Divorce Guide: Child Custody, Legal Rights & Support Plans

Navigating divorce legalities involves understanding child custody criteria, support enforcement, and the financial impacts of disability on settlements.

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How Long Does it Take to Get a DNA Test & Child Support Order?

The number of children born to unmarried parents has increased 377 percent since 2000, according to Families Online Magazine. If you are not married and the father of your child refuses to acknowledge paternity, federal law mandates every state has the right to order him to take a DNA test.

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Top Five Jobs With High Chance of Divorce

Approximately 10 percent of all Americans older than age 15 were divorced in 2009, according to a report by the Associated Press, republished on CBSNews.com, citing figures released by the United States Census Bureau.

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Who Gets Custody of Children If Both Parents Die?

As a parent, you have vowed to take care of your children until they have reached adulthood and sometimes beyond. Part of this includes planning for if the unthinkable happens, and you are no longer alive to fulfill this vow.

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How to Terminate Child Support in California

When a California judge issues a child support order, the payee must comply with the order for as long as the court requires or until it is changed. Child support payments do not last forever, and every court allows child support payers to modify the child support amount in certain situations.

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How to Transfer a Child Support Case to a Different State

If a parent with a child support obligation, or the custodial parent, moves to another state, a court can entertain the possibility of transferring the case to that other jurisdiction, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law.

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How to Get Emergency Custody of Children

In limited situations, the laws of all states permit a person the ability to obtain emergency custody of minor children, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. Emergency custody is awarded by a judge on a temporary basis and usually without the benefit of a full hearing before the court.

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How to Sign Over Child Custody Rights

Judges do not make custody decisions in all divorce, legal separation, paternity or similar types of cases. Rather, in many instances, the parents reach decisions regarding custody through face-to-face negotiations, according to "Child Custody A to Z" by Guy J. White.

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How to File for Divorce in Your Local Courthouse

States laws govern divorce filings, and you must meet specific state legal requirements to file in your county. Though most divorces are filed in county courthouses, some counties have numerous courthouses or locations where the actual filing can take place.

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Child Molestation Laws in Texas

Child molestation is a crime involving sexual or inappropriate contact between an adult and a child. Commonly referred to as pedophilia, child abuse or child rape, molestation is a serious crime. Texas has several laws that apply to molestation cases, all of which provide for criminal penalties for any violator.

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What is the Process to File for Child Custody in New Jersey?

As a resident of New Jersey involved in a divorce or similar type of proceeding, a prime consideration for you may be how to file for child custody. Child custody laws and court procedures are codified in the New Jersey Permanent Statutes, Title 9.

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How to Leave a Verbally Abusive Husband

Much like physical abuse, verbal abuse can have long-term health consequences for the victim. Verbal abuse can contribute to low self-esteem, anxiety or depression.

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How to File a Divorce From Someone Outside the U.S.

Divorce is complicated enough without adding the element of a spouse who lives in another country. Divorcing someone outside the United States is not impossible, but it is often more difficult than a purely domestic divorce.

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Child Custody Laws: Grandparent Vs. Mother

Situations exist when the rights of a mother and the potential rights of a grandparent regarding child custody conflict, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. Family law statutes in all states set out the parameters for child custody rights for parents and grandparents.

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What Rights Does a Father of an Unborn Child Have?

Fathers of unborn children have few legal rights when it comes to their child. While some states grant fathers of unborn children specific legal rights in a limited number of circumstances, most rights over the child fall to the mother.

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