Family Flashcards
Common-law marriage
Common-law marriages are valid when the parties: (i) agree that they are married; (ii) cohabit as married; and (iii) hold themselves out in public as married.
Rights of unwed fathers
The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the right of an unwed father to object to an adoption cannot be denied if the father has demonstrated that he is committed to fulfilling the responsibilities of parenthood. On the other hand, some jurisdictions have created adoption registries for the purpose of determining the identity and location of putative fathers and providing notice in the event of an adoption. A putative father’s failure to register within a statutorily prescribed period of time constitutes a waiver of his right to notice of the adoption and irrevocably implies his consent to the adoption. However, termination in this fashion typically applies only to cases in which the father and child never developed a relationship.
