It’s been almost a decade since the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage should be recognized across. The country. Still, for many, the laws on the topic can feel “new.” There is still much vagueness and confusion about what, exactly your rights are. This can be especially true for same-sex parents. Many laws are still steeped in traditional, heterosexual marriages, and it’s taking time for ...
From Temporary Housing to Forever Home Becoming an adoptive parent is a rewarding experience for the parents and child alike. By adopting through foster care, you can help a child regain a sense of stability and permanence while providing them with the caring, attentive family that they’ve been lacking. What Is Foster Care? When a family fosters a child, they provide temporary care while a social ...
In many adoption cases, a child is adopted because the adoptive parents are determined as better caregivers than the birth parents. For a child to enter the adoption process, the birth parents must consent to their child being adopted and relinquish their parental rights. Through doing this, the birth parents acknowledge that they cannot care for the child in full capacity and want a more suitable ...
An annulment is not at all the same thing as a divorce. In a divorce, you divide property and determine spousal support. The purpose is to help someone stable as they transition into singledom. Divorce ends a marriage. Effectively, you are breaking up a legal family, and the law wants to make sure everyone is protected. Annulment doesn’t end a marriage. It nullifies the marriage, erasing it from ...
There are many ways to end a marriage. You can get divorced, file for separation, or have the marriage annulled. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks. None of these options are, however, equal in their outcomes. For instance, both a divorce and an annulment end a marriage, but a separation keeps the marriage legal and official. This fact raises a question: If you want to end your marriage, ...
Is it Difficult to Get an Annulment in Iowa? Annulments are not as commonplace as you’d think, but that’s not because they are difficult to obtain as much as because they are specific in their usage. For those who qualify for an annulment, the process is not complicated. Once you’ve completed the petition and it’s verified that it meets the requirements and grounds for an annulment, a judge can ...
Iowa law treats dogs as personal property often leaving divorce litigants without judicial remedy November 5th, 2013 One of the most frequent inquries we receive has to do with who gets to keep the dog(s) or pet(s) in an Iowa divorce. While you may treat your dogs as children, the Iowa courts treat them as personal property. When faced with the issue the Iowa Court of Appeals stated, "[a] dog is ...
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to enter prenuptial agreement October 31st, 2013 Kanye West once so elegantly stated , "If you ain't no punk, holla we want prenup." Well, Kanye, almost ten years later you get the chance to show the world you "ain't no punk." A prenuptial agreement is a legal contract that the husband and wife enter into before they get married that determines how much each party ...
Iowa Court of Appeals Issues New Divorce Rulings August 21st, 2013 Iowa Court of Appeals Releases August 7, 2013 Rulings In Re the Marriage of Mulder The parties had two children, ages thirteen and fifteen. In addition they had considerable equity in their marital home. The court awarded the marital home to the mother, and ordered that she provide half of the net equity in the property to the ...
Parents often disagree on how to raise children, especially if they are divorced. In many cases, mismatched parenting styles are among the reasons for divorce. These disagreements can get heated and contentious, but ultimately, If you don’t like the other parent’s methods, there isn’t much legal recourse for resolving the issue. They may be unwilling to change their behavior, and the court grants ...
Being a biological father doesn’t necessarily mean you are a legal father. The government requires you to officially declare our parenthood. You can do this by signing the birth certificate or filing paperwork later. The legal term for fatherhood is “paternity.” If you wait too long, or if you discover a child later in life, you must officially declare your fatherhood. You may need to go through ...
Everyone knows that working with other people can be difficult, especially with the other person doesn’t meet their obligations. Bosses, coworkers, and other professionals can slow down progress. This problem is amplified when it involves your personal life. As a divorced parent, you must rely on your co-parent to obey the parenting plan, but some people simply won’t comply. This can include ...
Divorce orders are based on your present circumstances, but they also account for a potential future. For instance, support orders look at your current finances, but they also look at your earning potential. The court can assume that someone will advance in their career and order a higher amount of support. These days, however, the future is harder to predict. People change careers far more often, ...
Although both parents are responsible for supporting their child(ren) after a divorce , the noncustodial parent is ordered to pay child support to the custodial parent in order to provide care, shelter, food, and other resources for each child. However, making these monthly payments for many years to come can be financially daunting, which is why parents going through divorce wonder when will ...
