Family And Matrimonial Law CLE

Abuse of domestic partners in the form of physical, psychological, financial, sexual, and related forms of abuse tends to be systemic in nature causing complex trauma to the victim who suffers overwhelming psychological and emotional stress leading to various psychiatric issues forcing the victim to contend in unhealthy ways while experiencing deep feelings of helplessness, hopeless despair, and pain. This program will provide a detailed understanding of the victim’s experiences and challenges for the criminal defense lawyer in such cases.

In this practical webinar, you will learn how to ethically and effectively represent a placing parent in an adoption starting with the initial meeting with the client through the adoptive placement and thereafter. Adoptions are unique with regard to the receipt and sharing of confidential information as well as avoiding conflicts of interest in representation.

Intimate partner violence (commonly known as domestic violence, but also called family violence or interpersonal violence) is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, economic coercion, financial abuse, or litigation abuse, that perpetrators use against their intimate partners. The violence can happen frequently or only occasionally. Partners may or may not be married, hetero- or same sex couples, living together, separated, or dating. It crosses the boundaries of all ages, socio-economic statuses, religions, races, ethnicities, and nationalities. Because this is a public health issue, this continuing legal education course will assist participants in representing clients that are victims of intimate partner violence, should they want to pursue legal protections, prosecution, or child custody. This course will provide victim-centered and health-informed strategies for all aspects of intimate partner violence cases.

In this practical webinar, you will learn how to be culturally competent when representing LGBTQI clients and how to have an LGBTQI friendly law office and presence on-line and in your marketing.

The program delves into the history of LGBTQ families and the hurdles encountered historically in having and building families. Finally the program brings us up to the present issues still facing LGBTQ families in the area of family formation and where we might be headed in the future.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) law involves complex and sensitive issues that prompt a number of drafting concerns for attorneys. In this program, Colleen Marea Quinn guides attorneys through the important and fundamental considerations surrounding ART law and basic ART contract drafting. First, Ms. Quinn covers the basics of family formation through ART and relevant medical terms. Then she addresses drafting pre-requisites and what information must be gathered prior to contract drafting as well as useful resources. Next she provides an extensive road map that incorporates specific structural techniques to help demystify the ART contract. Finally, Ms. Quinn provides an overview of necessary contract provisions covering everything from pre-screening, physical exams & psychological evaluations, and payment methods to labor notification, breaches and remedies. Do not miss this introduction to ART law and the fundamentals of ART contract drafting.

Domestic violence and sexual violence allegations against professional sports players have appeared frequently in the headlines in the last several years – as have accusations that player’s governing organizations have failed to address or prevent these incidents. This course will explore the various legal systems and mechanisms that might be at play when a professional athlete is accused of domestic violence, the various approaches that the player’s organizations have taken to address and prevent domestic violence within player’s contracts and collective bargaining agreements, and takeaways for attorneys who might become involved in these cases.

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of juvenile immigration law. It will provide an overview of the population of unaccompanied minor children, the immigration court system in the United States, and the forms of immigration relief that unaccompanied children are eligible for. Attendees will gain a comprehension of the different legal applications for unaccompanied children and what is required to complete such applications. This course will also provide insight into the challenges of working with immigrant youth who have experienced trauma and upheaval in their lives.

This program is designed to provide a basic understanding of how to interview children, specifically children who have experienced trauma and may also be refugees. Attendees will gain a comprehension of the different developmental ages of children and learn techniques to effectively interview children to gather information for legal proceedings. The training will include sample questions and hypotheticals to practice these techniques.

Navigating a divorce case from complaint to judgment is almost as difficult as navigating New Jersey’s “pothole” filled highways. There are hazards at every stage of the proceedings which can derail your case at any time. This Divorce Law Guide will help you safely avoid those potholes so that you can get your client what they want - a DIVORCE JUDGEMENT. This course is a basic guide of the various stages of a divorce case in New Jersey. The statutory and procedural hurdles are discussed in plain English so that even the new practitioner and the client can understand the lengthy and costly divorce practice.

This program, taught by Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law attorney Ruby Powers, is designed to familiarize immigration attorneys with the successful tips and guidance in seeking relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This course will cover how to effectively work with clients in preparing and filing the VAWA application and tips on special considerations and complications that could arise. Learn the differences between VAWA and VAWA Cancellation of Removal in immigration court proceedings. Attorney Powers will share her years of examples in representing VAWA applicants throughout the program to help clarify the elements and ensure a successful process.

In this program, Patrick Lannon and Dolly Hernandez will discuss how trust assets can be vulnerable upon the divorce of a beneficiary. You will learn planning steps that can be implemented to reduce the divorcing spouse’s access to trust assets.

This lecture will present the interdisciplinary perspective relating to custody matters when presented with cultural and religious issues and discrepancies between parents. It will review case law and psychological protocols that are used to understand what factors a court will consider and what weight it will attribute in the handling of the matter.

A review of New York State’s child custody and child support laws. There will be a total of ten practical tips regarding the negotiation of child child support and child custody (plus two bonus tips). For child support cases, there is information on “high income cases” as well as your “average” income cases. In the area of child custody, will review the different types of custody and the factors that the courts use in determining custody. Will also discuss the role of the Attorney for the Child and forensic reports.

