting law.

Working philosophy: He believes that laws should adapt to the real diversity of human relationships rather than forcing relationships into monogamous molds. His mission is to protect autonomy, choice, and fairness for all kinds of families.