Marital vs Separate Property

There are two distinctions with respect to property and property division in divorce proceedings. The distinction involves which type of property the property constitutes for purposes of division.

Legal Malpractice and Divorce

In divorce actions legal malpractice may occur. If a client suspects that her attorney is liable for malpractice, she may file a civil malpractice action against the attorney or may file a complaint with the State Bar Association.

Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction & Enforcement Act

The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) was designed to deter interstate parental kidnapping and to promote uniform jurisdiction and enforcement provisions in interstate child custody and visitations cases. The UCCJEA is a uniform state law that all states can adopt to deter interstate parental kidnapping.

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."

Valuation of Noneconomic Contributions

The economic partnership concept that underlies equitable distribution recognizes the noneconomic contributions of a spouse to the acquisition of marital property. Equitable distribution recognizes that the homemaker's noneconomic contributions can play a substantial role in the acquisition of property during marriage and entitle the homemaker to share in the fruits of the marital partnership when it ends.