Annotation

This article presents an analysis of law enforcement acts concerning the recognition of a minor stepson (stepdaughter) as a dependent of a de facto parent (stepfather, stepmother), drawing on cases involving military personnel. The author reveals the issue of divergent approaches be-tween civilian and military courts in defining the circle of family members and identifies an additional criterion for establishing the dependency of a minor—one not provided for by law—that has been developed through judicial practice. Using this specific example, the author demonstrates a broader problem: the failure of current family legislation to acknowledge the actual relationships that develop between stepsons (stepdaughters) and stepfathers (stepmothers) as members of a single family, and the consequent violation of the principle of the best interests of the child.