Amini Law Firm, lawyers in Bellevue, WA, Washington

Requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for the removal of Native American children from their homes. The ICWA applies to foster care placements, terminations of parental rights, and adoption and pre-adoption placements. When the ICWA applies to a proceeding, a state court must comply with the requirements of the act. More...

Child Custody and Religion

Religion is usually not an issue in child custody proceedings, even if the parents practice different religions. For example, if a child has a Christian mother and a Jewish father, a court will not consider the merits of either religion in determining which parent should have custody of the child. The court will grant custody to one parent, or joint custody to both parents, and the child will be exposed to both the mother's religion and the father's religion.More...

Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act

In 1980 Congress enacted the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA) to close existing gaps and bring greater uniformity to interstate child-custody practice. The PKPA requires state courts to enforce and not modify custody and visitation determinations made by sister states unless the original state either no longer has jurisdiction or declined to exercise jurisdiction.More...

Gifts to Grandchildren

Many grandparents want to give their grandchildren gifts. Giving gifts to grandchildren is also advantageous for the grandparents' estate because it may reduce the overall size of the estate and lower the estate tax burden. More...

An Overview of School Discipline

School discipline is an issue that may arise with respect to a student's improper activities while attending a public school. Typically, if the student commits an improper act, the situation is handled in an administrative manner without formal judicial review of the student's conduct. However, if the student's conduct was grossly improper or harmed the lives of others, judicial intervention may be necessary and required. More...