More than 150 years ago, Charles Dickens wrote about debtors' prison, letting his readers understand just how absurd a construct it is. When we read Dickens now, the thought of putting people in jail because they cannot pay their debts seems silly. And yet, the idea has resurfaced, though perhaps…
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We are talking about child support and the government's -- both state and federal -- attempts to collect past due support payments. The reforms passed by Congress in 1996 eliminated, for the most part, the problem of noncustodial parents skirting their obligations even if they had the money. These efforts,…
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Over the past couple of decades, family advocates have had their ups and downs. The good news is that, for the most part, the myth of the Welfare Mom has passed into history. Even the most heated presidential debates no longer rail at these single mothers who are addicted to…
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When a minor-aged child's parents divorce or split-up, steps must be taken to decide child custody and visitation. In most child custody cases, one parent is deemed to be the custodial parent or the parent with whom the child lives the majority of the time. In order to provide for…
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We've previously written on the topic of child support and the basics of how support is determined and awarded. Regardless of whether a child's parents were ever married or not, every child has the legal right to receive financial support from both parents. It's important, therefore, that custodial parents take…
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When parents choose to divorce or break-up, it's important to take legal steps to resolve issues related to child custody and visitation. Even in cases where parents are on good terms, having a formal child custody agreement helps provide clarity, legal protections and also affords the custodial parent the opportunity…
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