Family Law

How To Modify a Child Support Agree...

Either parent can ask the court to modify a child support agreement. Whether the court will actually grant your request is another matter. Child support laws .... Read more

Home Alone: How Old is Old Enough

Most parents understand that it is always wrong to leave an infant or toddler home alone while you go out - even for a quick run to the store. But when is a c.... Read more

An Introduction to the Family Medic...

In 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It became the first national law to guarantee people the right to take time from wo.... Read more

Grounds for Divorce

The law requires that you give the court a reason to grant your divorce. To get the process started, you must state your reason, or grounds, in a divorce complaint or petition. Since 2010, all 50 states recognize "no-fault" divorce grounds, so you simply declare that your marriage is over. Some States Are "Pure" No-Fault States Some states do not recognize fault grounds at al... Read More

• Divorce in a Different State or Country
• Name Change After Divorce
• Divorce and Bankruptcy
• Division of Marital Property in Divorce: Who Get...
• Dissolution of Marriage-Like Relationships

Deciding Who Gets Custody of Children in a Divorce

All state courts decide custody based on the best interests of the children. Judges are supposed to make decisions based on this alone, but it is not that simple. Different states define a child's best interests in different ways, and not all of them list exact criteria in their family law codes. Judges Do Not Like to Force Change on Children The bests interests standards in ... Read More

• How to Change a Custody Agreement
• Abduction of a Child in Divorce
• Abuse of Visitation Rights
• Does Remarriage Affect Custody and Visitation?
• Visitation Rights After Divorce or End of Relati...

Collecting Past-Due Child Support Payments

If a non-custodial parent owes you money for child support, both the federal government and your state government are on your side. In most cases, you must register your child support order with your state's child support enforcement agency. Every state has such an agency. Even if you register, you can still use an attorney to help you collect. You Can Receive Support through Inco... Read More

• The Importance of Child Support
• How Child Support Affects Your Taxes and Other F...
• What Can Child Support Be Used For?

About Adoption

Adoption can be a good choice if you're unable to have children or simply want to share your love and home with another child. Adoption is a legal process that ends the rights of the biological parent. If you're adopting a child, you should expect the legal process to take up to two years or longer, depending on the details of your adoption case. Biological Parents Rights After Ad... Read More

• Special Situations in Adoption
• What Are the Rights of an Adopted Person?
• Rights of Adoptive Parents
• Using a Surrogate to Have a Child
• Lawyers for Parents, Surrogates and Donors

Children Have Legal Rights

In most states, for legal purposes, a child is a person under the age of 18. A few states set the age of majority at 17 or 19. Children who are living with their parents have the right to receive basic needs from them. Otherwise, the state must provide those services. Parents Must Provide Basic Necessities All states have laws requiring that parents provide basic necessities ... Read More

• The Legal Rights and Responsibilities of a Paren...
• When Parents Are Unmarried
• Who's Your Daddy? Proving and Disproving Paterni...
• Accusations of Child Abuse and Neglect
• Safe Havens and Child Abandonment

What Is Marriage?

Legal marriage is based on contract law. When you marry, you enter into an agreement with your spouse to create a life union. Although many people hold marriage ceremonies in churches, mosques or synagogues, you must obtain a state marriage license for the marriage to be legal. Your religious beliefs about marriage may differ from the legal definition. No matter what your religio... Read More

• Legal Consequences of Remarriage
• Prenuptial and PostNuptial Agreements
• In Marriage Who Controls the Money
• Domestic Violence and Marital Rape