Other Areas of Law

Obtaining the guardianship of a child requires the close involvement of the probate or family court. The court closely reviews a petition seeking the appointment of a guardian and then monitors...

In order to become a citizen of the United States, most adults born out of the U.S. must undergo a lengthy, expensive and complicated process known as "naturalization." To become naturalized, a...

Divorce is often a messy, and sometimes nasty, proceeding. When a married couple has decided that they wish their union to be split, an accounting is done of all the assets and all the debts, and...

Claiming a dependent child for tax purposes is a simple procedure. It is beneficial to do as it affords you tax benefits not available to those without children. It increases your number of...

Many people begin to raise a family only to have catastrophe befall them, causing them to become legally disabled. Once a disabled person obtains Social Security Disability benefits, he may find...

Getting a Social Security Number (SSN) for your child is voluntary; however, if you plan on using the birth of your new baby as a tax deduction, he needs a SSN. Government medical services and...

Taxpayers who support a child or relative for six months or more can reduce their taxable income. Five common deductions add up to more than $10,000. Filers claim the deductions on Form 1040 and...

Starting a home day care can be exciting. You provide a valuable service to working parents. You help children make new friends and learn social skills. And you get paid! However, your business...

Child day-care laws vary from state to state; there are no federal laws overseeing the profession. These laws are often similar, and knowing what to expect will help you as you prepare to start...

How to keep our neighborhood children safe.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported in 2009 that in comparison with their male counterparts, women earned 75 cents on the dollar. This puts single moms at a distinct...

A property transfer is the shift of a piece of real property -- a structure, such as a home, or land -- from one individual to another. Unlike selling real property, no money or services are...

The death of a parent can greatly affect the emotional, spiritual and physical condition of a child. When a parent passes, a child may be concerned about how he will be taken care of. The Social...

It's hard enough trying to prepare for trial and handle discovery without the help of an attorney. But the hardest part has yet to arrive: your court date. No doubt, it will simultaneously be one...

Massachusetts law for special education is a combination of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act and the state's special education law known as M.G.L. C 71B. Parents need to be aware of...

From lemonade stands, to paper routes, to summer jobs at the mall, enterprising children have always found a way to make some extra spending money. While these small jobs encourage responsibility,...

Unfortunate circumstances may require you to change your child's legal name. The state of Florida makes this process fairly simple with a birth certificate amendment request. Learn how to change...

Taking care of children is a rewarding occupation but one that comes with a great deal of responsibility. After all, you are caring for the physical, emotional and mental needs of each child in...

Pediatric head injuries result in tremendous expense to the family of the child. Consequently, successfully pursuing a claim for damages, including filing a lawsuit, is a vital course of action....

Providing a proper education to a "normal" child requires plenty of work and financial commitments; children with disabilities require much more attention and services than a "normal" child. If...

All home day care centers are required to follow state regulations, which ensure the safety of the children and help parents feel comfortable about the people who are caring for their children....

The earned income credit helps workers, especially those caring for children, keep more of their money. The credit is targeted at wage and salary earners not earning investment income, and who...

Kids are expensive, but they also save money on taxes. If you have minor children, you can take advantage of several tax benefits including dependency exemptions, credits, adjustments to income,...

Children are expensive, but come tax preparation time, those little angels can save you a pretty penny or two on your tax bill. In addition to claiming a standard exemption for your dependents,...

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) originally went into effect in 1956. The purpose of this act was to help qualifying families recover some of the costs of child care at tax time. ...

The Internal Revenue Service allows for an exemption credit for each dependent the taxpayer can claim. The credit is a dollar amount, which directly lowers your taxable income and decreases your...

Individuals who can't decide who should possess custody of a pet after a divorce or separation could take the matter up in court. Pet custody issues are not only found in divorce cases, but also...

There are many misconceptions pertaining to the tax consequences of giving a gift to a child. The most common is that the giver (a parent) is entitled to make a tax deduction of at least a portion...

Cerebral palsy lawyers are the lawyers who deal with getting parents and children the help and money that they need to treat cerebral palsy cases. If your child suffers from cerebral palsy or if...

Mandated reporters are professionals who, through the course of their work, interact regularly with children. Mandated reporters are required by law to report any suspected incidents of child...

Not so long ago, parents only had to worry about finding quality child care, not about the tax implications of each type of child-care situation. These days parents need to be aware of the tax...

Although birth certificates are generally issued by individual cities or counties, each state has an office of vital records with a centralized database that lists birth records by parent and...

Though birth injuries are on the decline, thanks to safer practices and more medical discoveries, birth injury lawsuits have not decreased. This is partially due to the fact that parents are more...

Despite the lack of a federal standard, many state foster parent laws are similar and all are geared toward creating healthy homes for children who have been removed from their parents.

According to the IRS, the Child Tax Credit can reduce the amount of taxes which you owe by up to $1,000 per child. Eligibility for the Child Tax Credit is determined by five basic tests: age,...

The Child Tax Credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the income tax owed by parents. Each qualifying child under 17 years old can reduce the parent's tax by up to $1,000. The credit is claimed...

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as "IDEA," is a federal law which was enacted to ensure that children with disabilities receive a free public education. In addition,...

Raising children is expensive, but at least the kids save you money on taxes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides numerous tax benefits for taxpayers with children, including dependency...

Before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted and authorized, many state laws forbade disadvantaged students from attending public school. These students were relocated...

This article explains the rules and part of the process for recieving Earned Income Credit on your taxes

With the Child Tax Credit, you can reduce your federal tax bill by $1,000 for every "qualifying child." To be eligible for the credit, the taxpayer and the child must meet a series of...

Child under the age of 16 are subject to special passport requirements. A passport application with two passport-size photos must be submitted in person to a Passport Agency. The child must...

A Certificate of Live Birth, or birth certificate, is a legal document detailing demographic information for an individual and his parents. A Certificate of Live Birth is generally required to...

SSI stands for Supplemental Security Income and is provided to children with disabilities. The Social Security Administration provides these benefits in addition to benefits for the elderly and...

Children in the United States began working in factories, mines, plants and mills in the early 1800s. A lack of regulation led to poor working conditions and no protection for young workers. Many...

Child curfew laws are used in communities across the country. While there are different variations on the theme, typical child curfew laws require an individual under a certain age to be "off the...

Taxable income, not age, is what determines when a child needs to file taxes. If the child is old enough to file his own tax, then he is also responsible for paying taxes that are due. However, if...

The simple answer to the question of whether or not you can deduct your child support from your income tax is no. As a general rule, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not allow you to deduct...

Citizenship in the United States is instituted by the United States Constitution. Congress has the power to regulate citizenship rules and also set forth the rules by which foreign-born applicants...

The Head of Household filing status is designed for individuals who are unmarried or "considered unmarried" and who are paying a majority of the costs for taking care of a dependent. This filing...