International Adoption - Orphan Petition

Persons who wish to adopt a child from a foreign country must file an "Orphan Petition" with the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The full name of the petition is "Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative."

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.

Bigamy

Bigamy is the act of marrying one person while legally married to another. Bigamy is a criminal offense when it is knowingly committed. Bigamy is the wilful contracting of a second marriage when the contracting party knows that the first is still subsisting; or it is the state of a man who has two wives, or of a woman who has two husbands living at the same time. The punishment of the offence varies by state.

Jurisdiction and Venue in Divorce Cases

Venue is the place, county, or geographical area that an action is brought. Jurisdiction deals with the proper court to hear the case and the court's power to hear the case. For purposes of a divorce action, the action is typically filed in the state where the parties have resided for a period of time prescribed by statute.

Paternity

Paternity simply means fatherhood. In a legal context, paternity is a legal acknowledgement that a man is the father of a child.