| Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act |
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| The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act (UMDA) is an extensive uniform law which provides standards governing marriage, divorce, property distribution, alimony, child support, and custody. Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana and Washington have adopted it. The major provisions eliminate fault divorces, eliminate traditional defenses to divorce, provide for equitable distribution of property in non-community property states, provides for distributing community property, provide for alimony only in specific circumstances, and base child support and custody on certain factors. More... |
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| Exclusive Jurisdiction of Original State Under UIFSA |
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| Under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), there is only one controlling support order even when multiple states are involved in enforcing it. Once a support order is established, the issuing state has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify that order. The issuing state retains exclusive jurisdiction to modify, upon proper petition, so long as one of the individual parties or the child continue to reside in that state. Modification jurisdiction may be sought in child support cases only when all individual parties and the child have left the issuing state or when the parties have agreed in writing for another state to exercise jurisdiction. More... |
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| Matrimonial Actions and Health Insurance |
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| Health insurance issues must be considered in matrimonial actions. In some jurisdictions, as a matter of law, one must pay for the medical necessaries of one's children and spouse even during legal separation.
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| Child Support Enforcement and Paternity Issues |
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| At common law, a putative or alleged father of a child produced out of wedlock had no duty to support that child. However, the statutory law changed the common law and required both parents to support the child.
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| Changing a Minor's Last Name |
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| The issue of changing a minor's name is a rapidly emerging issue due to divorce, same-sex marriages, and parents using different last names. In the United States, there has been a tradition for centuries and a general assumption that a child born in wedlock will carry their father's last name or surname.
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