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Abortion and Parental Consent

Not only is informed consent required prior to obtaining an abortion; in many states parental consent is required in order for a minor to obtain an abortion. States have different requirements with respect to parental consent.

Enforcement of Child Support

When a court enters an order of child support, it orders one party to pay a certain sum of money to another for the support of a child. The person who is ordered to pay is called the obligor. The person who received the payment is the obligee. The amount of child support that is payable is usually based on state law that takes into consideration the number of children for which an obligor is responsible and the amount of income the obligor earns from all sources.

Civil Harassment

Domestic violence cases involve a special relationship between the parties. The special relationship may be created by: (1) a family relationship, such as husband and wife; or (2) cohabitation, i.e., the parties live together. Civil harassment cases do not involve a special relationship between the parties. A civil harassment complaint may be filed against any person, even if that person is not a spouse or a cohabitant.

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."

Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act

The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act (UMDA) is an extensive uniform law which provides standards governing marriage, divorce, property distribution, alimony, child support, and custody. Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana and Washington have adopted it. The major provisions eliminate fault divorces, eliminate traditional defenses to divorce, provide for equitable distribution of property in non-community property states, provides for distributing community property, provide for alimony only in specific circumstances, and base child support and custody on certain factors.