Smock Family Law Lawyer, Pennsylvania
Includes: Collaborative Law, Domestic Violence & Neglect, Paternity, Prenuptial Agreements
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LEGAL TERMS
FMLA
See Family and Medical Leave Act.
UNCONTESTED DIVORCE
A divorce automatically granted by a court when the spouse who is served with a summons and complaint for divorce fails to file a formal response with the court... (more...)
A divorce automatically granted by a court when the spouse who is served with a summons and complaint for divorce fails to file a formal response with the court. Many divorces proceed this way when the spouses have worked everything out and there's no reason for both to go to court -- and pay the court costs.
COMPLAINT
Papers filed with a court clerk by the plaintiff to initiate a lawsuit by setting out facts and legal claims (usually called causes of action). In some states a... (more...)
Papers filed with a court clerk by the plaintiff to initiate a lawsuit by setting out facts and legal claims (usually called causes of action). In some states and in some types of legal actions, such as divorce, complaints are called petitions and the person filing is called the petitioner. To complete the initial stage of a lawsuit, the plaintiff's complaint must be served on the defendant, who then has the opportunity to respond by filing an answer. In practice, few lawyers prepare complaints from scratch. Instead they use -- and sometimes modify -- pre-drafted complaints widely available in form books.
ANNULMENT
A court procedure that dissolves a marriage and treats it as if it never happened. Annulments are rare since the advent of no-fault divorce but may be obtained ... (more...)
A court procedure that dissolves a marriage and treats it as if it never happened. Annulments are rare since the advent of no-fault divorce but may be obtained in most states for one of the following reasons: misrepresentation, concealment (for example, of an addiction or criminal record), misunderstanding and refusal to consummate the marriage.
SOLE CUSTODY
An arrangement whereby only one parent has physical and legal custody of a child and the other parent has visitation rights.
GUARDIAN
An adult who has been given the legal right by a court to control and care for a minor or her property. Someone who looks after a child's property is called a '... (more...)
An adult who has been given the legal right by a court to control and care for a minor or her property. Someone who looks after a child's property is called a 'guardian of the estate.' An adult who has legal authority to make personal decisions for the child, including responsibility for his physical, medical and educational needs, is called a 'guardian of the person.' Sometimes just one person will be named to take care of all these tasks. An individual appointed by a court to look after an incapacitated adult may also be known as a guardian, but is more frequently called a conservator.
OPEN ADOPTION
An adoption in which there is some degree of contact between the birthparents and the adoptive parents and sometimes with the child as well. As opposed to most ... (more...)
An adoption in which there is some degree of contact between the birthparents and the adoptive parents and sometimes with the child as well. As opposed to most adoptions in which birth and adoption records are sealed by court order, open adoptions allow the parties to decide how much contact the adoptive family and the birthparents will have.
GUARDIAN OF THE ESTATE
Someone appointed by a court to care for the property of a minor child that is not supervised by an adult under some other legal method, such as a trust. A guar... (more...)
Someone appointed by a court to care for the property of a minor child that is not supervised by an adult under some other legal method, such as a trust. A guardian of the estate may also be called a 'property guardian' or 'financial guardian.' See also guardian.
ACCOMPANYING RELATIVE
An immediate family member of someone who immigrates to the United States. In most cases, a person who is eligible to receive some type of visa or green card ca... (more...)
An immediate family member of someone who immigrates to the United States. In most cases, a person who is eligible to receive some type of visa or green card can also obtain green cards or similar visas for accompanying relatives. Accompanying relatives include spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21.
SAMPLE LEGAL CASES
Procito v. Unemployment Comp. Bd. of Review
... [10] The majority fails to consider the "best interests of the child" doctrine, which
motivates and controls family law. If Claimant were to prove that she has provided
care, shelter, nurture and affection to the children of her domestic ...
Staub v. Staub
... Father, as the "breadwinner" of the family, has been relatively uninvolved in the home school
program by his choice, according to his testimony. ... Historically, we note that in 1682, the "Great
Law" passed by the First General Assembly of Pennsylvania "included a provision for the ...
Yates v. Yates
... Id. ¶ 19 In appointing Attorney Famous, the trial court observed that Attorney Famous is "a highly
respected Bucks County attorney whose practice is focused solely on Family law[.]" Trial Court
Opinion, 3/7/08, at 9 n. 5. The trial court presided 542 over this custody dispute since ...
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