SANDUSKY, Ohio — Jim Obergefell, whose landmark case before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationally, is hoping he and fellow Democrats can make gains in the Ohio Statehouse this year with a message grounded in equality. “It really ...
Read More »Same-sex marriage plaintiff Obergefell runs for Ohio office
Guest column: The oft-overlooked drama of probate 
MILWAUKEE, Wi. — It goes back to age 13. That is when my current client, we will call her Andrea, first made it known she wanted Dad’s vintage slot machine in the corner of their unfinished basement. At the time, ...
Read More »Elizabeth J. McInturff: A rise in second-parent adoptions? 
The Supreme Court’s holding in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is likely to have an impact on the practice of family formation law and the breadth and scope of services our clients may be looking for. As we know, ...
Read More »Child Advocacy: The opioid epidemic is a child welfare issue 
Families throughout Maryland continue to be adversely affected by the opioid epidemic. The entry of children into foster care is a significant consequence of this epidemic. For example, a five year old child finds both her parents, who have opioid ...
Read More »Do grandparents have visitation rights in New York? 
For grandparents, the relationship with your grandchild can be one of the most important things in the world for you. But what happens when the child’s parents prevent you from seeing your grandchild or having a relationship with them? Sometimes, ...
Read More »Modern Family: Justices revisit ‘best interest’ custody modification 
On June 15, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued an opinion concerning child custody modification. The issue in Woolsey v. Woolsey involved the fallout of a stipulation to utilize a “best interest,” rather than “endangerment,” modification standard. Facts Father and Mother ...
Read More »Matrimonial Matters: Common-law marriage and wrongful death claims 
New York has not permitted common-law marriages for almost 100 years. Only eight states currently provide for some form of common-law marriage, and some of these states only under certain conditions. Texas is one of the states which currently permits ...
Read More »Modern Family: Recording prohibition consistent with 1st Amendment 
On May 31, 2022, the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a nonprecedential opinion in In re the Marriage of Abdiaziz Elmi and Rukia Hashi, a marital dispute that involved a novel First Amendment issue. Father and Mother were married in ...
Read More »Elizabeth J. McInturff: Specific issue evaluations, and when are they needed? 
This year’s Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit hosted an excellent presentation on an often-overlooked tool — “specific issue evaluations” — which sparked an excellent discussion on what they are and when they may be needed. Specific issue evaluations are ...
Read More »Child Advocacy: The foster parent in child welfare proceedings 
Foster parents are to be commended for the commitment that they make to care for abused and neglected children in their community. Foster parents provide placements for children from infancy to late teens, who come to the foster care system ...
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