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» Family Law

Young woman wearing a hijab working in a research laboratory. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Unlawful Presence for Non-Immigrant Students: What You Need to Know

Contributor: Van T. Doan
On August 9, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that could affect people with certain visa or non-immigrant statuses in the United States. These include: • Student (F-1 and F-2 dependents) • Exc… Read More
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Categories: Family Law, Immigration Law
A young heterosexual Indian couple are together in their living room. They are using a laptop to research and fill out citizenship and immigration forms.

What to Expect From Your Green Card Marriage Interview

Contributor: Van T. Doan
If you are a foreign national married to a U.S. citizen, you may plan to become a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States—commonly known as a “green card” holder. You probably know that part of this process involves an interview wi… Read More
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Categories: Family Law, Immigration Law
Prenups and I-864 Affidavit of Support

I-864 Affidavit of Support and Prenups — Is the Obligation Waivable?

Contributor: Van T. Doan
Can a prenuptial or premarital agreement waive the support obligations that a sponsor assumes when he or she signs the Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for a spouse? The answer is … maybe. Different federal courts, just within the last few years… Read More
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Categories: Family Law, Immigration Law
Tags: I-864 affidavit of support, prenuptial agreements
Assisted Reproductive Technology and Citizenship

Assisted Reproductive Technology and Citizenship

Contributor: Van T. Doan
Who is a child’s parent? The question is not as simple as it appears. With the development and increasing use of assisted reproductive technology (ART), including surrogacy, legal issues have arisen around what parenthood means when it comes to… Read More
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Categories: Family Law, Immigration Law

Prenuptial Agreements and I-864 Affidavits of Support

Contributor: Van T. Doan
Any alien who seeks to become a legal permanent resident (LPR) of the United States as an immediate relative or family preference immigrant is inadmissible if he or she is likely to become a public charge. To prevent the likelihood that an LPR would… Read More
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Categories: Family Law, Immigration Law
Tags: I-864 affidavit of support, prenuptial agreements

International Child Custody, Jurisdiction, and UCCJEA

Contributor: Van T. Doan
The Uniform Child Custody, Jurisdiction, and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) is a uniform state law approved in 1997 to govern state courts’ jurisdiction to make and modify child custody determinations. Such determinations include custody and visitati… Read More
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Categories: Family Law, Immigration Law
Tags: child custody, International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA), UCCJEA

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: A Change in Maryland Law

Contributor: Van T. Doan
Recent changes to Maryland law that take effect on October 1, 2014, bring state law into alignment with existing federal law, and benefit a population that has often fallen through the cracks: abandoned, neglected, or abused young immigrants between… Read More
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Categories: Family Law, Immigration Law
Tags: Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status

Sentenced to [Married] Life To Avoid Jail Sentence

Frederick Wood of Maryland may have avoided jail time today by marrying the alleged victim. Back in November 2009, Wood was involved in a domestic altercation with his then girlfriend. The police report noted several injuries to the girlfriend. On Ma… Read More
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Categories: Family Law

Maryland Child Support Guidelines Up For Review

Today, Maryland is considering revising its mandatory child support guidelines for the first time in twenty-two years. When the child support guidelines became mandatory in 1988, it was based on a matrix developed to determine how much parents were e… Read More
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Categories: Family Law

Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Recognized In Maryland

In an advisory opinion released yesterday, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler concluded that as a matter of constitutional law, the Court of Appeals would likely recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. The opinion does not enable sam… Read More
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Categories: Family Law