PRIVATE COURTS 

Dealing with Child Support? County Can Help - Staff is available to create better outcomes for children and their parents San Rafael, CA – One of the most eye-opening facts from a 2017 statewide study about child support services was that California parents were mostly saying, “Wait … there’s such a thing as child support services?” The Marin County Department of Child Support Services (DCCS) is determined to change that. The Novato-based department led by Director Jill Franc

An article by Marwa Elzankaly of McManis Faulkner, in The Recorder provides ten tips for attorneys when helping clients to weigh up whether to litigate a case or not. She notes: “Determining the best way for your client to resolve conflict and whether to proceed with litigation is a business decision that must be made with the big picture in mind. It is imperative to evaluate your client's goals and assess any potential business impacts. Litigation is serious business. In th

"He was accepted as a sperm donor in 2000 without so much as having to show his driver's license to prove his identity, the Star reported, citing court documents." According to an article in Vice News, three Ontario families are taking a US sperm bank and its Ontario distributor to court for allegedly giving them false information about their sperm donor, whom they say turned out not to be the healthy genius they thought he was, but a convicted felon with multiple diagnoses o

Case Summary & History | Family & Relationships Case: E.L. v. V.L. STATUS: Victory, Alabama Private Courts congratulates NCLR and clients on its victory in the following case which has been cross posted from the NCLR website: E.L. and V.L. are two women who were in a long term lesbian relationship and had three children through donor insemination. The non-biological mother, V.L., adopted the children in Georgia. When the parents later broke up, the biological mother, E.L., k

Mediation is an alternative to litigating a divorce. Anyone can take this route, as long as clear it serves the parties’ respective interests and that of the children in the family. In most cases it probably will. A couple can start a divorce mediation process, from the moment the decision is made to uncouple, rather than after starting the litigation process. However it is always important to consult with an family law attorney right away, especially if there are trust i

A friend referred a couple to me for divorce mediation. I had yet to meet with the couple when the friend saw fit to issue his personal apologetic caveat: “If anyone can mediate these two, Mel, its you. I apologize ahead, though, they are extremely contentious and very difficult, so much anger. I hope you get passed the first session, and either way please forgive me!” My favorite mediation sessions are those that challenge. In any event, professionally, I could not rely on

The glaring truth that we barely speak of: Same-sex couples, just like their heterosexual counterparts, need marriage under the civil law so they can get divorced! That is why, as a civil law institution, having marriage available, equally for all, is imperative. Now we have marriage equality, but because that was not always the case, same-sex couples can still find their rights confusing and unequal. The need for marriage equality for all is important,not only because of