Your Family Legal Companion | p. 1 |
1 Marriage | p. 3 |
The Legal Rights and Benefits of Marriage | p. 5 |
Getting Married: Rules, Licenses, and Ceremonies | p. 6 |
Changing Your Name After Marriage | p. 10 |
Sharing a Spouse's Debts, Property, and Income | p. 11 |
How Marriage Affects Your Credit-and How to Avoid Problems | p. 14 |
Prenuptial Agreements | p. 18 |
Green Cards for Fiancés or Spouses | p. 19 |
Same-Sex Marriage | p. 23 |
Domestic Partnerships and Civil Unions | p. 26 |
Common Law Marriage | p. 28 |
Living Together | p. 28 |
2 Divorce | p. 33 |
Separation or Divorce | p. 34 |
Annulment | p. 37 |
Divorce and Family Court Proceedings | p. 38 |
Where Can You Get Divorced? State Residency Requirements | p. 38 |
Kinds of Divorce | p. 39 |
Will You Need a Lawyer? | p. 44 |
Divorce for Same-Sex Couples | p. 45 |
Property, Custody, and Support | p. 46 |
Estate Planning After Divorce | p. 49 |
Changing Your Name After Divorce | p. 50 |
Changing Your Child's Name After Divorce | p. 51 |
3 Child Custody | p. 53 |
Temporary Custody | p. 54 |
When Parents Decide on Custody: Parenting Agreements | p. 55 |
Physical and Legal Custody | p. 56 |
Visitation (Shared Parenting) | p. 58 |
Custody Decisions When Spouses Are in Different States | p. 60 |
How Courts Rule on Custody: The Best Interests of the Child | p. 61 |
Same-Sex Parents and Custody | p. 65 |
Mediating Child Custody and Visitation Disputes | p. 66 |
Changing Custody and Visitation Orders | p. 67 |
Custodial Interference | p. 69 |
Custody Issues Involving Unmarried Parents | p. 70 |
Surrogacy and Custody | p. 70 |
4 Child Support | p. 73 |
Who Must Pay Child Support | p. 74 |
How Child Support Obligations Are Calculated | p. 77 |
How Long Child Support Lasts | p. 79 |
When a Parent Falls Behind on Child Support Payments | p. 79 |
Modifying Child Support Payments | p. 83 |
Child Support and Taxes | p. 84 |
5 Adoption | p. 87 |
Who Can Adopt | p. 88 |
The Birth Parents' Consent | p. 90 |
Adoption Without Parental Consent | p. 92 |
Ways to Adopt | p. 93 |
Stepparent Adoptions | p. 101 |
Investigating Adoptive Parents: The Home Study | p. 102 |
Family Court Approval of Adoption | p. 104 |
International Adoptions | p. 107 |
Same-Sex Couples and Adoption | p. 108 |
Working With a Lawyer | p. 109 |
Adopted Children's Right to Their Birth Records | p. 110 |
Guardianship | p. 110 |
6 Children | p. 115 |
Baby's First Legal Documents | p. 117 |
Is Your Child a U.S. Citizen? | p. 120 |
Tax Breaks for Parents | p. 121 |
Keeping Children Safe | p. 126 |
Age of Consent to Have Sex | p. 132 |
Medical Care | p. 133 |
School | p. 134 |
Children at Work | p. 137 |
Juvenile Crime | p. 139 |
When Does a Child Become an Adult? | p. 146 |
7 Elder Care | p. 151 |
Getting the Right Documents in Place | p. 152 |
Conservatorships and Guardianships | p. 156 |
Medicare and Medicaid | p. 157 |
Long-Term Care Insurance | p. 160 |
Finding At-Home or Long-Term Residential Care | p. 161 |
8 Wills and Estate Planning | p. 169 |
Preparing a Basic Will | p. 170 |
If You Die Without a Will | p. 178 |
Estate Planning and Blended Families | p. 179 |
Planning for Loved Ones With Special Needs | p. 179 |
Spouses' and Children's Right to Inherit | p. 181 |
Probate and How to Avoid It | p. 183 |
Estate and Inheritance Taxes | p. 186 |
Funeral Planning and Other Final Arrangements | p. 188 |
Keeping Your Estate Plan Up to Date | p. 190 |
9 Lawyers | p. 193 |
Will You Need a Lawyer? | p. 194 |
Free or Low-Cost Legal Help | p. 196 |
Working With Lawyers | p. 197 |
How to Find a Good Lawyer | p. 198 |
How to Make Your First Meeting Successful | p. 202 |
Legal Fees | p. 205 |
How to Help Your Lawyer Do the Best Job | p. 207 |
Appendixes |
A State Rules & Resources: Marriage, Divorce, Child Custody & Support | p. 209 |
B Adoption, Children, and Elder Care Resources | p. 365 |
Adoption | p. 366 |
Children | p. 367 |
Elder Care | p. 370 |
Index | p. 371 |