According to the Office Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), of the 9.66 million cases in FY 2006 with child support orders being processed, 7.04 million contained medical support orders and 1.9 million were cases in which medical support was ordered and provided.
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Divorce and Family Law can be very complicated and emotional. As your family law and divorce attorney, I can offer you the diligent representation and personalized support you need to move on with your life. Do not try to handle your family law problems alone. If you retain me, I will fight to protect your rights. By helping you avoid the common mistakes that occur during a divorce proceeding, I can help you save considerable time and expense. Listed below is some general information on family law. Review it at your leisure, but if you need immediate assistance, do not hesitate to call my office for a consultation.
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Family Law Resource Links
American Bar Association - Section of Family Law
Tables and summaries addressing differences in state laws and requirements for divorce, child support and other important family law issues.
The Legal Information Institute - Family Law Topics
Statutes, case law and articles covering a variety of family law topics.
Office of Child Support Enforcement (CSE)
Information on services related to locating non-custodial parents, establishing paternity, establishing support orders and collecting support payments.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC), the Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.
Children's Rights Council
A nonprofit devoted to helping kids experience the frequent, meaningful and continuing contact with two parents and extended family that a child would normally have during a marriage.
Family Law - An Overview
Family law is the term applied to the laws and rules developed regarding family relationships. Family law rules define not only the relationships between members of a family but also between a family and society as a whole. More than any other area of the law, family law reflects the values society shares regarding how people who are related should treat each other. When you are faced with an important life decision regarding a key family relationship, the advice and assistance of a family law attorney at The Law Office of Julie R. Glade, RN, JD in Merrillville, IN, often proves crucial to your understanding of the issues involved and your satisfaction with the ultimate outcome of your family law matter.
Typically, family law attorneys assist people in making and breaking family relationships. Specific areas of representation include marriage and relationship planning, divorce, paternity, child custody and child support. Some family law attorneys also provide assistance in the area of adoption.
Marriage
Marriage is a legal and business union as much as it is a romantic one. Because marriage is a legal and business arrangement, it may be wise to consult with an attorney at The Law Office of Julie R. Glade, RN, JD about the advantages of premarital and prenuptial agreements. Many couples find it helpful to work through financial issues and the potential disagreements such issues can create before entering into a marriage.
Divorce
Divorce is a method of terminating a marriage contract. From a legal standpoint, divorce restores an individual's right to marry someone else. The process also legally divides marital assets and debts and determines the care and custody of the children. Each state addresses these issues differently. However, most states follow the same basic principles and use relatively uniform standards.
In some states you may need to prove fault, commonly referred to as grounds, to obtain a divorce. However, the majority of states allow at least one form of no-fault divorce in which the spouses are not required to prove that the other caused the breakdown of the marriage. If no-fault grounds for divorce are available in your state, either you or your spouse may obtain a divorce, even if one of you does not consent to the divorce. In some states both fault and no-fault divorce are available.
In most divorces, the primary issues to be decided are alimony or spousal support, property division and, if there are children, child custody, visitation and child support. When spouses agree on how to resolve these issues, they can usually obtain a divorce quickly. However, in many cases, divorcing spouses have disputes regarding their post-marriage financial arrangements and the care and custody of their children. Property division and alimony are often hotly contested issues in divorce proceedings, but the early advice of a family law attorney may be able to impact the ultimate result favorably.
Child Custody and Visitation
The care and upbringing of children following divorce is often an ongoing source of conflict for divorcing parents. Custody must address both physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody typically involves allocating parental rights and responsibilities regarding the day-to-day care and activities of the children. Legal custody typically involves allocating the legal rights and responsibilities associated with the child's upbringing.
Sometimes the parents agree to an arrangement; sometimes the court determines one for them. In the past, courts routinely gave mothers physical custody and gave fathers visitation rights. Today, the courts have begun to realize that sometimes it is in the best interests of the children to reside with the father and reverse the roles of the parents. In general, the courts favor joint ongoing child rearing responsibilities with the children residing where it is most practical and where they will flourish. The advice and assistance of a family law attorney can help parents to establish child custody and visitation agreements that focus on the best interests of the children.
Child Support
Parents must financially support their children. That obligation usually lasts until the child reaches the age of majority (usually 18 or 21 years old depending on state law) or becomes self-supporting. An order for child support may be entered during or after a divorce, and either parent may be ordered to pay support depending upon how custody is arranged. In most states, an unmarried mother may also file a petition for child support in family court, and an order for support will be entered once paternity has been established.
A parent who fails to remain current on his or her child support obligations faces significant penalties. Every state has a child support enforcement office that works with the family court to suspend professional or business licenses, take away driver and recreational licenses, require payment of future owed sums in advance or place non-paying parents in jail when child support obligations are overdue. Because of the state specific requirements involved in child support, parents can benefit from the advice and involvement of a family law lawyer at The Law Office of Julie R. Glade, RN, JD in Merrillville, IN, when child support issues arise.
Contact a Family Law Attorney
Family relations create a host of legal consequences. A family law attorney at The Law Office of Julie R. Glade, RN, JD in Merrillville, IN, can explain the laws that apply to your particular situation and help you to make informed choices for you and your family.
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