| An Overview of School Discipline |
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| School discipline is an issue that may arise with respect to a student's improper activities while attending a public school. Typically, if the student commits an improper act, the situation is handled in an administrative manner without formal judicial review of the student's conduct. However, if the student's conduct was grossly improper or harmed the lives of others, judicial intervention may be necessary and required. More... |
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| Post-Decree Modification of Property Division |
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| During a divorce proceeding, the parties are entitled to conduct discovery. Discovery is a process by which each party can ask questions in depositions and inspect each other's financial and business records to discover the total assets and liabilities of the marriage. A court will enforce a party's right to full disclosure so that each party has a clear idea of the identity and value of all marital property.
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| Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act |
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| The Child Support Recovery Act (CSRA) of 1992, makes the willful failure to pay a past due support obligation with respect to a child residing in another state a federal misdemeanor offense. The Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act (DDPA) of 1998, amended the CSRA. The DDPA entails felony punishment for a parent who moves to another state, or country, with the intention of evading child support payments if the debt has remained unpaid for over a year or is greater than $5,000. Parents who owe $10,000 or more, or who fail to pay for two years, may face up to two years in prison. Parents may also face fines and could be responsible for making restitution for unpaid child support. More... |
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| Post-Adoption Contact with Grandparents |
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| Traditionally grandparents were generally assumed to have no legal standing to seek visitation or custody of their grandchildren over the objection of the children's parents. Occasionally, a court exercising the state's parens patriae power would place a child with a grandparent when a parent died, was abusive, or was otherwise incapacitated. When parental fitness had not been challenged, however, both common law and constitutional precedents supported the right of parents to determine whether or not their children could spend time with grandparents.More... |
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| Contested Adoptions Initiated by a Biological Parent |
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| The consent of the biological parent or guardian of the child must be obtained before a valid adoption can take place, unless there has been a waiver or forfeiture of parental rights. Therefore, if it can be shown that the biological parent or guardian did not consent to the adoption, there may be sufficient grounds upon which to set it aside.More... |
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