If you are planning a foreign vacation this summer, you had better plan ahead to determine all the necessary travel documents that you will need. This can be a much more complex issue than one might think. A good place to start is the U.S. Department of State International Travel website or you can call them at (877) 487-2778.
I do not intend to try to outline all the various documents required for each international destination, but rather to alert our readers of a requirement that is more obscure. In recent years, concerns about international child abductions have increased; and as a result, new travel restrictions have been imposed including border officials becoming much more cautious when they encounter a child traveling without both biological parents. Just having a child’s birth certificate is not enough. It is wise to bring a copy of the legal custody orders with you. But in addition, did you realize that a child departing the U.S. and traveling with only one parent, grandparents, a guardian, or another adult or group, must have a notarized Travel Consent Authorization document from both birth parents or legal guardians?
This is true even if you are planning a quick … Read More... “Get Your Ex’s Consent To Travel Abroad With Your Minor Child, Avoid Feeling Like You Just Went Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel!”
I vividly remember litigating a very contentious divorce case back in the early 1980’s. The Magistrate who heard the dispute still occasionally pokes fun at me about the case! Husband and Wife wanted to argue and fight over the division of a voluminous list of household goods acquired during the marriage, most having little or no value. Since then, when I was a young lawyer, I believe I have now been able to gain some valuable insight on litigation of this nature.
Every Sunday I look forward to reading Dayton Psychologist, Gregory Ramey’s article in his Family Wise Column in the Dayton Daily News. A few weeks ago, he wrote a very interesting piece about “the pursuit of happiness” but not from the legal perspective as contemplated by our forefather’s in the Declaration of Independence, but from a psychological viewpoint.
I am constantly scouring the web to find valuable information to post here. I was pleased to recently find an excellent website geared towards children’s issues. 
In a recent analysis of census data, the Pew Research Center found that the institution of marriage has undergone significant changes in recent decades as women have outpaced men in education and earnings growth. The study examined American’s 30 to 44 years old, a stage of life when typical adults have completed their education, have gone to work and gotten married. “Men now are increasingly likely to marry wives with more education and income than they have, and the reverse is true for women,” said Paul Fucito, spokesman for the Pew Center. “In recent decades, with the rise of well-paid working wives, the economic gains of marriage have been a greater benefit for men.” Clearly, these unequal gains have been accompanied by gender role reversals in both the spousal characteristics and the economic benefits of marriage.
Jason C. Brown, the publisher of the 
Michael Mastracci, an attorney from Baltimore, Maryland, publishes one of my favorite blogs, “