| 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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| Foster Care |
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| Foster care is defined as the temporary placement of a child outside of her family. The child is removed from the family due to abuse or neglect issues. The child may be removed due to physical or sexual abuse by a parent or someone residing in the household. The goal of foster care is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the child.
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| Special Visitation Problems |
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| In a few states, statutes allow the court to consider in the initial custody decision which parent is likely to allow frequent and continuing contact with the other parent. Where the interference has been persistent or has involved hiding the child, the court may even transfer custody from one parent to the other. As a general rule, however, the court will not settle a dispute over visitation by transferring custody because modification may end up disrupting the child's stable home environment. More... |
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| Uniform Premarital Agreement Act |
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| The Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (UPAA) was proposed and recommended for enactment in all the states by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The UPAA was intended to be relatively limited in scope, applying to agreements that are between prospective spouses made in contemplation of and to be effective upon marriage. The UPAA has been adopted by a majority of states. More... |
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| Constitutional Rights of Children |
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| The concept of ''children's rights'' is relatively new. For most of history, children were considered chattel and had no rights separate and apart from their parents.
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