Juveniles and Institutional Facilities

A juvenile may be held in a number of different facilities depending upon the particular issue or problem that the juvenile may have. For example, the juvenile may be arrested for assault and battery and may be held in a juvenile detention facility. Or the juvenile may have battered another individual and following a psychiatric examination, it was concluded that the juvenile was mentally unstable, the juvenile may be confined to a mental institution.

Overview of Malpractice Actions Against Child Welfare Agencies or Caseworkers

There are major problems with respect to the way in which child welfare agencies and caseworkers operate in the child welfare system. The agency or caseworker may neglect the child, not provide adequate avenues for the child, or may even in extreme cases lose the child in the welfare system. There has been a large increase of malpractice actions filed by children and their parents against both agencies and caseworkers.

Guardian Ad Litem

What is a guardian ad litem? A minor cannot be a party to a lawsuit without assistance. Therefore, when a minor is a party to a lawsuit, the court appoints a guardian ad litem to represent the minor.

Exclusive Jurisdiction of Original State Under UIFSA

Under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), there is only one controlling support order even when multiple states are involved in enforcing it. Once a support order is established, the issuing state has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify that order. The issuing state retains exclusive jurisdiction to modify, upon proper petition, so long as one of the individual parties or the child continue to reside in that state. Modification jurisdiction may be sought in child support cases only when all individual parties and the child have left the issuing state or when the parties have agreed in writing for another state to exercise jurisdiction.

Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy

In 1951 a researcher coined the term "Munchausen Syndrome" based upon a pattern of self-abuse. Munchausen Syndrome is a psychiatric disorder that many people suffer from who abuse themselves, usually for some sort of attention or medical assistance.