The beginning of a new year is a great time to take a few moments to plan to make the most of the opportunities that will come. Below are some suggested resolutions to get you started: Get Informed Learn about all the many avenues available for growing your family. These include adoption from private agencies and through foster care, within the United States and internationally. If you struggle … [Read more...] about Four Resolutions for Starting or Growing Your Family in the New Year
Lehigh Valley Family Law
On Being Open to New Opportunities: Reflections on Open Adoption During the Holiday Season
The concept of an open adoption is relatively new. A cultural shift has occurred that acknowledges the damage done in previous generations by making adoption a secret. Adoption professionals today emphasize an adoptee’s right to be aware of the adoption, and the importance of honoring the adoptee’s heritage. In the middle of the holiday season, it is not our intent to create new pressures or … [Read more...] about On Being Open to New Opportunities: Reflections on Open Adoption During the Holiday Season
SCOTUS Sends Mixed Messages about the Status of Same-Sex Marriage
This past Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear seven (7) Petitions seeking review of rulings that struck down gay marriage bans in five (5) states. The move suggested that SCOTUS was not going to insert itself in the wave of decisions favoring same-sex marriages. Then on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that same-sex marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada were … [Read more...] about SCOTUS Sends Mixed Messages about the Status of Same-Sex Marriage
New Federal Law Affects Foster Children in Many Ways; Improves State Adoption Incentives; Also Beefs up Child Support Enforcement
On September 30, President Obama signed into law the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. The provisions of the law are expected to reduce the deficit by $19 million over the next 10 years. Protecting Children At Risk of Sex Trafficking The law establishes a national advisory committee to provide guidance, over the course of four years, on best practices in responding to sex … [Read more...] about New Federal Law Affects Foster Children in Many Ways; Improves State Adoption Incentives; Also Beefs up Child Support Enforcement
Using Smartphones in Divorce and Custody Disputes: the Good, Bad and Ugly
This week, NPR ran an interesting piece on how “Smartphones Are Used To Stalk and Control Domestic Abuse Victims,” explaining the danger of how someone can secretly spy on you through your electronic devices and social media such as a smartphone, tablet or computer from a distance in order to gain power over the other person, particularly when it relates to Domestic Violence. Typically, this type … [Read more...] about Using Smartphones in Divorce and Custody Disputes: the Good, Bad and Ugly
The Birds, the Bees and the Bewares: Paternity in Pennsylvania
What happens if I am legally married to someone and get pregnant with my new partner? Anyone can be married to one person and get pregnant by a new person. However, the difficulty in the law arises in establishing your new partner’s paternity or parentage of their own biological child when you are married. In Pennsylvania, a child born or conceived during the course of the marriage is presumed to … [Read more...] about The Birds, the Bees and the Bewares: Paternity in Pennsylvania