| Child Support Enforcement and Paternity Issues |
|
| At common law, a putative or alleged father of a child produced out of wedlock had no duty to support that child. However, the statutory law changed the common law and required both parents to support the child.
More... |
|
|
| Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act |
|
| The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act (UMDA) is an extensive uniform law which provides standards governing marriage, divorce, property distribution, alimony, child support, and custody. Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana and Washington have adopted it. The major provisions eliminate fault divorces, eliminate traditional defenses to divorce, provide for equitable distribution of property in non-community property states, provides for distributing community property, provide for alimony only in specific circumstances, and base child support and custody on certain factors. More... |
|
|
| Same-Sex Marriages, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships |
|
| Although many people interchange the terms same-sex marriage and civil union, they are actually two different and distinct concepts. A same-sex marriage is defined as a marriage between two individuals of the same gender. A same-sex marriage involves a certain legal status for the couple. Further, each state has its own requirements with respect to marriage. 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... |
|
|
| Separation |
|
| A separation constitutes the living apart of spouses. The spouses are not yet permitted to remarry because they are still legally married. The separation can be either legal or non-legal in nature. A legal separation generally refers to a separation that is ordered by a court. More... |
|
|