| Child Custody in Divorce Actions |
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| In most divorce cases involving parents of minor children, the parents resolve the issue of child custody in a parenting agreement. A parenting agreement is a plan for raising a child after the parents are divorced.More... |
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| Misuse of Adoption Affecting Economic Rights |
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| Courts generally prohibit parties from using the adoption process to achieve purposes that would have a detrimental economic effect on the children involved. An attempt by a birth parent to adopt his or her own children for the purpose of terminating the other birth parent's relationship with the children is a misuse of adoption. Also, an agreement to release birth parents from support obligations in exchange for their consent to an adoption is a misuse of adoption. More... |
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| Incestuous Marriages |
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| An incestuous marriage is a marriage between close family members. The validity of an incestuous marriage depends on the law of the state where the parties intend to reside. In the state where the incestuous marriage is regarded as a crime, the incestuous marriage is not accepted for immigration purposes even if the marriage was legally contracted somewhere else. More... |
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| International Adoption - Home Study |
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| United States immigration laws require prospective parents to undergo a "home study" before they can adopt a child from a foreign country. A home study is an investigation into the prospective parents' fitness to raise an adopted child. A home study is conducted by an individual or agency that is licensed by the prospective parents' home state.More... |
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| Same-Sex Marriages, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships |
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| 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... |
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