Posted on March 20,2018 in Main

The United States is made up of family situations of all different types. Some are led by single mothers or fathers, while other families include same-sex parents. Families can include step-siblings, half siblings, multiple sets of parents, and adopted children. In addition, more and more children are being raised by grandparents. If you are a grandparent who wishes to obtain custody of your grandchildren, there are a few different ways you can go about this.

Biological Parents May Voluntarily Relinquish Their Rights

The method a grandparent must take in order to get custody of their grandchild is largely determined by the biological parents of the child. In some cases, biological parents agree to the grandparent being the primary guardian of the child. If both parents voluntarily relinquish their parental rights, the grandparent has the opportunity to adopt the child. There are many reasons that biological parents may relinquish their parental rights. Sometimes a couple knows that they are too young or otherwise ill-equipped to raise a child. Other times, issues like substance abuse or mental health prevent a parent from being able to properly care for their child.

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 Posted on March 13,2018 in Main

There are two types of sexual harassment according to the law: quid pro quo sexual harassment and hostile workplace sexual harassment. A supervisor requiring a subordinate to perform sexual favors in order to keep his or her job, for example, is quid pro quo sexual harassment. An employee who shares sexually explicit images with coworkers or consistently asks them inappropriate questions could be contributing to a hostile work environment. Sexual harassment is not always obvious, and it may sometimes be difficult to know what constitutes harassment.

Signs of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment can include requests for sexual favors, unwelcome sexual advances, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. In order to be considered sexual harassment by law, these behaviors generally must be severe and pervasive. The legal definition of what specific behaviors constitute sexual harassment is vague. However, workers should know that inappropriate behavior does not have to be grandiose in order to qualify as sexual harassment. Subtle signs of sexual harassment may include:

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 Posted on March 07,2018 in Kane

If you are a parent who has decided to divorce, you are probably worried about how this will affect your children. Fortunately, there are many families who live in separate homes who are able to co-parent effectively and lovingly. If you are currently separated or soon will be, there are some things you should keep in mind when working on a parenting plan or custody agreement.

Who Decides on Parenting Plans?

Ideally, a child has both parents in his or her life. However, if you are getting divorced as a result of domestic violence, abuse, addiction issues, or other dangerous circumstances, it may be best not to share parental responsibilities. For those parents who wish to share the allocation of parental responsibilities, a co-parenting plan will be vital.

Parenting plans, or parenting agreements, are ultimately approved by the courts, but couples are encouraged to create their own parenting plan. A judge will always approve a parenting plan which protects the best interest of the children. Parents who fail to submit their own parenting plan to the court for approval are at risk of having the court make decisions related to parenting time and responsibilities for them.

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 Posted on March 01,2018 in Main

If you are a parent and are considering filing for divorce, you are probably concerned about how the divorce will affect your child. Divorce is a challenging obstacle for anyone to overcome, and children are no exception. However, the good news is that research shows that children are remarkably resilient and with special care, children whose parents divorce can be just as happy and successful as those children whose parents stayed together.

Research Leaves Divorced Parents Hopeful

Distinguished psychologist Constance Ahrons conducted a 20-year study about children of divorce. Through her research, she found that about 80 percent of children of divorce are able to adapt to the divorce and lead happy, successful lives afterward. Put another way, the majority of children whose parents get divorced do not experience permanent damaging effects on their mental and physical wellbeing. Another piece of evidence comes from developmental psychologist E. Mavis Hetherington from the University of Virginia. She, through a study of 2,500 children of divorce, came to similar conclusions about the effect of divorce on children. In fact, the vast majority of research by child development experts and psychologists have found that divorce alone does not hurt children’s social development, mental health, or school performance in the long run.

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 Posted on February 22,2018 in Kane

It is common for divorced individuals to look back on their relationship and acknowledge that the marriage was over long before they filed a petition for divorce. While the reality is not always as obvious to those in a struggling marriage, some people are able to recognize the proverbial writing on the wall. If your marriage has reached the point where divorce is the only viable option, it is important to prepare for the difficult road that lies ahead.

Know What You Have

Regardless of whether you expect your divorce to be amicable or bitter, one of the most important first steps is to compile an inventory of everything you and your spouse own. Start by making a list of all of your major assets, including any real estate holdings, vehicles, investments, and retirement savings. Locate purchase contracts, loan documents, and account statements so that you can determine when each asset was acquired and how much it may be worth now. Once you have covered the large assets, move on to smaller things like furniture, artwork, and jewelry, again recording the item and when it was purchased.

