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Family Law Newsletter
Elder Individuals and Social Security
 
Elder individuals are entitled to receive social security benefits upon turning the age of retirement, which is anywhere between 62 and 67 years of age, depending upon your circumstances and the year that the elder individual was born. Unfortunately for most retired workers the social security money received each month is not enough to live on. Currently, the maximum social security benefit that a retired worker may receive is $1,825 per month at age 65.More...
 
Paternity Proceedings
 
Depending upon whether a state has adopted the Uniform Parentage Act or whether they have another state statute that governs, paternity proceedings may typically be commenced any time from after the child's birth or at any time for the purpose of declaring the existence of the father and child relationship. The action may also be commenced for the purpose of declaring the non-existence of the father and child relationship.More...
 
The Multiethnic Placement Act
 
The Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) is a federal law, enacted in 1994, that prohibits racial and ethnic discrimination in connection with adoptions and foster care. A 1996 amendment, called "Removal of Barriers to Interethnic Adoption," reaffirmed and strengthened the MEPA. More...
 
Requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act
 
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for the removal of Native American children from their homes. The ICWA applies to foster care placements, terminations of parental rights, and adoption and pre-adoption placements. When the ICWA applies to a proceeding, a state court must comply with the requirements of the act. More...
 
Adoption Assistance & Child Welfare Act
 
The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Act) was passed by Congress in 1980. Lawmakers were concerned that many children were being removed from their homes unnecessarily and that, once they entered foster care, inadequate efforts were made to either reunify them with their biological families or place them with adoptive families. The Act was passed to correct or alleviate problems in the foster care system and to promote permanency rather than multiple foster placements. An additional goal of the Act was to encourage social workers to work toward reunification of the family and to avoid long-term foster care for the children if possible. If the child could not be returned to the family, another plan was to be sought such as adoption, long-term foster care, or some other resolution. More...
 
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