Family Law Newsletters

Child Support and the Military

Enforcement of child support with respect to active military personnel is different than that of enforcement of civilian child support. First and foremost, locating the military individual can be difficult.

International Adoption - Requirements for Adoptive Parents

Under United States law, a married U.S. citizen and his spouse may adopt a child from a foreign country. If the spouse is not a U.S. citizen, the spouse must be a legal immigrant in the U.S. An unmarried person may adopt a child from a foreign country if the person is at least 25 years old.

Nursing Home Problems

Once an elder person or the family of the elder person makes the decision to place the elder in a nursing home, they must select a nursing home. After selecting a nursing home problems may arise.

Proxy Marriages

A proxy marriage is a marriage where the parties were not physically present in the presence of each other. Someone stands in for the other party because either the bride or the groom is not physically present for the wedding. During the solemnization of the marriage, based upon a power of attorney, an agent acts on behalf of one of the parties. The marriage is presumed valid if it is valid in the country that performs the ceremony.

Requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for the removal of Native American children from their homes. The ICWA applies to foster care placements, terminations of parental rights, and adoption and pre-adoption placements. When the ICWA applies to a proceeding, a state court must comply with the requirements of the act.