A “how to” guide on drafting prenuptial agreements in New York. The Course will include initial interview questions to ask. A review of the financial statement and what documents to request from your client. A discussion of the major portions of the prenuptial agreement. What to negotiate with opposing counsel. How the clients should execute the agreement. A quick review of prenuptial law.

In this course, Dolly Hernandez will discuss practice tips on handling client intake for marital and family law matters. This course will address the initial conflicts check, potential issues and sensitivities in marital and family law matters, and the components of a consultation. Dolly will also review practice pointers and materials needed for a successful marital or family law intake process.

Are you involved in a family law case involving children? Child-related issues in family law provide an additional layer of complexity in a case, and their best interests are at the forefront. In this presentation on the topic of child-related considerations in family law, we will explore topics involving establishing parentage, allocation of parental responsibility or custody, parenting time or visitation, and child support. We also explore how children are represented and have their voices heard in family law matters. Participants in this course will gain a general understanding of how a family law case involving children proceeds.

Unfortunately, when family, death, and money converge court battles are inevitable. The disputes often arise when no estate planning is involved or the planning goes awry, requiring heated, dramatic, and sometimes heart-wrenching probate (also referred to as estate administration) proceedings. This program covers model codes, statutory laws, and common law with respect to intestate matters. We will consider the changing legal definitions of family, the issues involved in administering estates when wrongdoing is suspected, and the rights, duties, and powers of personal representatives. We will also review hands-on examples of provisions that can be helpful in keeping at least us and our clients safe from probate landmines.

Culture and religion are at the forefront of the United States’ diverse population. Individuals hold true to their personal religious and cultural belief systems, even during the times of separation and divorce. Oftentimes, these individuals feel marginalized through the legal separation and divorce proceedings because their religious and cultural identities are not recognized. How do we give voice to these cultural and religious identities, so that our clients’ needs, and desires are heard and met in the divorce process? How do we make a legal divorce work for them, when their marriage is not? This program will provide an overview of the mediation process, and how it serves as a tool when approaching gray areas of diversity in religion, tradition, and customs that courts may not address in separation or divorce. These gray areas cover the topics of parenting, family dynamics in assets and debts, custody, and support.

This course will examine the issue of hearsay as it relates to collaterals cited in custody evaluations conducted by forensic evaluators. The course will take a deep dive to explore when these issues arise and how some can be overcome. We will analyze the applicable case law and discuss when these issues can significantly impact the veracity of the forensic report.

This course will provide the participant with an understanding of basic theories of family law and procedure, the factors relating to the child support guidelines, and the core documents involved in family law matters.

Estate planning and administration can be full of twists and turns.  Circumstances are further complicated by the emotions and grief over the loss of a loved one that family members and fiduciaries simultaneously experience. This course will help attorneys learn the key rules they need to know to ethically navigate the estate planning and administration process. After watching this course, attorneys will be able to competently assist their clients, protect themselves and minimize their chances of a malpractice claim, and navigate the complexities of estate planning and administration to ensure they ethically represent clients in this area of the law.

Surrogacy contract drafting raises complex and delicate issues relating to attorney ethics. This advance program will explore ethical considerations and best practices when drafting surrogacy contracts. Attorney Colleen Quinn will address provide a tactful analysis of issues such as contingency or “what if” planning, managing client expectations, planning for enforceability and parentage, and where attorneys should or should not be involved.

This course will provide a broad overview of the practice of family law in New Jersey. This course will begin with a review of where cases are heard and how they are docketed, including how to file pleadings. We will then take a deep dive into the different causes of actions in New Jersey, including no-fault, fault-based, and annulment. This course will also review procedures of non-dissolution, key matrimonial issues, and key concepts of custody.

This course will analyze relevant case law and ethics opinions against attorneys for professional liability concerns as well as lawsuits arising from negligent and intentional actions for failure to provide adoptive parents with full or accurate information regarding the child’s physical or psychological background /medical records, wrongful adoptions, and setting aside adoptions. In this practice course, attorney Colleen Quinn, will review recommendations, best practices, and sample language, including the use of exculpatory clauses in contracts and legal and medical risk agreements that can lessen an adoption professional’s liability. 

Lawyers in Oregon, like many other mandatory reporters, may not be experts in identifying child abuse and elder abuse. The mandatory reporting statutes in Oregon are intended to identify possible victims of child abuse and elder abuse so that the allegations can be assessed by qualified child welfare and adult welfare professionals. Lawyers will often encounter victims of child abuse and elder abuse but must critically analyze their ethical obligations, their attorney-client relationship, and their statutory obligation to report abuse. Additionally, lawyers in Oregon are required by the Oregon State Bar to receive regular training in child abuse reporting as a part of their continuing legal education requirements.

This course will cover who must make mandatory reports of child abuse and elder abuse, how to make mandatory reports, how to identify potential child abuse and elder abuse, and any exceptions to the mandatory reporting requirements for lawyers. Additionally, this court will cover the balance between mandatory reporting of child abuse and elder abuse and a lawyer’s obligation to protect the attorney-client relationship as outlined in the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct.