| Child Support Enforcement and Paternity Issues |
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| At common law, a putative or alleged father of a child produced out of wedlock had no duty to support that child. However, the statutory law changed the common law and required both parents to support the child.
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| Adoption and Safe Families Act - Reasonable Efforts |
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| The Family Preservation and Support Services Act required states to make "reasonable efforts" to reunify families and prevent the permanent removal of a child from his or her home. The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) attempts to clarify the "reasonable efforts" requirement. More... |
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| Bifurcated Divorces |
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| A court may order the termination of the marriage of a husband and wife, while reserving the resolution of certain issues for a later time. This procedure is called a "bifurcated divorce." When a bifurcated divorce is ordered, issues such as the division of the spouses' property, child custody, and child support are decided at a separate trial or hearing, after the marriage is terminated.
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| Fraudulent Inducement to Marry and Negligent Misrepresentation |
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| A spouse may file an action against the defendant spouse alleging that based upon fraud or deceit she entered the marriage in reliance upon the defendant's false representations, which were made in order to induce the plaintiff to marry the defendant. More... |
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| Valuation of Noneconomic Contributions |
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| The economic partnership concept that underlies equitable distribution recognizes the noneconomic contributions of a spouse to the acquisition of marital property. Equitable distribution recognizes that the homemaker's noneconomic contributions can play a substantial role in the acquisition of property during marriage and entitle the homemaker to share in the fruits of the marital partnership when it ends. More... |
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