The Adoption and Children Act 2002 allowed unmarried couples in England and Wales, whatever the genders of the parties, jointly to adopt children for the first time. One of the questions at issue in T & M v OCC & C [2010] EWHC 964 (Fam) was whether the applicants for an adoption order satisfied the definition of “couple” eligible to adopt jointly contained in section 144 of the 2002 Act. Unsurprisingly, a relevant couple can be two people who are married to, or in a same-sex civil partnership with, each other. A much broader definition, contained section 144(4)(b), involves “two people (whether of different sexes or the same sex) living as partners in an enduring family relationship”.