Family Law Newsletters

Pretrial Motions in Divorce Actions

Often times divorce actions require litigation. If the parties decide that litigating the case is the only way to resolve the disputed issues, parties may need to file pretrial motions. A pretrial motion is a motion filed by either party requesting that the court take some action. Some issues need to be determined prior to the final conclusion of the case.

Divorce Generally

A divorce is the termination of a marriage between two parties. It is ordered by a court after one spouse files a petition for divorce. After a divorce is finalized, both parties are free to remarry. They may even remarry one another.

Post Decree Modification of Child Support

Generally, child support is a noncustodial parent's obligation to support a child until he reaches age 18, graduates from high school, or is otherwise emancipated. A child can be emancipated through a statutory process, by entering the military service, or by getting married.

Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy

In 1951 a researcher coined the term "Munchausen Syndrome" based upon a pattern of self-abuse. Munchausen Syndrome is a psychiatric disorder that many people suffer from who abuse themselves, usually for some sort of attention or medical assistance.

Misuse of Adoption Affecting Economic Rights

Courts generally prohibit parties from using the adoption process to achieve purposes that would have a detrimental economic effect on the children involved. An attempt by a birth parent to adopt his or her own children for the purpose of terminating the other birth parent's relationship with the children is a misuse of adoption. Also, an agreement to release birth parents from support obligations in exchange for their consent to an adoption is a misuse of adoption.