While many eagerly await the holidays, for those sharing custody, holidays can be a little less joyful at times. With the holidays just around the corner, it is essential for co-parents to keep their custody agreements front of mind when making holiday plans for travel or gatherings.
Read MoreAn annulment is a legal proceeding that cancels a marriage. An annulled marriage is erased from a legal perspective, and it declares that the marriage never technically existed and was never valid.
Read MoreThe legal profession has a lot of intelligent individuals who are very good at what they do. Unfortunately, as with most things, there are some limitations to the system that are beyond the control of the individuals who are part of it.
Read MoreAdoptions can be stressful. But the good news for anyone considering adoption is that it is not your job to handle the legal aspects of your case. An adoption attorney can assist you throughout the process and help you successfully complete your adoption.
Read MoreFamily court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children, divorce, adoption, estate planning, conservatorship and more. Any issues dealing with family matters and domestic relations will fall under the family court system.
Read MoreHaving consistent, regular access to your children is one of the hardest parts of a divorce. What used to be called “visitation” for the non-custodial parent is now called “parenting time.” Typically, in a divorce decree there is a “parenting plan” that sets the schedule for custody. This parenting plan will cover regular schedules as well as holidays.
Read MoreA power of attorney is a key estate planning document. The power of attorney is crucial to grant a trusted party the authority to effectively make legal, financial, and medical decisions on your behalf in the event you are unable to care for yourself. The durable power of attorney and the medical power of attorney documents allow you to protect yourself.
Read MoreIn today’s world it is true that you can find almost everything on the internet. Unfortunately many are relying on free forms they find on the internet to disperse their belongings after their passing. And for some, that might be sufficient. But there are numerous questions that are not being answered with the “quickie forms” online.
Read MoreWhile an open adoption is more complicated than traditional agreements, they do give the birth-mother the right to choose who gets to raise her baby. Additionally, birth-mothers who wish to have some future contact with their child will have the ability to select a candidate that will respect this right even after the adoption is finalized.
Read MoreIn 2020, our world was turned upside down by a global pandemic. Now, in the last half of 2021, we are unfortunately still seeing surges of COVID-19. Due to the ongoing crisis, the legal system continues to adapt as quickly as possible to the new realities we are all facing.
Read MoreThe adoption process can be a long, complicated, and emotional ride. There are often far more legal and financial roadblocks that many would assume. However, most adoptive parents will you it is a journey they would never trade away. While there are several paths to adoption, there is no one size fits all case.
Read MoreEven in the best of circumstances, divorce tends to be a complicated affair. If everything is easy, straight forward, and amicable, the process can go smoothly. But, when there is more involved in the case, whether that is emotions, property, custody or financial implications, the trickier things become.
Read MoreWhen the COVID-19 pandemic halted the world in 2020, we thought surely 2021 would be better. And while there have been improvements, unfortunately the phrase “Coronavirus” is still part of our every day. Almost simultaneous with the vaccination releases came the criticism and fears.
Read MoreMany are unaware that there is also a postnuptial agreement that can be entered into after marriage. The circumstances are usually far less rosy as a prenup, but they can lead to successful scenarios for a couple.
Read MoreThere are numerous types of adoption: foster care, foster-to-adopt, infant adoption, independent adoptions, international adoptions, private adoptions, relative or kinship adoptions, and adult adoptions. The most common type of adoption is a stepchild adoption. Adoptions can either be opened or closed as well. An open adoption is a form of adoption where the biological and adoptive families have access to each other’s personal information and have an option of contact.
Read MoreDivorces by nature are contentious. Often one spouse won’t agree to end the marriage or is trying to avoid it entirely and the process may stretch out longer than expected.
Read MoreThe COVID-19 crisis has revealed a lot about America. When a crisis comes, the truth is not too far to follow. The reality is that COVID-19 has revealed many shortcomings in the United States child welfare system.
Read MoreWhen a child is placed into the foster care system, the goal is to protect the child and to allow them to grow up in a healthy, stable, safe environment. While for many the objective is for reunification with the birth family, it is important to remember that that is not always the best option for the child. When a child has been successfully reunified with their parents, Social Services has deemed the home safe for the child’s return. A reunification marks the closure of their case and the child is no longer part of the foster care system.
Read MoreThink of marriage as a binding contract between you and your spouse. Once you are married, you as individuals become one household, and most assets are shared, in the eyes of the court. Unless you can prove a piece of property is truly separate — we can advise you on whether that’s the case — it will most likely be considered community property by default. That said, you can protect your assets ahead of time with a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, but those agreements need to follow a strict format to hold up in court.
Read MoreNegotiation is a process where two parties in a dispute reach a settlement between themselves that they can both agree on. A professional negotiator is only on the side of the party that they represent. A third-party individual, or group, is called a mediator. The mediator facilitates communication between the parties without being on one side or the other.
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