Newsletters

Misuse of Adoption Affecting Economic Rights

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.

Medical Support for Children

In most states, child support guidelines require that the cost of health insurance and extraordinary medical expenses of the child be included in establishing each parent's child support obligation.

Juveniles and Institutional Facilities

A juvenile may be held in a number of different facilities depending upon the particular issue or problem that the juvenile may have. For example, the juvenile may be arrested for assault and battery and may be held in a juvenile detention facility. Or the juvenile may have battered another individual and following a psychiatric examination, it was concluded that the juvenile was mentally unstable, the juvenile may be confined to a mental institution.

Common Mistakes Made in Divorce Actions With Respect to Children and Finances

Typically in a divorce action one or both parties have a lot of hostility and animosity toward one another. Individuals make a barrage of mistakes. Some mistakes may not only be harmful to the individual himself but may also be financially harmful.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003

In 2003, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act was enacted. The Act authorizes fines and/or jail terms of up to two years for any doctor who performs a partial birth abortion. A partial birth abortion is defined as an abortion in which the baby is delivered past the baby's navel outside the body of the mother or after the entire fetal head is outside the body of the mother. Most partial birth abortions are performed between 20 and 26 weeks.