| Advantages and Disadvantages of Agency and Independent Adoption |
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| Adoption is the process by which an adult becomes the legal parent of an individual who is not their biological child. A finalized adoption severs all legal ties between the child and the natural parents, thereby terminating all parental rights. However, adoption also creates new obligations on the part of More... |
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| New Law Requires Both Parents' Consent for U.S. Passport Issuance |
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| In July 2001, the United States Department of State began to implement a new law regarding passport application procedures. Under the Two-Parent Consent Law, both parents are required to execute the passport application for a minor U.S. citizen under the age of 14. By putting this new law into practice, the More... |
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| Divorce Mediation and Collaborative Divorce |
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| Couples that seek to dissolve their marriages without the challenges of litigation often turn to alternative dispute resolution. Non-litigation settlement strategies are particularly effective for couples committed to maintaining respectful relationships with their spouses after the divorce, and may also minimize negative consequences facing the children. The following issues, among others, More... |
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| The FMLA and Leaves of Absence from Work |
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| In 1993, Congress enacted the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as a standard to allow eligible employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid and protected leave per year from their jobs for certain family and/or medical reasons. The FMLA is enforced by the Department of Labor (DOL). Employers More... |
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| The Effect of Marital Status on Federal Taxes |
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| For federal income tax purposes, there are five tax "statuses:" single; head of household; married filing jointly; married filing separately; and qualifying widow(er) with dependent child. Status affects tax credits and deductions, and therefore also affects the amount of taxes owed. This article focuses on married persons filing jointly or More... |
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