Features
Important Rules of Evidence for Family Law Attorneys
Matrimonial and family law attorneys who only try divorce and custody cases know that all issues besides the grounds for divorce are tried before the court without a jury. In such cases, the rules of evidence are often relaxed. While this can make for a more straightforward presentation of evidence, it can also leave family practice lawyers unfamiliar with new or little used rules of evidence. This article discusses some of those important rules.
Validity of Child Support Statute Is Questioned
In a unanimous panel decision issued by the Appellate Division, First Department, the court recently invalidated a 1992 support agreement because it failed to provide adequate support for a child born out of wedlock. What made the case noteworthy was the fact that the court's opinion called into question the constitutionality of a decades-old family law statute that requires judicial approval of an agreement for child support between a mother and the purported father of a nonmarital child.
Features
Non-Compliance with the Opt-Out Provisions of the CSSA
An in-depth review of case law relating to this all-important issue.
The Consequences of Truth
Few states have instituted compulsory medical error admissions. One state that has is New Jersey, which, in 2004, enacted the Patient Safety Act (PSA). This landmark legislation changed the way medical errors are dealt with in New Jersey. This article discusses the changes.
Features
Legal Issues Swell if Swine Flu Spreads
Just one week into the swine flu outbreak, health authorities in Baltimore detained 117 passengers on a flight from Cancun, Mexico. And Texas, Maryland and New York officials closed schools. Although the flu strain isn't an official pandemic yet, state and local officials are already flexing legal muscles ' many for the first time.
Features
The Autism Cases
In last month's issue, we discussed the Vaccine Court's (Office of Special Masters of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims) trio of decisions that found no causative links between childhood vaccinations and the onset of autism and gastrointestinal problems in three children. The discussion continues herein.
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