Livesay & Myers, lawyers in Fredericksburg, VA, Virginia

International Adoption - Orphan Petition

Persons who wish to adopt a child from a foreign country must file an "Orphan Petition" with the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The full name of the petition is "Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative."More...

Out of State Move by Custodial Parent

In most states, courts permit a custodial parent to move out of state with the child if the parent has a legitimate reason for the move. Thus, noncustodial parents who seek to enjoin the custodial parent from moving or who seek to modify custody on the basis of a proposed move are generally unsuccessful. More...

Constitutional Rights of Children

The concept of ''children's rights'' is relatively new. For most of history, children were considered chattel and had no rights separate and apart from their parents. More...

Juvenile Litigation with Respect to Institutional Confinement Facilities

There are many juveniles that are confined to public and private institutions. Many of the institutions have deplorable conditions. Juveniles are often held in dingy cells or small, dark rooms and are confined for hours, days, or weeks. Often times juveniles are deprived of exercise, recreational activities and schooling. Sometimes juveniles are even supervised by untrained or inadequate staff as well.More...

Paternity Fraud

Paternity fraud occurs when a mother or alleged father acts in a deceitful manner to either establish paternity or to show that paternity does not exist. For example, the mother may place an alleged father's name on a birth certificate who is not the biological father. The mother or alleged father may also tamper with the paternity test results. More...