Lawyer Central Legal Blog - Family

Adoption Legal Resource Center Offered by Lawyer Central

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:04:00 -0500

Lawyer Central is pleased to announce that it now offers an Adoption Resource Center for individuals who are interested in learning more about the legal aspects of adoption. Adoption is the process through which non-birth parents assume the rights of a child's natural parents, and take full and permanent responsibility for the child. There are several types of adoption, including domestic adoption, international adoption, open adoption, and closed adoption. The Lawyer Central Adoption Resource Center offers helpful, practical information on a wide range of adoption subjects. An introduction to adoption, a guide to the parties involved, and a glossary of adoption terms are covered in the Basics section, while explanations of each of the different types of adoption (open adoption, closed adoption, agency, private, etc.) are included in a different section. A guide to the international adoption process, parenting tips for adoptive parents, and state law information for same sex couples who wish to adopt are also featured on the site. Visitors can review the official links and the adoption news center for additional information on a variety of adoption topics. Visit Lawyer Central's Adoption Resource Center to learn more about the adoption process and applicable laws. If you are interested in adopting a child, Lawyer Central's adoption attorneys can provide insight and guidance as you complete this important, life changing process. Lawyer Central offers a free, no obligation adoption consultation. If you fill it out the form on the right side of the page, you will receive a quick response from an experienced family law attorney who can help you with any questions or concerns that you may have. You can also ask questions and discuss adoption laws, international adoptions, and other legal issues on our free legal forum. About Lawyer Central The Lawyer Central Network is an exclusive nationwide network of attorneys highly dedicated to their unique areas of practice, including family law. Lawyer Central is emerging as the leading public relations and mixed media marketing organization for fast-growing law firms and forward-thinking attorneys. Lawyer Central membership includes a variety of media exposure ranging from practice area video filming, through interviews and complete public relations and internet relations management.

Child Support and Child Custody Legal Resources Offered by Lawyer Central

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:50:00 -0500

Lawyer Central now offers comprehensive child support and child custody resources on its website for parents who are interested in learning their legal rights and options in these matters. Child support is the term used when one parent must provide a portion of his or her income to aid the other parent in raising their child after separation or divorce. Child custody refers to the rights and responsibilities of a parent to his or her children, especially following divorce. There are a number of types of child custody, which govern where a child will live, the amount of contact each parent can have with the child, and other divisions of responsibility. A family lawyer who has experience in these matters can be of assistance when dealing with any facet of family litigation, bringing you peace of mind concerning the wellbeing of your child. Lawyer Central offers detailed, practical information in its guides to child support and child custody. The child support guide includes a glossary of important terms, an overview of receiving, modifying, and enforcing child support orders, information about determining which spouse should pay support, a description of the tax implications of paying and receiving child support, and information about how to handle unpaid child support. The child custody guide contains descriptions of various types of custody, information about how child custody is determined, links to child custody laws for each state, and information about parental relocation in relation to child custody. A guide to guardianship, a news center, and official links are also featured. Visit http://family.lawyercentral.com/Children-Lawyers-Attorneys--1-98.html to view Lawyer Central's child custody and child support resources. Legal videos featured on this webpage offer insight into international child custody and visitation issues from experienced family law attorneys. Additional lawyer videos on topics such as child custody issues, child support guidelines, how child support is calculated, and ways to resolve custody disputes can be found on Lawyer Central's Divorce Resource Center at http://family.lawyercentral.com/Divorce-Lawyers-Attorneys--1-89.html. If you are seeking a lawyer to help you with child custody, child support, or guardianship issues, Lawyer Central's family law attorneys can help guide you through all of the necessary legal processes so that you can protect the best interests of your child. Fill out the free case evaluation form on the right side of the page and you will receive a prompt response from an experienced family lawyer. Ask questions and discuss child custody options, family law issues, and other legal topics on Lawyer Central's free legal forum. About Lawyer Central The Lawyer Central Network is an exclusive nationwide network of attorneys highly dedicated to their unique areas of practice, including family law. Lawyer Central is emerging as the leading public relations and mixed media marketing organization for fast-growing law firms and forward-thinking attorneys. Lawyer Central membership includes a variety of media exposure ranging from practice area video filming, through interviews and complete public relations and internet relations management.

