General Family Law

There is only one way to obtain U.S. citizenship through American grandparents: through the Section 322 clause, which allows for the naturalization of foreign-born children to U.S. citizens or...

Obtaining a birth certificate from New York City is an easy task that can be accomplished online, in person or through the mail. All you need is proof of your identity and $15 for each certified...

A growing percentage of the U.S. population is divorced and remarried. When children from a prior relationship are brought into these marriages, a stepfamily is created. According to the National...

The Petition for Alien Relatives, form I-130, is the only way for you as a U.S. citizen to help sponsor permanent residency for an alien family member. In the cases of direct family member; i.e....

There has been a struggle between the governing bodies of the United States and the people since the early 1900s to develop a solid understanding of parental rights. There currently is no federal...

Find out how to STOP a spouse from giving lavish gifts of community property (California). Written by a family law attorney with more than 25 years of experience.

The family law rules and regulations surrounding the city of Atlanta are governed by the state of Georgia, and not an individual town, city or parish government. Family law is not a federal...

Disabled individuals have long suffered much unfairness, from inaccessibility to conventional schooling to outright discrimination at work for their impairments. In the last two decades,...

Orange County has a great number of attorneys and even narrowing the search down to a specialization as in how to get an the best orange county personal injury attorney, still leaves a lot of...

In the state of Georgia, legally changing a person's name falls under Georgia State Code: Sec. 19-12-1.(reference 1) The state code requirements are fairly straight forward, but do require the...

In South Dakota, grandparents may be granted reasonable visitation rights, after proving such visits are in the best interests of the child and that there is either no interference in the...

A power of attorney (POA) is essential if you want to ensure your financial matters are taken care of in the event you are rendered unable to take care of yourself. Laws governing powers of...

While you might consider representing yourself, it is strongly recommended that you retain the services of a lawyer when appearing in court on a family law matter. Family lawyers provide needed...

Don't let your SEPARATE property turn into COMMUNITY property. A family law attorney with over 25 years of experience explains how to protect your separate property.

This article relays what important information you will need to collect immediately if you are bitten by a dog. This information will be imperative if you will want to be compensated for any...

State laws govern the changing of children's last names. Because the laws vary, it is advisable for parents to discuss their jurisdiction's laws with an attorney or the clerk of the court before...

Given the economic impact of divorce, you may have concerns about your ex-spouse filing for bankruptcy. More specifically, you may have legitimate concerns about how your ex-spouse filing for...

You have two options when it comes to divorcing a wife who left the state, both of which depend on whether you know where she moved. You can get a divorce with just one signature, but the process...

Some situations warrant the name change of a minor, particularly after the results of a paternity test. In Florida, there are specific rules governing the name change of a minor.

Indiana law provides for two general types of powers of attorney in Indiana, general durable power of attorney for property and finances, and a durable power of a attorney for health care...

A lost birth certificate can present real challenges. A birth certificate is used to obtain a passport or prove citizenship. As a result, if you have lost yours, you will need to request a new...

Affection between a husband and wife or a parent and child is the fabric that holds a family together. The survival of any emotional relationship depends on the bond between the parties. Sometimes...

North Carolina states that the petitioner must be separated for a year before filing a divorce action and must have been a North Carolina resident for at least six months. Once the petitioner has...

Changing a name on a Texas birth certificate can be a lengthy process. It is recommended that a person seek the services of an attorney in order to receive an official court order for the name...

In the United States, fathers have specific legal rights regarding paternity, custody, visitation, child support and termination of parental rights. A father can be designated "absent" based upon...

An order of protection is also known as a restraining order. It is a legally enforceable court order for one person to stop hurting or threatening another. You don't need a lawyer to file for a...

Does going to school affect Social Security disability benefits? Generally no, with a few exceptions.

A person living in Tennessee who wishes to get married should be aware of its laws regarding pregnancy and divorce. Tennessee law covers issues that affect pregnancy such as abortion and...

Many people unintentionally lose or misplace their original birth certificates. Since copies of them are necessary for applications such as a passport, marriage license and other government forms...

In Alaska, grandparents are awarded reasonable visitation rights only after the court considers key factors such as personal contact, the child's best interest, abuse or domestic violence, prior...

Here is a list of attorneys you should NOT hire. Written by a family law attorney with over 25 years experience.

14 questions you must ask to save yourself time and money! Insider tips from a family law attorney with over 25 years of experience.

Changing back to your maiden name is not a difficult thing to do. People change their names for professional and personal reasons. Perhaps you want to create a new beginning for yourself, or you...

If a person sues another, he may later choose to settle the case for a certain amount of money. If the person who commenced the lawsuit is single, then this money is his and no one else's....

Due process rights set forth certain procedures that must be followed when persons face criminal allegations or civil suits. Many situations within family law, including divorce, termination of...

Oklahoma law provides for a power of attorney and a guardianship. To determine which might be the best choice, it is important to understand the differences between them.

Lawyers are the interpreters of the inner workings and structure of many aspects of society, from our unions to business, death and government. Family law covers a range of issues from marriage,...

Subpoenas are written requests for documents or testimony. They are issued in conjunction with many types of family law cases, including divorces, custody hearings, paternity suits, child support...

A court may issue a restraining order to safeguard one individual from harm or harassment at the hands of another. Typically, such orders can be issued against a member of one’s family or...

There are a number of government programs and private organizations dedicated to helping at-risk children -- those suffering abuse or neglect, living on the street, or in danger of drug abuse,...

The birth name is assumed by many parents to be a singular, temporary right in which they have the first say. However, in reality there is a limit as to how egregious or offensive a child's name...

Whether you need to obtain a Phoenix death certificate for insurance purposes or for genealogical research, you'll either need to go through the Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration or the...

In Texas, the official recording of births began in 1903 with the creation of the Department of Public Health and Vital Statistics. Still, births weren't consistently recorded until the 1930s....

It is important for everyone to have a power of attorney, especially as they get older. There might come a time when you are incapacitated because of injury or dementia and you will need a...

Visitation rights with divorce underwent a considerable evolution beginning in the late-'80s across the United States, ensuring that both parents in a divorce have a meaningful and substantial...

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal labor law that requires most employers to give certain employees job protection and unpaid leave for specific actions. The FMLA became...

Both the U.S. federal government and individual states have child protective laws in place designed to protect minors from physical and emotional harm. These laws include prohibitions against...

Without a birth certificate it's difficult to get important items like a driver's license, a Social Security card or a passport. A birth certificate proves who you are and confirms that you're a...

A death certificate is a document that tells you when, where and how a person died, as well as their place of burial. The Illinois Division of Vital Records began filing death certificates in...

You need to obtain a death certificate in Pennsylvania. Perhaps it's for insurance purposes or to settle an estate. If you're eligible to receive Social Security payments from the deceased person...