Ask for References: The best way to find a good attorney is by asking for a reference from someone you know. Friends and family can provide referrals to attorneys with whom they’ve had positive experiences. Other attorneys, who may not practice in the specific area you need help with, are also great sources for recommendations. If these options don’t yield results, check the attorney’s website and read reviews from earlier clients. This can provide valuable insight into their style, personality, client satisfaction, and effectiveness. Check Their Disciplinary History: Several online resources let you locate disciplinary records for attorneys. For example, [...]

Occasionally (25-45% unscientifically), expectant mothers who first favored adoption decide to parent. Her legitimate choice can emotionally crush prospective adoptive parents (= PAP), more or less, depending on its timing. One of our PAP recently experienced this pain. After getting home from the hospital where she gave birth to a baby girl, a mother who picked the PAP decided to parent her baby girl. This mother gave me her decision and I told the PAP while they were in my office with the baby in their arms. That experience for them was like death. Painful. They are grieving and it [...]

 Who can request that the name of a person younger than eighteen (a minor child) be changed?Both parents of a minor child may agree and request to change their child’s name. Or, if a court has awarded one of the parents sole custody, that parent may ask for permission to change his child’s name. If both parents share legal custody of their child, then both parents must agree to change their child’s name1. Who can request that the name of an adult be changed?Any adult may ask a court to order his name be changed. This adult must have a reasonable [...]