When your marriage ends, it can be devastating. If you are financially dependent on your spouse and you’ve never had a job outside the home, it can financially devastating and frightening. You don’t have to be a stay-at-home spouse; you can also be the spouse who makes significantly less money. Regardless of the circumstance that make you financially dependent on your spouse, it can be scary when ...
When we think of divorce, we often imagine ugly courtroom trials. We picture angry spouses trying to undercut and scam one another out of money, property, and so on. These perceptions give us a sense that someone will “win” or “lose.” It doesn’t have to be this way. When it’s time to get a divorce, court is not always necessary. Many other options are available to you. One such option is a ...
There are many reasons to take guardianship over someone. They may be a minor with no one else to look after them. Perhaps they are an adult who has become incapacitated. Gaining guardianship can be a complicated process. First off, you must know exactly what type of guardianship you are seeking. There are several different forms, and choosing the correct one can be difficult. Here is a broad ...
Divorce orders are based on your present circumstances, but they also account for a potential future. For instance, support orders look at your current finances, but they also look at your earning potential. The court can assume that someone will advance in their career and order a higher amount of support. These days, however, the future is harder to predict. People change careers far more often, ...
When we think of divorce, we often imagine ugly courtroom trials. We picture angry spouses trying to undercut and scam one another out of money, property, and so on. These perceptions give us a sense that someone will “win” or “lose.” It doesn’t have to be this way. When it’s time to get a divorce, court is not always necessary. Many other options are available to you. One such option is a ...
Even in our modern times, there is a lot of confusion around gender and divorce decisions. Most people assume that the system is biased toward women. They believe that women are overcompensated when it comes to support, child custody, and so on. Legally, gender should not affect any divorce decisions. The court should consider only the facts of the case and the individuals getting divorced. In ...
If you are experiencing domestic violence, you need to seek help immediately. Get to a safe place and call the police. If the threat is imminent, they may be able to help you secure an emergency protective order. This will give you time to prepare for a longer-lasting order later. If the abuse is coming from a spouse, you also need to talk to an attorney and begin filing for divorce. You can view ...
In Iowa, domestic violence occurs when someone commits assault against another person whom he/she has a specific relationship with, such as a current or former spouse, a current or former romantic partner, an individual who shares a child with an abuser, or a family or household member. Common examples of domestic abuse include: Causing injury or pain Insulting or offensive touching Placing ...
Even in our modern times, there is a lot of confusion around gender and divorce decisions. Most people assume that the system is biased toward women. They believe that women are overcompensated when it comes to support, child custody, and so on. Legally, gender should not affect any divorce decisions. The court should consider only the facts of the case and the individuals getting divorced. In ...
Parents often disagree on how to raise children, especially if they are divorced. In many cases, mismatched parenting styles are among the reasons for divorce. These disagreements can get heated and contentious, but ultimately, If you don’t like the other parent’s methods, there isn’t much legal recourse for resolving the issue. They may be unwilling to change their behavior, and the court grants ...
Being a biological father doesn’t necessarily mean you are a legal father. The government requires you to officially declare our parenthood. You can do this by signing the birth certificate or filing paperwork later. The legal term for fatherhood is “paternity.” If you wait too long, or if you discover a child later in life, you must officially declare your fatherhood. You may need to go through ...
Being a biological father doesn’t necessarily mean you are a legal father. The government requires you to officially declare our parenthood. You can do this by signing the birth certificate or filing paperwork later. The legal term for fatherhood is “paternity.” If you wait too long, or if you discover a child later in life, you must officially declare your fatherhood. You may need to go through ...
It’s been almost a decade since the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage should be recognized across. The country. Still, for many, the laws on the topic can feel “new.” There is still much vagueness and confusion about what, exactly your rights are. This can be especially true for same-sex parents. Many laws are still steeped in traditional, heterosexual marriages, and it’s taking time for ...
In the state of Iowa, when a married couple has a child, the husband is automatically presumed to be the father. His name will go on the birth certificate and no further action is needed from the couple. Unfortunately, there are no automatic protections in place for the fathers of a children born out of wedlock. Unwed partners need to take additional steps to ensure the father has legal rights to ...
