America's most famous teenage mother Bristol Palin announced through media tabloids that she's engaged to the father of her baby, Levi Johnston. CNN reports that the 19-year-old informed the media of her engagement without the approval of her mother. How's that for a happy family?
The onetime vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was no fan of her grandson's father after the dramatic child custody battle between the teens, but she stated on CNN that she will accept Bristol's decision.
Many people are probably aware that a quick way to become a legal resident of the United States is to marry a U.S. citizen. This is considered the fast track to becoming eligible for permanent residency in this country. However, participating in such actions are illegal and can lead to severe consequences, as this is marriage fraud.
Associated Press reported that a federal grand jury in Houston recently indicted three Americans and three Cambodian nationals for allegedly being involved in a visa fraud scheme through a "bogus marriage." Three of these people were arrested in the Houston area, another two suspects were arrested in the town of Midland, and the last person was arrested in Pasadena.
Austin City Council Member Bill Spelman proposed an ordinance last week that would require certain pregnancy crisis centers to notify clients when birth control services or abortion services are not offered. The city of Austin would be the second city in the country to have such a law. The Austin American-Statesman reports that the city of Baltimore is now the only city that has this type of ordinance in place.
The council member is proposing certain requirements for pregnancy crisis centers that don't offer or refer clients to abortion services or birth control services. Such centers would have to display two , 8.5- by 11 -inch signs at the entrance of their facilities saying "This center does not provide abortions or refer to abortion providers. This center does not provide or refer to providers of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved birth control drugs and medical devices." One sign would have to be in English and one in Spanish, and both would have to have a font size of at least 48 points.
When a baby was crying in Houston last week, 32-year-old Nathaniel Flowers "got a little too rough" with the child, according to the Houston Chronicle. Doctors said that the child had a fractured skull, bleeding in the brain, and bruises around the mouth -- injuries that are consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
The three-month-old child, Kamron Deshawn Kelly, was later pronounced dead. Officials with Child Protective Services are now investigating the the circumstances that led to the boy's death. Mr. Flowers was the boyfriend of Kamron's mother.
There are many rewards to having children; including the dependency exemption that allows parents to pay lower taxes. New parents especially may see this tax break as a bit of relief, because it can be very expensive to raise a baby. Kiplinger reports that a parent can usually knock off $3,650 off his or her taxable income for each child that is claimed as a dependent.
FindLaw states that in order to claim a child as a dependent, the child must be under the age of 19. However, there are exceptions that allow older children to be claimed as dependants as well. For example, a parent can claim a child as a dependent if he or she is a student and has not yet reached the age of 24. A parent who has a permanently disabled child can also claim the dependency exemption under Section 152(c)(3).
Now is a good time to take action against child abuse, since April is Child Abuse Prevention Month in the state of Texas and in the United States. According to Brownwood News, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services records that there are nearly 200,000 children in Texas that are abused or neglected each year.
Child Protective Services is the agency that usually gets involved with child abuse cases, but Brownwood News reports that CPS cannot get involved with every case before serious damage is done. Texas family law attorneys will often get involved with child abuse cases if there is a child custody issue at hand. Separated or divorced couples who have kids often argue who gets custody of the children. If one parent has had a history of abusing a child, then a Houston family law attorney would have a good argument for why that abusive parent shouldn't get custody.
The state of Texas has some basic legal requirements, but fortunately they're pretty simple compared to other states. Legal Aid of Northwest Texas states that a the marital relationship can be established between only a man and a woman by a formal ceremony or by common law. If you have any questions about the legal implications of marriage such as prenuptial agreements or Texas' marriage requirements, it may be best to contact a Houston family law attorney.
The ceremonial marriage is the more common type. A county clerk issues a marriage license for a couple to be wed. Yet, their are some legal requirements before a marriage license can be issued. Couples must show that they are at least 18 years old, unless they have parental consent, or an order from the court. The people getting married also cannot be currently married or have a blood relationship of first cousin or closer. A person also might not be eligible for marriage if he or she is delinquent on a child support obligation.
