Dividing Retirement Funds in Divorce

Retirement funds are often the largest assets in a divorce case. People who have spent decades contributing to a retirement plan have often accumulated thousands of dollars of savings into their 401(k) plans, pension plans, or other savings program. These types of plans can be very complicated. Most plans do not allow the owners to…

Senate Investigates Theft of Personal Information from Washington Office of Child Support Enforcement

The United States Senate and the Department of Homeland Security are continuing to investigate a burglary at the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) located in Olympia, Washington. Earlier this year, the organization reported that computer equipment belonging to the OCSE and the U.S. Health and Human Services Department was stolen from the building…

New Software Helps Parents Create Child Support Agreements and Parenting Plans—Is This Technology Right for You?

Calculating child support is a complicated endeavor. While it is easy to find a child support calculator online, creating a legally accurate and acceptable agreement takes more than simply entering numbers into a website. Every state offers parents a way to estimate their child support obligations. Parents can find numerous calculators and worksheets online that…

Myths About Common Law Marriages

Most people are familiar with the concept of common law marriage, but much of what people think they know is based on rumor rather than fact. For example, many people incorrectly believe that living together for a certain period of time is sufficient to establish a common law marriage. Common law marriages are a relic…

Understanding Your Legal Rights After an Annulment

Annulments are a relatively rare way to end a marriage. While many people are familiar with how divorce or legal separation works, people who get an annulment are often confused about what their rights are after their marriage is over. In many ways, annulments are similar to a divorce. However, a divorce recognizes that a…