Jens’ current primary research is comparative family law. His publications include major comparative studies on the legal status of transgender and transsexual persons (2004 and 2015) and the legal status of intersex persons (2018), as well as on cohabitation (2005), same-sex relationships (2000), matrimonial property and marital agreements (2012) and registered partnerships (2017). In 2016 he also edited a four-volume book set on European Family Law, including a monograph on ‘The Present and Future of European Family Law'.
In 2019 he published a major comparative study on ‘Eastern and Western Perspectives on Surrogacy’ together with Claire Fenton-Glynn (Cambridge) and Terry Kaan (University of Hong Kong.
Currently working on the future of legal parent-child relations and legal recognition of various forms of parental involvement, including multiple legal parenthood and parental responsibilities (see esp. Scherpe, 'Breaking the Existing Paradigms of Parent-Child Relationships', in: Douglas/Murch/Stephens (eds.), International and national perspectives on child and family law: Essays in honour of Nigel Lowe, Intersentia Publishing, 2018, pp. 343-359).
