| Adoption and Safe Families Act - Reasonable Efforts |
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| The Family Preservation and Support Services Act required states to make "reasonable efforts" to reunify families and prevent the permanent removal of a child from his or her home. The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) attempts to clarify the "reasonable efforts" requirement. More... |
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| International Adoption - Home Study |
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| 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... |
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| Abortion and Parental Consent |
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| Not only is informed consent required prior to obtaining an abortion; in many states parental consent is required in order for a minor to obtain an abortion. States have different requirements with respect to parental consent. More... |
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| Bifurcated Divorces |
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| A court may order the termination of the marriage of a husband and wife, while reserving the resolution of certain issues for a later time. This procedure is called a "bifurcated divorce." When a bifurcated divorce is ordered, issues such as the division of the spouses' property, child custody, and child support are decided at a separate trial or hearing, after the marriage is terminated.
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| Interference with an Agreement to Marry |
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| Depending upon the state, interfering with an agreement to marry may be a civil offense or a tort. However, the majority of states do not recognize a claim for interfering with an agreement to marry. Although most states recognize the claim of tortious interference with a business relation or with a general contract, states are more reluctant to permit a claim for liability with respect to a premarital setting. More... |
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