Law Offices of Philip P. DeLuca, lawyers in Long Beach, CA, California

Adoption by a Same-Sex Couple

Any couple that choses to adopt a child must go through a rigorous background check. Often times, it may take many months or years for an adoption to be successfully completed. Although some states permit single individuals to adopt children, most states do not permit the adoption of a child by a same-sex couple. More...

In Loco Parentis

In loco parentis is Latin for "in place of a parent." A foster parent, a county custodial agency or a boarding school which is assuming the parental obligations for the minor, including protecting his/her rights, may be referred to as being in loco parentis. More...

Mortgage Issues and Divorce

If a divorce decree awards one party the marital home, that party is typically required to pay the mortgage, unless other stipulations were made during the divorce proceedings. Most often the mortgage is a joint mortgage and therefore constitutes a joint debt. However, if one party that is awarded possession of the marital home and is ordered to pay the mortgage, that party theoretically becomes responsible for the entire mortgage.More...

Fraudulent Inducement to Marry and Negligent Misrepresentation

A spouse may file an action against the defendant spouse alleging that based upon fraud or deceit she entered the marriage in reliance upon the defendant's false representations, which were made in order to induce the plaintiff to marry the defendant. More...

Gifts in Contemplation of Marriage

What if a marriage between two parties never takes place? Is the donor or the giver of the gift permitted to recover the premarital gift given to the recipient, his or her future spouse? Whether or not the donor is entitled to recover the premarital gift depends upon the circumstances. If the gift was conditioned on the marriage, either explicitly or implicitly, then the donor may recover the gift depending upon the facts in the case. More...