Divorce Advice: Child Support and Alimony (Part 3 of 4)

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:45:00 -0500

Alimony and child support are important aspects of a divorce case and involve ensuring the financial stability of both spouses and the children. Alimony is designed to limit the unfair economic effects of a divorce by providing continuing income to the non-wage-earning or lower-wage-earning spouse. A court sets the amount of alimony it concludes is fair and reasonable to be paid for a period of time. The amount of alimony that must be paid is usually based on the standard of living established and expected during the marriage, the age and health of the spouses, the obligations and assets of each spouse, the length of the marriage, and a number of other factors that may vary by state. Unlike child support, which is determined according to rigid guidelines, courts have considerable discretion in determining if they will award alimony and, if they do, the amount and time period for which it lasts. Child support is the ongoing obligation for a periodic payment made directly or indirectly by a non-custodial parent to a custodial parent, caregiver or guardian, or the government, for the care and support of children of a relationship or marriage that has been terminated. Child support may be awarded in joint custody cases when there is a significant discrepancy between the parents' incomes. Exact conditions for eligibility of child support and guidelines for the calculation of child support vary from state to state, but generally take into consideration the needs of the child, the needs of the custodial parent, the paying parent's ability to pay, and the standard of living the child was accustomed to before the divorce. If alimony has been awarded, that amount is deducted from the payer's income and added to the payee's income when child support is being calculated. Tip #1: There is no formula for determining alimony. According to divorce lawyer Peter Paras, "Alimony is really more art than science and it, it results from a consideration of a variety of statutory factors. Courts and lawyers have to consider the duration of the marriage, the age of the parties, their incomes, their assets, their liabilities, their lifestyles, their health, whether or not any of their assets generate income. These are all factors that have to be considered in determining whether alimony is to be paid and, if so, whether it's going to be permanent, rehabilitative, or limited duration alimony and in what amount." Tip #2: Child support may continue after the child has reached the age of 18 under certain circumstances. Technically, the non-custodial parent's obligation continues until the child is emancipated. "Children are emancipated at different times," explains divorce lawyer Peter Paras. "Typically they're emancipated when they reach the age of 18 and have graduated from high school, but emancipation is often delayed while a child finishes a higher education, such as four years of college, trade school, or something of that nature. That's when the obligation technically ends." Child support may also be extended beyond the age of 18 if the child has special needs. If the child has been declared emancipated by a court prior to reaching the age of 18, is on active military duty, or the parents' rights and responsibilities have been terminated for any other reason, child support payments may be discontinued. Tip #3: Understand that there are different types of alimony. Limited duration alimony usually applies to cases in which the marriage is too short to justify permanent alimony. Rehabilitative alimony is designed to provide financial assistance to the more economically dependent spouse while he or she becomes more financially independent by getting job training, building up work history, or furthering education. Permanent alimony is typically paid when there is a long term marriage, but it is important to note that permanent alimony is not always permanent. Divorce attorney Peter Paras explains, "Permanent alimony is somewhat of a misnomer in that it probably would be better termed indefinite alimony. It can end or be modified if circumstances change in the future." Examples of changes in circumstances that could be grounds for the cessation of permanent alimony include the remarriage of the recipient, the death of the payer, or cohabitation of the recipient with someone of the opposite sex. Divorce cases involve many different types of issues, including preparing for your divorce, child custody and visitation, and assets and property, all of which will be addressed in this series. For more divorce advice, refer back to Parts 1 and 2 of this series and look for the upcoming final installment:
Part 1: Divorce Advice: Preparing for Your Divorce
Part 2: Divorce Advice: Child Custody and Child Visitation
Part 4: Divorce Advice: Assets and Property Division