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Family Law and Divorce

Family Law lawyers can evaluate cases involving child custody, spousal support, common law, adoption and same sex marriages. A divorce lawyer can help you understand your rights and also help with child custody, visitation rights, pre-marital agreements, hearings and appeals and cohabitation contracts. An attourney can also help you if you have been the subject of domestic abuse or if you have been falsely accused of domestic abuse.

Family Law

Divorce and Separation
divorce, family lawDivorces may be friendly, uncontested affairs, or so serious that they require a termination of parental rights. The more a couple can make their own decisions about their divorce, the more money they will save. The less time they spend fighting, the less they will spend on attorney fees.

Child Custody
You may face child custody issues if you are divorcing, separating or even if you are not married to the child's other parent. A custody order will determine the rights and duties of each parent and who gets to make decisions about where the children live, their education, etc. In most cases, both parents will have an on-going joint custody relationship with the children. Sole management of the children is only given if there would be severe negative affects on the physical or emotional health of the children.

Child Support
Child support will vary from state to state. It can be calculated based on Net Income or Gross Income and can include items such as severance pay, commissions, retirement benefits, overtime, pensions, tips, trust income, bonuses, annuities, dividends, rental income, UI benefits, gifts or prizes, when calculating the amount to be paid.

Other factors affecting the amount incude special needs of the children, and children that must be supported from other relationships. The person paying child support will generally be responsible for paying for the childrens health insurance as well.

Adoption

Adoptions can be arranged in several different ways. You may approach an adoption agency, where children who have become wards of the state are available for adoption.

"Independent" adoptions are arranged directly between the birth parents and the adopting parents. An attorney will be needed to take care of the paperwork. Connecticut, Delaware and Massachusetts do not allow independent adoptions. An "open adoption" will allow the birth parents to maintain contact with the child.

An "identified" adoption is one in which the adopting parents and the birth mother ask an adoption agency to take over the adoption process, benefiting from the agency's experience with the legal issues.

Issues around adoption include self identity, searching for birth parents, reunion with birth parents, cultural differences and community integration.

FAMILY LAW EMERGING ISSUES

Sperm Donor Ordered to Pay Child Support

FAMILY LAW LAW SUITS FILED

Ivy Lawn alleging employees informed grave robbers of valuables buried with loved ones.

State of Nevada and Clark County allegedly failed to protect abused and neglected children in the child welfare system.

Greg Stumbo. A lawsuit has been filed against Greg Stumbo, a Kentucky state representative and a candidate for attorney general. The suit was filed by a woman who is attempting to collect child support payments from Stumbo for their 14-year-old son. In the suit, the woman is asking for $1,057.75 a month in support and $42,443 in back payments. (May-10-03)

FAMILY LAW SETTLEMENTS

Estate of Seth Tobias $25 million estate to be split as part of settlement.

Grave Desecration Cemetery agrees to pay $100 million settlement in burial grounds lawsuit.

Food Stamp Fraud Woman to pay $48,530 settlement in TennCare lawsuit.





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