Child support FAQs -- Free legal advice and help
By Chris Mason  [September 11th, 2009]

We frequently receive "family law" questions regarding the legal obligation of parents to pay support for their children. This FAQ is a general introduction to the legal issues related to child support, including who is liable for support (and under what circumstances), how support awards are arrived at, and enforcement and modification of child-support awards. Because the law of child support is governed by state, rather than federal, law, it varies from state to state. A person who may have valuable rights affected by such laws should consult with an attorney who specializes in such matters.
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Your most common questions answered:

Family law: Should I have a will?
[March 13th 2009]

It is always preferable to have a will. A will states your preference as to the disposition of your estate. A will can and should be changed as your circumstances and preferences change. Even if you take measures to avoid probate, you should have a will as a back-up. A person who dies with a will is said to have died testate. A person who dies without a will dies intestate. In either case, the person who dies is called the decedent, and the property the person leaves at death is called the his or her estate.

What U.S. states allow common law marriage?
[August 21st 2006]

[Common-law marriage or common law marriage]

All U.S. jurisdictions recognize common-law marriages where they have been validly contracted in another jurisdiction that still permits the common law contract of a marriage. Only a dozen jurisdictions, however, still permit marriages to be contracted in this way. They are: Alabama (AL), Colorado (CO), the District of Columbia (DC), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Montana (MT), Oklahoma (OK), Rhode Island (RI) and Providence Plantations, South Carolina (SC), Texas (TX), and Utah (UT). Additionally, New Hampshire (NH) recognises common-law marriage solely for probate purposes.

What is community property?
[January 14th 2007]

Community property is defined as property owned by a husband and wife residing in a community property state. Because of their marital status, both husband and wife have an undivided one-half interest in the community property. There are nine community property states: Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Idaho (ID), Louisiana (LA), Nevada (NV), New Mexico (NM), Texas (TX), Washington (WA) and Wisconsin (WI). In addition, Puerto Rico is a community property jurisdiction. Need more info? Click "Ask Our Lawyers" at the top of this page.