With the popularity of reality shows like 90 Day Fiancé, more and more Americans have friends and family who have international marriages. Foreign marriages also apply to your destination marriages. Regardless of why you happened to be married outside the country, your marriage is valid in two places. According to Iowa code 595.20 : A marriage that is solemnized in any other state, territory, ...
As of 2001, the United States government requires both parent’s signatures on their child’s passport applications. This rule applies to new passports for children under the age of 14; before this rule, it was possible for only one parent to complete a passport application for their child. If you are a single parent, it is still possible for you to obtain a passport for your child. However, the ...
Being a biological father doesn’t necessarily mean you are a legal father. The government requires you to officially declare our parenthood. You can do this by signing the birth certificate or filing paperwork later. The legal term for fatherhood is “paternity.” If you wait too long, or if you discover a child later in life, you must officially declare your fatherhood. You may need to go through ...
In the state of Iowa, when a married couple has a child, the husband is automatically presumed to be the father. His name will go on the birth certificate and no further action is needed from the couple. Unfortunately, there are no automatic protections in place for the fathers of a children born out of wedlock. Unwed partners need to take additional steps to ensure the father has legal rights to ...
In the 21st Century, it is not unusual for unmarried parents to have children. Perhaps these parents are divorced or have no intention of marrying because they are children of divorce. The reasons for having children out of wedlock vary and are very personal, but regardless of the reasons for having children outside of the institution of marriage, it’s frequency has raised issues in the family ...
Many people use prenuptial contracts for financial purposes. They can clearly define their marital and separate property; they can restrict certain finances to just one spouse, they can make a financial plan in case of divorce; and so on. Some people also use marital agreements to dictate rules within the marriage. They can, for instance, make decisions about which spouse will handle which ...
People often assume prenuptial agreements are for the ultra-rich, and these contracts do not apply to them. Without question, people of substantial means use these agreements to protect their wealth. However, anyone from any social class can benefit from a prenup. Here are some ways a prenuptial contract can benefit your marriage, even if you have an average income. Prenups Can Determine the Rules ...
Prenuptial agreements are not always enforceable, but that doesn’t mean you should enter into an agreement assuming you can break it. While a prenup can be strong and well-drafted, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be challenged in court. The law is straightforward regarding prenuptial agreements. The law is written to protect both spouses, and if a prenuptial agreement is determined by a judge to be ...
An annulment is not at all the same thing as a divorce. In a divorce, you divide property and determine spousal support. The purpose is to help someone stable as they transition into singledom. Divorce ends a marriage. Effectively, you are breaking up a legal family, and the law wants to make sure everyone is protected. Annulment doesn’t end a marriage. It nullifies the marriage, erasing it from ...
Restraining orders go by many names. Some call them “protective orders,” and others call them “orders of protection.” There are several ways to combine the terms, but the orders themselves all serve the purpose. Retraining orders help expedite justice for people who have been victimized. If, for instance, someone is threatening you, you can accuse them of assault. After that, their case churns ...
In Iowa, protective orders are issued to protect victims of violence, stalking, and domestic abuse . Every protective order includes conditions that prevent physical, sexual, and emotional violence. Petitioners and abusers are equally responsible for respecting the boundaries initiated by this court order. It’s a crime in almost every state for an abuser to violate a protective order. Iowa, ...
Even in our modern times, there is a lot of confusion around gender and divorce decisions. Most people assume that the system is biased toward women. They believe that women are overcompensated when it comes to support, child custody, and so on. Legally, gender should not affect any divorce decisions. The court should consider only the facts of the case and the individuals getting divorced. In ...
Once a divorce is on the table, it’s not uncommon for emotions to run high and to the left. Marriage is a legally binding contract, but it’s also about love and emotion. It’s difficult for many couples to get through the rational and cerebral part of the divorce because the emotional part becomes all-consuming. No one gets married planning for their divorce, and yet, divorce happens often. When a ...
Alimony, also referred to as spousal support or maintenance, provides individual financial support during separation and divorce. The support comes from the higher-earning spouse in the relationship. The court orders alimony to be paid using a court order, which makes the debt a legal obligation. When a party fails to comply with a court-ordered support award, they face garnishment, tax refund ...
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