Family Law Newsletters
Elder Abuse
Not only are children the victims of neglect and abuse, the elderly are victims too. There are various types of neglect and abuse that elderly persons endure.
International Adoption - Advance Processing
The United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends that all prospective parents file an application for "Advance Processing" before they identify a foreign child to adopt. Advance Processing is a procedure whereby the USCIS pre-approves the prospective parents' application to adopt a child.
Proxy Marriages
A proxy marriage is a marriage where the parties were not physically present in the presence of each other. Someone stands in for the other party because either the bride or the groom is not physically present for the wedding. During the solemnization of the marriage, based upon a power of attorney, an agent acts on behalf of one of the parties. The marriage is presumed valid if it is valid in the country that performs the ceremony.
The Family Support Act of 1988
The Family Support Act of 1988 amended the guidelines provisions of the Child Support Enforcement Amendments of l984 by requiring that a state's support guidelines operate as a ''rebuttable presumption'' of the correct support amount in any judicial or administrative proceeding for the award of child support.
The Multiethnic Placement Act
The Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) is a federal law, enacted in 1994, that prohibits racial and ethnic discrimination in connection with adoptions and foster care. A 1996 amendment, called "Removal of Barriers to Interethnic Adoption," reaffirmed and strengthened the MEPA.
