Dakota Mortensen, Shinia Powell Hard Launch Romance Amid Taylor Frankie Paul Custody Battle

Dakota Mortensen and Shinia Powell are making their relationship Instagram official ... and the timing is turning heads amid Dakota’s ongoing custody battle with reality star Taylor Frankie Paul.

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The 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' stars Dakota and Shinia appeared to hard launch their romance in a new social media post ... sharing a series of photos that show them kissing, smiling together and spending time with Shinia’s kids -- captioning the post "Soaking up our last bit of summer."

The PDA-heavy post leaves little mystery about where the two stand, with Dakota and Shinia looking very much like a couple.

The relationship reveal comes during a particularly complicated period for Dakota, who is involved in a custody dispute with his ex, Taylor Frankie. The two share a child, and their relationship has played out publicly amid ongoing legal and personal drama.

Now, Dakota appears to be moving forward with Shinia, who is seen alongside him and her children throughout the new photo dump.

As you know ... TMZ obtained cozy photos of the pair at a baseball game last month ... and witnesses tell us they weren't trying to keep their relationship a secret or hide anything.

The post marks a notable step for the pair ... taking their relationship from speculation to social-media official.