31 topics covered across all 50 states and DC. Pick a topic to see your state's rules.
District of Columbia adoption involves consent rules, a court-supervised home study, and (for newborn adoptions) a state-specific revocation window. 10 days for revocation of consent.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Colorado calls it maintenance. Statutory advisory guideline keyed to length of marriage (e.
See all 51 jurisdictions →An annulment in Wyoming declares that a marriage was never legally valid — different from divorce, which ends a valid marriage. Grounds vary; common ones include Mental incapacity, fraud, force.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Pennsylvania child-custody decisions are governed by the "best interests of the child" standard. No formal joint-custody presumption. Courts use a 16-factor best-interests analysis with no thumb on the scale for any custody arrangement.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Rhode Island child emancipation generally requires age Common-law or older, plus showing the minor can support themselves and emancipation is in their best interest.
See all 51 jurisdictions →California child-relocation requires court approval (or other parent's consent) for most moves that materially affect parenting time. 45 days notice for moves over 50 miles.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Nevada calculates child support using the Income Shares model. Both parents' incomes are combined to estimate what they would have spent on the child as an intact family.
See all 51 jurisdictions →West Virginia unmarried couples have NO automatic rights to property, support, or inheritance — cohabitation agreements + careful estate planning are the only protection. "Common-law marriage" is rare + specific.
See all 51 jurisdictions →West Virginia collaborative divorce — both parties + attorneys agree NOT to litigate, instead use team approach with neutrals. If process fails, attorneys must withdraw, creating strong incentive to settle.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Virginia does NOT recognize common-law marriage. Cohabitation alone — even for decades — does not create marriage rights here.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Alabama family-court contempt enforces divorce decrees, child-support orders, and custody arrangements — civil contempt for compliance, criminal contempt for punishment. Jail time is real possibility for willful violators.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Vermont allows both no-fault and traditional fault-based divorces. Most divorces use the no-fault path: 6-month separation living apart.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Minnesota divorce mediation: required early neutral evaluation (ene) and mediation in many districts.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Nevada divorce decrees on child support, custody, and alimony can be modified after substantial change in circumstances — but property division generally cannot be reopened.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Before you can file for divorce in Michigan, you have to meet the state's residency requirement. The plaintiff must have lived in Michigan for 180 days AND in the county of filing for 10 days before filing.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Illinois domestic partnership / civil union status: Civil unions (since 2011) — open to same-sex and opposite-sex couples.
See all 51 jurisdictions →New Jersey's final restraining order (fro) provides court-ordered protection from domestic violence. Duration: permanent until vacated by court order.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Hawaii allows grandparent visitation in defined circumstances under a best-interests test that defers to fit parents.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Wyoming interstate custody disputes are governed by the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) — the child's "home state" usually has jurisdiction.
See all 51 jurisdictions →South Carolina military divorces involve federal protections (SCRA, USFSPA), unique pension-division rules (10/10 rule, 20/20/20 benefits), and special residency / jurisdiction options.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Arkansas adult name changes typically require a court petition, fingerprint background check, public notice, and a hearing. Easier paths exist after marriage or divorce.
See all 51 jurisdictions →North Carolina parental alienation — one parent influencing child against other parent — can lead to custody modification, contempt findings, sanctions, and reunification therapy. Difficult to prove but increasingly recognized.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Indiana paternity can be established voluntarily (Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, VAP), administratively (through child-support agency), or by court order. Until child turns 20.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Vermont pets are property in divorce — but states like California, Illinois, New York, Alaska now consider pet's "best interests." Most states still treat pets as property to be awarded to one party.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Virginia postnuptial agreements are signed AFTER marriage but otherwise function like prenups — defining property division, alimony, and other financial terms in case of divorce.
See all 51 jurisdictions →District of Columbia has adopted the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (UPAA) — agreements are enforceable if voluntary and not unconscionable.
See all 51 jurisdictions →District of Columbia is an equitable-distribution state. Marital property is divided "equitably," meaning fairly — not necessarily 50/50.
See all 51 jurisdictions →District of Columbia divorces dividing 401(k)s and pensions require a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) — a separate court order plan administrators must approve before transferring retirement assets.
See all 51 jurisdictions →New York step-parent adoption requires terminating the non-custodial biological parent's rights — by consent, abandonment, or unfitness — then court-approved adoption. Simpler than agency adoption.
See all 51 jurisdictions →Illinois surrogacy: Gestational Surrogacy Act (2005) — leading state for surrogacy.
See all 51 jurisdictions →South Dakota parents can grant temporary guardianship of a minor child to another adult — for medical care, school enrollment, military deployment, or other limited purposes — without surrendering parental rights.
See all 51 jurisdictions →These guides are for general information only and do not constitute legal advice. Laws change and outcomes depend on your specific situation — talk to a licensed attorney before acting on anything you read here.