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Elise F Buie Lawyer

Elise F Buie

Divorce & Family Law, Family Law, Divorce, Children's Rights

Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans forcing the evacuation of my family. Initially we moved to rural Georgia, then to Minnesota and finally to ... (more)

Serin Ngai

Family Law, Divorce, Farms, Child Support
Status:  In Good Standing           

Sharon L. Friedrich

Family Law, Divorce, Farms, Child Support
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Elizabeth A. Hershman-Greven

Family Law, Divorce, Farms, Child Support
Status:  In Good Standing           

Justin M. Sedell

Family Law, Collaborative Law, Divorce, Farms
Status:  In Good Standing           

Elizabeth A Bianchi

Farms, Family Law, Divorce, Child Support
Status:  In Good Standing           

Jennifer J. Payseno

Family Law, Divorce, Farms, Child Support
Status:  In Good Standing           

Mary Sakaguchi

Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Leasing, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support
Status:  In Good Standing           

Shane Yale Rooney

Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Collection, Commercial Leasing
Status:  In Good Standing           

Susan Millican O'Brian

Child Support, Divorce, Family Law
Status:  In Good Standing           

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LEGAL TERMS

GIFT TAXES

Federal taxes assessed on any gift, or combination of gifts, from one person to another that exceeds $12,000 in one year. Several kinds of gifts are exempt form... (more...)
Federal taxes assessed on any gift, or combination of gifts, from one person to another that exceeds $12,000 in one year. Several kinds of gifts are exempt form this tax: gifts to tax-exempt charities, gifts to your spouse (limited to $120,000 annually if the recipient isn't a U.S. citizen) and gifts made for tuition or medical bills. In addition to the annual gift tax exclusion, there is a $1 million cumulative tax exemption for gifts. In other words, you can give away a total of $1 million during your lifetime -- over and above the gifts you give using the annual exclusion -- without paying gift taxes.

COMPLAINT

Papers filed with a court clerk by the plaintiff to initiate a lawsuit by setting out facts and legal claims (usually called causes of action). In some states a... (more...)
Papers filed with a court clerk by the plaintiff to initiate a lawsuit by setting out facts and legal claims (usually called causes of action). In some states and in some types of legal actions, such as divorce, complaints are called petitions and the person filing is called the petitioner. To complete the initial stage of a lawsuit, the plaintiff's complaint must be served on the defendant, who then has the opportunity to respond by filing an answer. In practice, few lawyers prepare complaints from scratch. Instead they use -- and sometimes modify -- pre-drafted complaints widely available in form books.

EMANCIPATION

The act of freeing someone from restraint or bondage. For example, on January 1, 1863, slaves in the confederate states were declared free by an executive order... (more...)
The act of freeing someone from restraint or bondage. For example, on January 1, 1863, slaves in the confederate states were declared free by an executive order of President Lincoln, known as the 'Emancipation Proclamation.' After the Civil War, this emancipation was extended to the entire country and made law by the ratification of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution. Nowadays, emancipation refers to the point at which a child is free from parental control. It occurs when the child's parents no longer perform their parental duties and surrender their rights to the care, custody and earnings of their minor child. Emancipation may be the result of a voluntary agreement between the parents and child, or it may be implied from their acts and ongoing conduct. For example, a child who leaves her parents' home and becomes entirely self-supporting without their objection is considered emancipated, while a child who goes to stay with a friend or relative and gets a part-time job is not. Emancipation may also occur when a minor child marries or enters the military.

BEST INTERESTS (OF THE CHILD)

The test that courts use when deciding who will take care of a child. For instance, an adoption is allowed only when a court declares it to be in the best inter... (more...)
The test that courts use when deciding who will take care of a child. For instance, an adoption is allowed only when a court declares it to be in the best interests of the child. Similarly, when asked to decide on custody issues in a divorce case, the judge will base his or her decision on the child's best interests. And the same test is used when judges decide whether a child should be removed from a parent's home because of neglect or abuse. Factors considered by the court in deciding the best interests of a child include: age and sex of the child mental and physical health of the child mental and physical health of the parents lifestyle and other social factors of the parents emotional ties between the parents and the child ability of the parents to provide the child with food, shelter, clothing and medical care established living pattern for the child concerning school, home, community and religious institution quality of schooling, and the child's preference.

MARRIAGE

The legal union of two people. Once a couple is married, their rights and responsibilities toward one another concerning property and support are defined by the... (more...)
The legal union of two people. Once a couple is married, their rights and responsibilities toward one another concerning property and support are defined by the laws of the state in which they live. A marriage can only be terminated by a court granting a divorce or annulment. Compare common law marriage.

DESERTION

The voluntary abandonment of one spouse by the other, without the abandoned spouse's consent. Commonly, desertion occurs when a spouse leaves the marital home f... (more...)
The voluntary abandonment of one spouse by the other, without the abandoned spouse's consent. Commonly, desertion occurs when a spouse leaves the marital home for a specified length of time. Desertion is a grounds for divorce in states with fault divorce.

INCURABLE INSANITY

A legal reason for obtaining either a fault divorce or a no-fault divorce. It is rarely used, however, because of the difficulty of proving both the insanity of... (more...)
A legal reason for obtaining either a fault divorce or a no-fault divorce. It is rarely used, however, because of the difficulty of proving both the insanity of the spouse being divorced and that the insanity is incurable.

CHILD

(1) A son or daughter of any age, sometimes including biological offspring, unborn children, adopted children, stepchildren, foster children and children born o... (more...)
(1) A son or daughter of any age, sometimes including biological offspring, unborn children, adopted children, stepchildren, foster children and children born outside of marriage. (2) A person under an age specified by law, often 14 or 16. For example, state law may require a person to be over the age of 14 to make a valid will, or may define the crime of statutory rape as sex with a person under the age of 16. In this sense, a child can be distinguished from a minor, who is a person under the age of 18 in most states. A person below the specified legal age who is married is often considered an adult rather than a child. See also emancipation.

CONSUMMATION

The actualization of a marriage. Sexual intercourse is required to 'consummate' a marriage. Failure to do so is grounds for divorce or annulment.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

Estep v. Hamilton

... She contends Mr. Hamilton was negligent when representing her in her divorce from Michael Raymond. ... The final papers were silent regarding any re-designation of insurance policy beneficiaries. After the divorce, neither party changed the beneficiary designations. ...

Buchanan v. Buchanan

... 8 "[P]roperty not disposed of by the divorce court is held by the parties as tenants in common." Martin v. Martin, 20 Wash.App. ... Likewise, a surviving spouse military plan not disposed of in a divorce decree is owned by the former spouse as tenants in common. ...

In re Marriage of Obaidi and Qayoum

... Ms. Obaidi asserts that the mahr requires Mr. Qayoum to pay her $20,000 upon divorce. ... We conclude that under neutral principles of contract law, the parties did not enter into an agreement for payment of $20,000 to the wife upon divorce. ...