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MEET Topics > Family Law > Flashcards

Family Law Flashcards

1
Q

Categories

A
  1. Before marriage
  2. Marriage
  3. Getting out of marriage
  4. Who owes what after divorce
  5. Children
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2
Q

Before marriage breach of promise

A

Sounds like K claim with torts damages of actual and punitive

Gift of ring is condition so must be returned if marriage does not occur

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3
Q

Premarital agreements

A

Valid K that provides for distributions of assets upon divorce or death, varying from what law would otherwise acquire

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4
Q

Premarital reqs

A
  1. Writing and signed
  2. Entered voluntarily
  3. Full disclosure of independent knowledge of assets
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5
Q

Enforcement of premarital agreements

A

Court scrutiny focuses on voluntariness and full and fair disclosures, as well as other fairness factors

Any child custody is not binding
Can waive spousal support unless spouse will become public charge

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6
Q

Marriage reqs

A

Legal union of 2

  1. License
  2. Ceremony with authorized officiant
  3. No legal impediment
  4. Capacity to consent
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7
Q

Legal impediment and capacity to consent

A

Legal impediment: too closely related, polygamy

Capacity to consent: substance, lack of mental capacity, and nonage

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8
Q

Common law marriage

A

Legally considered married without registering or performed legal reqs

Reqs: (a) consent to marry, (b) cohabitation, and (c) holding selves out as spouses

Consent = capacity and no legal impediment

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9
Q

Marriage by estoppel or putative

A

Equitable remedy for invalid marriage

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10
Q

Rights and responsibilities b/w spouses

A

Before and during marriage there are rights and responsibilities related to property, support, necessaries, and tortious interference

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11
Q

Property rights

A

During marriage, each spouse owns and controls property in own name but title not dispositive

IF joint title, presumed tenancy by entirety

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12
Q

Obligation to support

A

Each spouse has obligation to support

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13
Q

Doctrine of necessaries

A

Can be used to make other spouse liable to third parties if purchases for necessary expenses

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14
Q

Spousal abuse orders

A

Every state has laws protecting victims of DV and all states allow battered spouse to seek some form of protective order against violent spouse; initially can be ex parte

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15
Q

Tortious interference

A

Alienation of affection and criminal conversation

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16
Q

Alienation of affection

A
  1. Genuine love and affection between validly married spouses,
  2. Evidence that love/affection is destroyed and
  3. Proof that D’s actions caused loss of love and affection
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17
Q

Criminal conversation

A
  1. Valid marriage
  2. Adultery
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18
Q

Annulment

A

Backward-looking doctrine, declaring marriage invalid b/c of impediment that existed at time of marriage that makes legally void or voidable

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19
Q

Void

A

Utter nullity where no action necessary, can be attacked by 3rd party

If impediment causing void is removed, some states holds it becomes valid if co-habitating

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20
Q

Voidable

A

Issues of consent are voidable, but valid until declared otherwise, no collateral attacks

Can be remedied by continued habitation after removal and ratification; means cannot be annulled

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21
Q

Effect of annulment

A

Marriage set aside as if never existed; children born during this time get support

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22
Q

Divorce jurisdiction

A

Terminating marriage

Jurisdiction only one spouse must be domiciled in a state but if spouse wants anything more than judicial decree there must be PJ

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23
Q

Grounds for no fault

A
  1. Both spouses agree irreconciliable differences
  2. Living separate and apart for specified time
  3. Both spouses agree that incompatible
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24
Q

Defenses to no-fault

A

Deny existence of one of above, or reconciled so time apart clock starts over

25
Q

Grounds for fault

A

Adultery: circumstantial evidence of opportunity and inclination

Desertion: unjustified departure with no intent to return

Cruelty: extreme physical or mental

Substance use: voluntary addiction or habitual drunkenness after marriage

Insanity

26
Q

Defenses for fault-based

A

Collusion, connivance (willing to consent), condonation (forgiveness with full knowledge), and recrimination (P also committed fault)

27
Q

Legal separation

A

Does not terminate but parties can have all their rights regarding property, spousal support, custody, and child support adjudicated in proceeding

IF court divides, any after-acquired is separate

28
Q

Property division

A
  1. Community property: all acquired deemed owned one-half
  2. Equitable division: divides all property owned by either spouse
  3. Equitable division of all marital property: spouse takes separate and courts equitably divides property acquired during marriage
29
Q

Process to property division

A
  1. Classify: determine what is marital property and what is separate
  2. Determine distribution: make equitable division based on relevant factors

Property distribution = final decrees, so cannot be modified

30
Q

Separate property

A

Property owned before marriage, acquired by gift or inheritance, acquired in exchange for separate property, income and appreciation of separate property, pain and suffering awards, personal damages, and property acquired after legal separation

31
Q

Marital property

A

Property acquired after marriage, earnings, employment benefits, lost wages, reimbursements and recovery for damage to marital property

Appreciation: b/c of effort even if separate property
Pensions: portion earned during marriage

32
Q

Commingling and transmutation

A

Commingling: separate property inextricably intertwined with marital or separate spouse such that indivisible

Transmutation: separate becomes marital with intent

33
Q

Equitable distribution

A

Once court categorizes as separate or marital, equitable distributes b/w spouses and courts have significant discretion over this

Factors: duration, income, employability, source of funds, health of parties, presence of children, needs, etc.

