Newsletters

Constitutional Rights of Children

The concept of ''children's rights'' is relatively new. For most of history, children were considered chattel and had no rights separate and apart from their parents.

Child Welfare Agencies' Potential Malpractice Liability for Inadequate or Inappropriate Foster Care Services

If a child welfare agency or caseworker determines that a child needs to be moved into protective custody, the agency's duty to that child is not discharged. The agency or caseworker has a continuing duty to ensure that the child is not mistreated in her foster care home.

Marriage of Underage Children

In most states, a person must be 18 in order to marry; however, in many states a minor 15 years or older may get married with legal permission from a parent or guardian. You have to be 16 to get married with parental consent in the State of New York. If you are under 16, you need a court order giving you permission to marry.

Traditional and Gestational Surrogacy

The two types of surrogacy are "traditional" and "gestational." Traditional surrogacy is done via artificial insemination, with the surrogate using her egg and another man's sperm. Gestational surrogacy is done via In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), where fertilized eggs from another woman are implanted into the surrogate's uterus. Choosing which route to take is one of the earliest decisions a surrogate or intended parents must make.

Child Support and the Military

Enforcement of child support with respect to active military personnel is different than that of enforcement of civilian child support. First and foremost, locating the military individual can be difficult.