In some cases involving children and custody rights, the court may appoint an amicus attorney to represent the best interests of the children. Tex. Fam. Code§ 107.001(1). But what is an amicus attorney? When are they appointed? What do they do? How…
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A short look at laws in place to prevent international child abduction Since 1999, the courts of the United States have received more applications based on the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction than any other co…
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Watching last season of Netflix’s series Orange is the New Black, I was relieved when inmate Maria Ruiz’s transfer was canceled, meaning her young daughter would still be able to visit her with the baby’s father. But in the first episode of the…
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Perhaps ironically, tabloids and magazines have been talking and speculating about the private life of Gossip Girl actress Kelly Rutherford and her lengthy custody battle. To make a long story short, the actress divorced her husband, wh…
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The Texas legislature has recognized parents’ right to consent to their children’s medical and surgical treatments. Tex. Fam. Code § 151.001(6). See also id. at § 153.132(2) (giving a parent sole managing conservator the exclusive right to co…
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You and Me and Artificial Insemination Makes Three—when providing sperm gives paternal rights Recently in Virginia, the Court of Appeals upheld a father’s right to have custody and visitation with his child. Bruce v. Boardw…
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Under the Family Code, when a child turns 18, the child becomes an adult. In addition to being able to legally buy porn and cigarettes, a child’s 18th birthday has implications for everything from child support to criminal law. Many performers or a…
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When Does Spanking Become Child Abuse? Across the world, 43 countries have enacted legislation making corporal punishment of one’s child illegal.[1] But in the US, spanking is still legal in all states.[2] In Texas, physical…
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