| Institutional Facilities for Delinquents and Civilly Institutionalized Juveniles |
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| If a state institutional facility has deprived a juvenile of his right to mental treatment or has deprived him of any of his civil rights, the juvenile may opt to file suit against the institutional facility. There are two basic methods that the juvenile may seek with respect to relief.
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| Right of Putative Father to have his Child Bear his Surname |
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| In some instances, a putative father who gains custody or visitation of his child may want the child's surname changed from that of the mother's to his own. Neither parent has a paramount right over the other to assign to the child a particular surname, even in those jurisdictions that statutorily mandate the child's surname initially is to be that of the mother. More... |
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| Guardian Ad Litem |
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| What is a guardian ad litem? A minor cannot be a party to a lawsuit without assistance. Therefore, when a minor is a party to a lawsuit, the court appoints a guardian ad litem to represent the minor.
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| Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act |
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| 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... |
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| Status as a Legal Parent |
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| Legal parenthood confers more than power, control, and authority over one's child. It has long been held that there are corresponding duties to parental rights. These parental responsibilities include the obligation to care for and protect the child, provide financial support, see to his or her education, and supply proper medical care.
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