If you receive a formal petition for child support, it is important that you respond quickly and appropriately. You are legally obligated to provide child support if you are not the custodial parent, and avoiding this responsibility could lead to significant legal consequences. The petition you receive will have specific instructions on the steps you need to take moving forward.…
Although it is possible for stepparents to request custody or visitation of a children who are not biologically theirs, it can be a challenging process. There are some ways in which the law treats stepparents similarly to natural parents, as a step parent has likely played a significant role in the child’s life. In other situations, however, the natural parent’s…
Divorce can cause a lot of turbulence, both emotionally and financially, in a person’s life. Because of this, it’s important to act with great care during settlement negotiations, being assertive enough to look out for your own interests, but also amicable enough to avoid making the situation more contentious than it needs to be. The following are a few tips…
Camp Sundown is a special camp for children that suffer from life-threatening UV-sensitivity diseases. One of these diseases is called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP). People that suffer from XP are extremely sensitive to ultra-violent light and must avoid sunlight or they will suffer from third-degree burns and a high risk of skin and eye cancers. There is currently no cure for…
Child custody disputes most commonly go to court when parents are not able to reach an agreement that is in the child’s best interests. At one of these hearings, a judge reviews arguments from both sides — along with all available facts in the case — before determining what type of custody arrangement is best. The following are a few…
Infidelity is becoming more common among people under the age of 30. It is estimated that roughly 30% to 60% of all married individuals (in the United States) will engage in infidelity at some point during the lifetime of their marriage. A change of time and technology is greatly responsible for the increase of infidelity in the last 20 years. …
Every so often, we hear about incidents in which parents violate their appointed custody or visitation rights by taking kids with them to another state. Technically, this is a form of kidnapping referred to as parental kidnapping, and it can result in serious criminal penalties for the offender. Courts treat parental kidnapping as a far more serious offense than a…
Women are more likely than men to suffer from poverty. The number of women suffering from poverty greatly increases for older women, divorced women and single mothers. Women are 80 percent more likely to live below the poverty line than men at age 65 and older. Experts say that the obvious reason for this can be partially attributed to the…
Every child custody agreement will have its own unique elements. But in general, there are certain items you will absolutely want to include in your own agreement. Here are a few of those most essential elements: Custody descriptors. You need to clearly outline who has both physical and legal custody of the children. Physical custody refers to who is the…
It is impossible to know exactly how much an average divorce will cost ahead of time, as each divorce is unique. However, you can at least get an idea of the factors that will go into determining the overall financial impact of the divorce. The following are a few of those factors: Your relationship with your spouse. A contentious divorce…