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 Posted on February 19,2018 in Main

The rights a parent has to spend time with their child and raise him or her as well as the responsibility a parent has to protect and care for his child are collectively called “parental rights.” A parent is responsible for providing the basics like food, water, and shelter, but also immaterial necessities like education, affection, appropriate discipline, and medical care. Courts do have the authority to terminate parental rights, but this only happens if it is in the child’s best interest to end contact with a parent. This most often happens in cases of abuse or neglect. Parental rights are also terminated when a parent gives a child up for adoption. In situations where unmarried parents have a child together or married parents get divorced, the courts clarify parental rights and responsibilities through child custody orders.

Parental Rights When a Child is Conceived Through Rape

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 Posted on February 13,2018 in Main

A female California lawmaker who made headlines for fighting against sexual misconduct in the state Capitol has now been accused of such misconduct herself. The woman was an important figure in the #MeToo movement, a social media trend through which victims of sexual harassment and assault can demonstrate how widespread these problems are. The movement has been groundbreaking in its ability to shed light on the once-taboo topic of sexual misconduct – especially sexual harassment in the workplace. The news stories have mostly focused on women victims, but it is important to note that sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape although much less frequent, can happen to both men and women.

Female Lawmaker May Face Criminal Charges

The man accusing the prominent female lawmaker of misconduct claims that she drunkenly approached him at a softball game and touched him in an unwelcome sexual way in 2014. The man did not report the incident immediately because he feared the backlash from accusing a powerful woman of sexual assault. This January, the male staffer told his former boss about the incident and an investigation began. He is not alone in his accusations. Another man who works as a lobbyist has also accused the lawmaker of sexual misconduct. The woman accused of the inappropriate touching is denying the accusations. “I can also say I have zero recollection of engaging in inappropriate behavior and such behavior is inconsistent with my values,” she said in a statement.

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 Posted on February 07,2018 in Kane

If you are someone considering getting divorced, or your spouse is considering filing for divorce, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. You may be wondering if you should hire an attorney, how you will share responsibilities and parenting time with your children, or how your assets and property will be divided. Additionally, you may be worried about how you will mentally and emotionally cope with the end of your marriage. There is no perfect way to get divorced, but there are some actions which can certainly convolute the process and make it more drawn out and expensive than necessary.

Hiding Assets or Lying About Your Financial Status

Everyone handles divorce differently, but there are some mistakes which should be avoided at all costs. Hiding assets is one of these mistakes. Divorce is a not only a personal separation but also a financial separation. Courts need accurate financial information from both spouses in order to make decisions about spousal maintenance, child support, property division, and more. Artificially deflating your income, failing to report a piece of real estate, or otherwise misrepresenting your financial circumstances can result in penalties, money sanctions, and a more problematic and expensive divorce. In order for things to go as smoothly as possible, it is critical that both spouses are honest regarding marital debt and assets.

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 Posted on February 01,2018 in Main

Cheating has been a problem in romantic relationships since romantic relationships came into existence. In the past, many cheating spouses found their new partners through work, mutual friends, and other in-person social interactions. An instance of infidelity used to stereotypically involve dinner and a hotel room, but today, affairs can look quite different.

The internet has changed the way we do almost everything. It is now easier than ever to keep in contact with old friends or significant others and to meet new people. Through the world wide web, people in the United States can talk to someone in Australia instantaneously. We are more connected as a human species than ever before, but sometimes this over-connectedness can cause problems in our most valuable relationships.

What Is Considered Cheating?

One of the things which makes online affairs so difficult to categorize is because it is hard to determine what is infidelity and what is not. Each married couple has a different standard for how they interact with others while in a relationship. For some, a husband who is having platonic chats with an ex-girlfriend online is unacceptable, while others may not mind. Many couples consider any activity done in secret to be immoral. So, if a wife has an online friend but keeps it a secret, she is cheating. Other couples may accept online flirtation but draw the line at physical interaction. Whatever the circumstances, only those people within the marriage can truly decide what is cheating to them and what is not.

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 Posted on January 30,2018 in Main

The issue of sexual harassment has often been swept under the rug, but when high-profile celebrities such as Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Senator Al Franken were accused of sexual harassment, it brought the issue to the front of many people’s mind. The #MeToo movement on Twitter and other social media outlets is further shedding light on this once taboo topic. However, despite the increased focus on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace, it appears that many victims still remain silent.

Fears Keep Victims Quiet

In a survey created by CareerBuilder, private-sector workers across a variety of industries and company sizes were asked questions about sexual harassment at work. About 12 percent of all workers say that they have experienced sexual harassment while at work, but the majority of those individuals never report the inappropriate conduct. In fact, of all the people who say they have been sexually harassed at work, 72 percent have never filed a report about it. A little over half of the victims of sexual harassment have never confronted the perpetrator either. In the survey, victims of sexual harassment who had not reported the harassment cited fear of being a troublemaker, fear of losing their job, and concern about the case being their word against another’s as reasons for staying silent.

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