| Personal Protection Orders and Family Violence Issues |
| A personal protection order, or PPO, is an order issued by the court precluding another individual, a respondent, from contact with the petitioner. A petitioner may file an application for a PPO after providing information that would support the grant of the order. More... |
| Discovery in Divorce Actions |
| If a divorce case is contested then a trial may occur. Prior to the commencement of the divorce trial discovery will take place. Discovery is a process by which both parties are able to obtain or attempt to obtain information needed for the divorce proceedings. The discovery mechanisms are the same discovery mechanisms that are used in civil trials. The angle for the usage of the mechanisms is slightly different for divorce actions.More... |
| Child Support Recovery Act |
| The Child Support Recovery Act of 1992 (CSRA), makes the willful failure to pay a past due support obligation with respect to a child residing in another state a federal misdemeanor offense. In order to establish willfulness, the United States Attorney's Office must prove that the noncustodial parent knew about the obligation, was financially able to meet it at the time it was due, and intentionally did not pay it. More... |
| Invalid Provisions In a Premarital Agreement |
| Premarital agreements are governed by state law. Therefore, the law of the state in which the spouses reside determines what may and may not be included in a premarital agreement. While the law varies by state, there are a few generally applicable rules regarding what spouses may not agree to in a premarital agreement.More... |
| Adoption Assistance & Child Welfare Act |
| The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Act) was passed by Congress in 1980. Lawmakers were concerned that many children were being removed from their homes unnecessarily and that, once they entered foster care, inadequate efforts were made to either reunify them with their biological families or place them with adoptive families. The Act was passed to correct or alleviate problems in the foster care system and to promote permanency rather than multiple foster placements. An additional goal of the Act was to encourage social workers to work toward reunification of the family and to avoid long-term foster care for the children if possible. If the child could not be returned to the family, another plan was to be sought such as adoption, long-term foster care, or some other resolution. More... |
