Legislative Update: GA Bill Would Make Post-Adoption Contact Agreements Enforceable
In an open adoption, the child knows who his or her birth parents were, and knows a few things about them, such as their medical histories. Many times the adopting parents and the birth parents will enter into informal agreements that allow the birth parents to visit with the child a certain number of times per year, to receive photos of the child, etc. And then sometimes, once the adoption is over, parents change their minds, and don’t want to follow that agreement anymore.
read moreCourt of Appeals: “24 Hours” Does Not Mean ‘Or 3 Days Later’ – Rare Decision in Teen Abortion Case
A few weeks ago, the Georgia Court of Appeals issued one of very few published court opinions on the subject of Georgia’s parental notification statute for abortions by minors. The decision underscores how important it is to follow ALL of the rules about deadlines when dealing with the courts – no matter what kind of case you have.
Coaches, Tutors, and Clergy: You are Mandatory Reporters Now
Sad, but true: when it comes to child abuse, in more than 80% of cases, the abuser is one of the child’s parents. Child Maltreatment 2010, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, 2012. For this reason, Georgia law requires certain other adults involved with children to report suspected child abuse.
In 2012, Georgia’s law was revised to expand the definition of who qualifies as a mandatory reporter. If you work in a summer camp or offer SAT tutoring, you are a mandatory reporter. Here’s what the mandatory reporting law means to you — or to your teenage children, if they work with kids:
read moreGrandparents’ Rights
When a parent cannot take care of his or her kids because of incarceration, drug or alcohol problems, or other personal problems, grandparents frequently step in to care for the minor children. These grandparent-child duos frequently form tight bonds that enrich both the child’s life and the grandparent’s life.
These informal arrangements can work fine in the short term, but once the child becomes old enough to need a passport, or a learner’s driving permit, or some assistance paying for college, it becomes important to enter into a formal, legal arrangement that spells out legal and physical custody.
read moreMediator vs. Attorney – Which Should You Hire?
If you and your soon-to-be Ex have worked out most of the major points in your separation, you may have heard that hiring a mediator, instead of an attorney, is the way to go. While it is true that most litigation, including family law litigation, is resolved by settlement (and by mediation in particular) there are some key differences in what an attorney does versus what a mediator does, and these differences can have a big impact on your case.
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