Family Law Flashcards
FL law
governed by state law
Constitutional Rights of Marriage
fundamental right
can’t palce burden on directly getting married but can place burdens on indirect burdens (time + circumstacnes of marriage)
to be married Each individual must
CARS capacity to consent be of marriageable age 18 but w/ judicial or parental consent 14-18 not closely related to other person be single
How to become married
license
solemnization by judge or member of clergy
not under duress or under the influence
if there is mistake parties are married so long as they are eligible to be married and good faith belief that they were
CL Marriage
capacity to enter into marital contract
present agreement to be married
cohabitation
holding out marital relationship to community
burden is clear and convincing evidence by party asserting the marriage
Recognition of marriage
marriage valid under law of place in which it was contracted will be valid unless violates strong public policy of state that it has the most significant relationship to the spouses & marriage
Bigamy
void from beginning
presumption that the most recent marriage valid
removal of impediment by divorce will render subsequent marriage valid
Gifts in contemplation of marriage
most gifts valid as long as donor intends to make git, delivery, acceptance
Engagement Rings
Majority- donor gets ring back if couple doesn’t get married
Minorty- look at fault for breakdown of marriage to determine who should possess ring
Right to Own Property
CL- married woman’s identity swallowed up in her husband’s identity- married woman couldn’t own property
Maried Woman’s Property Acts- restored property rights to women; court can’t overrule spending decisions of spouse to her own earnings
Support Obligations
marriage creates mutual support obligations
Creditor who furnished necessaries to H/W may sue spouse of the purchaser to recover debt
nonintervention principle- deny support when couple living together
Family Privacy Doctrine
intact families treated by courts as private matter that should be resolved at home (spending, premarital agreements when still married + living together)
Doesn’t extend to endangering a child
Spousal Immunity
CL- spouses can’t sue 1 another
Modern- abolished by most states
Intra-family Tort Immunity
CL- members of a family can’t sue 1 another
Modern- abolished
Marital Rape
CL- rape w/in marriage not punishable
Modern- generally punishable, bus some states punish to lesser degree or under different statute
look @ 2 factors: coupel is separated and if consent
No Fault Divorce
all states have
spouse doesn’t need to show fault to obtain divorce
show irreconcilable differences and/or minimum period of separation(year or less)
separation doesn’t need to be consensual and 1 spouse believing it can fixed is not defense
no defenses
Fault Based Divorces
2/3 have
Bases: adultery, desertion w/out reasonable cause, cruelty, addition, mental illness, felony conviction
*proving fault can increase alimony or property division award
look at financail misconduct and marital misconduct
Defenses to fault based divorce
collusion- agree that one committed wrong to get divorce
connivance (P facilitated commission of marital wrong
Condonation- spouse forgives marital wrong
Recrimination- both spouses guilty of fault
Annulment
marriage never existed b/c void or voidable (FIND)
Fraud but must go to essentials of marriage
inability to consummate marriage (no sex)
not allowed by law (bigamy, age, incest)
duress
erases marriage by making it invalid from date of inception
Void
invlaid from start
couple never married
bigamy incest
Voidable
marriage valid until spouse brings action to invalidate must be imedpiment liek ffraud duress a ttime of marriage and ratification waiting too long is a defense
Putative Spouse Doctrine
spouse can seek divorce like remedies when annulment granted as long as marriage ceremony and good faith beleief in validity of marriage
legal seperation
marriage doesn’t end; coupel seperates and rights determined by court
Custody
best interest of child
Factors
Child preference- mature enough to express preference considered; some states let this control, discard or weigh it
parent’s religious faith- not considered, but can take into account parent’s ability to provide for physical/mental needs
other factors relevant to child- marital affair won’t be considered unless affects welfare of child
meaningful contact with both parents- spend time w/ both at least through visitation presumption
physical custody
right of aprent to have child live with them