Paternity is the legal recognition of who a child’s father is, creating enforceable rights and responsibilities like custody, parenting time, and child support. It can...
A postnuptial agreement is a written contract spouses sign after marriage to define how assets, debts, and potential spousal support will be handled if they...
Community property is a marital property system in which most assets and debts acquired during the marriage are owned 50/50 by both spouses. It applies...
Equitable distribution is the method most states use to divide marital property in divorce by awarding a fair—though not always 50/50—share to each spouse. Courts...
Marital property is generally any assets or debts either spouse acquires during the marriage, typically subject to division in divorce. The exact definition and how...
Separate property is any asset a spouse owned before marriage—or acquired during marriage by gift or inheritance—and it generally isn’t divided in divorce. It can...
A parenting plan is a written co-parenting agreement that sets custody time-sharing and how parents will make decisions for their child. It clarifies schedules, communication,...
Visitation rights (also called parenting time) let a noncustodial parent spend scheduled time with their child under a court order or agreement. They’re designed to...
Adoption is the legal process that permanently transfers parental rights and responsibilities from a child’s birth parents (or the state) to adoptive parents, making the...
A prenuptial agreement is a written contract signed before marriage that sets rules for dividing property, debts, and sometimes spousal support if the marriage ends....
