| International Adoption - Orphan Petition |
| Persons who wish to adopt a child from a foreign country must file an "Orphan Petition" with the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The full name of the petition is "Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative."More... |
| The Family Support Act of 1988 |
| The Family Support Act of 1988 amended the guidelines provisions of the Child Support Enforcement Amendments of l984 by requiring that a state's support guidelines operate as a ''rebuttable presumption'' of the correct support amount in any judicial or administrative proceeding for the award of child support. More... |
| Jurisdiction in Interstate Child Custody Disputes |
| The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA) was drafted in 1968 in an effort to prevent child abduction by parents and to resolve child custody disputes between parents who live in different states. The UCCJA has been adopted by all 50 states. More... |
| Tax Consequences of Property Settlements |
| Under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) gain or loss is virtually never recognized upon transfers of property between spouses or between former spouses if incident to a dissolution. The adjusted basis of the property remains the same after the transfer. The general rule is that gain or loss is not recognized upon a transfer of property between spouses or former spouses incident to divorce.More... |
| International Adoption - Home Study |
| United States immigration laws require prospective parents to undergo a "home study" before they can adopt a child from a foreign country. A home study is an investigation into the prospective parents' fitness to raise an adopted child. A home study is conducted by an individual or agency that is licensed by the prospective parents' home state.More... |