34
Q

Alimony

A

Spousal support can be awarded while still married, during divorce, or party of divorce decree—very discretionary

Purpose: ensure sufficient income for spouse who became dependent due to marriage
Terms: short, indefinite, or lump-sum

35
Q

Types of alimony

A

Permanent periodic: paid regularly to spouse who has neither resources nor ability to self-sustain (modifiable)

Lump sum: fixed amount up front or over time

Rehabilitative: period payments for limited time to enable spouse to gain skill to become self-supporting (modifiable)

Reimbursement: spouse who supported other through degree (fixed sum, modifiable)

36
Q

Factors for alimony

A

Discretionary

Broadly needs of claimant and ability of other to pay, considering financial resources, standard of living during marriage, contribution of each during marriage, etc.

37
Q

Modification and termination of alimony

A

Modify: substantial change in circumstance (not voluntary nor intent prior to divorce)

Terminate: recipient remarrying or dying and, in most places, cohabitation with another

38
Q

Separation agreement

A

Entered after marriage where parties agree to live apart and resolve economic issues and custody rights

39
Q

Reqs for separation agreement

A
  1. Agreement voluntarily entered after marriage
  2. Full/fair disclosure
  3. Consideration
40
Q

Ks b/w unmarried cohabitants

A

Express Ks b/w unmarried cohabitants regarding earnings and property rights are generally valid and enforced unless only consideration is sex

41
Q

Child support

A

Generally, both have duty to support based on ability to pay and needs of child; child support guidelines dictate amount

Duration: generally until age of majority

Visitation: independent from support, cannot be basis for denial

42
Q

Child custody jurisdiction

A

FFCC given to orders issued in other states if issuing court had proper jx (PJ required) and parties had reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard

43
Q

Modifying child custody/support

A

Issuing court has continuing and exclusive control/jx to modify

UNLESS no parties still reside there or parties consent elsewhere

44
Q

Jx to enforce child support

A

Another state can also enforce through (a) direct out of paycheck, or (b) registration of order

45
Q

Grounds for child support modification

A

Based on substantial and continuing change of circumstances affecting needs of child OR ability to pay

E.g., employment, growth of child, inflation, income, retirement, etc.

46
Q

Child custody

A

Initial determination of legal, physical, or joint is home state where child has lived with parent for at least 6 consecutive months

47
Q

Grounds for modifying child custody in different jx

A

Issuing has continuing and exclusive

Another state can only exercise IF (a) no child/parent continues residing in state, or (b) child no longer has significant connection and substantial evidence relating to matter no longer exists

48
Q

Declining jx

A

Court w/ jx can decline to exercise IF it determines that it is inconvenient forum under circumstances and court in another state is more appropriate

49
Q

BIOC

A

Standard applied in awarding custody and visitation

Factors: parents’ wishes, child’s preferences if over 8, child’s relationship, adjustment to school/community, parties’ health, and primary caregiver

50
Q

Types of custody

A

Joint: encouraged

Sole: if strong evidence demonstrating BIOC

Nonparent: if no voluntary relinquishment, harm to child or parent unfit

51
Q

Visitation

A

When 1 parent granted sole physical, other parent entitled to visitation UNLESS endangers well-being

52
Q

Visitation by non-parents

A

May be given if non-parent has substantial relationship w/ child and in BIOC but judge must give special consideration to wishes of parent

53
Q

Burden and standard for modification

A

Always modifiable, burden on party seeking change to show substantial change/material affecting child well-being

54
Q

Burden and standard for modification

A

Always modifiable, burden on party seeking change to show substantial change/material affecting child well-being

55
Q

Relocation

A

Generally requires notice and hearing, but allowed if BIOC, move motivated by benefit to family, and not intended to thwart

56
Q

Non-marital children

A

Intermediate scrutiny

Paternity may be brought to establish and, once done, duty of support and right to visit attaches

57
Q

TPR

A

Parents may voluntarily relinquish but raising child is constitutional right so DPC before termination if involuntary

58
Q

Adoption

A

Consent generally required unless TPR

Unwed father consent N/A if has not tried to assume parental responsibility unless infant then right to opportunity to develop

MEET Topics (7 decks)

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