Family Law

What does the recognition of a valid marriage by a state usually require? a) A civil or religious solemnization ceremony b) Medical tests c) Proof of citizenship d) Proof the couple is not closely related

A civil or religious solemnization ceremony

What factors are necessary to establish a common law marriage? a) Being of age, having a joint checking account, and joint bills b) Living together, jointly owning property, and having a child c) Exchanging vows, joint ownership of property, and having a child d) Being of age, living together as a couple, and presenting themselves to the world as being married

Being of age, living together as a couple, and presenting themselves to the world as being married

A legal separation is legally the same as an annulment. a) True b) False

False

In community property states, all property acquired during a marriage is considered property of both spouses. a) True b) False

False

In the United States, there is a single universally accepted legal definition of a family. a) True b) False

False

The eligibility requirements for marriage are the same from state to state. a) True b) False

False

Which of the following factors should not be considered by a judge in making a determination as to which parent in a divorce should have custody of their child? a) Parental misconduct b) Employment stability c) Gender d) Parental ability to provide for the child's needs

Gender

Which of the following is true about a parents' legal obligation to support a child? a) It depends on the child's needs and the parents' financial conditions. b) It typically does not include paying for the child's college education. c) It ends when a child reaches the age of majority. d) It ends on the dissolution of the marriage for the noncustodial parent.

It depends on the child's needs and the parents' financial conditions.

Which of the following is true of foster care? a) It strives to sever parental ties and find appropriate substitute (adoptive) parents for neglected and abandoned children. b) It is primarily regulated by federal law. c) It is mandated by law prior to an effective adoption by prospective parents d) It is designed to provide temporary care for children.

It is designed to provide temporary care for children.

When married people decide to live apart to try to work out their differences, they might get what? a) Dissolution b) Divorce c) Annulment d) Legal separation

Legal separation

In which of the following situations has the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states may not prohibit marriages? a) Marriages between persons of different races b) Marriages between siblings c) Marriages between persons of the same gender d) Marriages involving persons who are already married

Marriages between persons of different races

With respect to decision making within traditional families, which of the following statements is false? a) Married women's property requires the signature of a woman's husband before real property may be transferred, even if it is owned solely by the wife. b) Spouses may not be compelled to testify against his or her spouse about confidential communications that transpired during the marriage in a criminal trial. c) A married woman has the right to retain her own surname. d) A husband may not veto a decision by his wife to obtain an abortion in early pregnancy.

Married women's property requires the signature of a woman's husband before real property may be transferred, even if it is owned solely by the wife.

Which of the following is not generally included in marriage eligibility requirements? a) Competency b) Maximum age thresholds c) Monogamy d) Prohibitions on marriage between close relatives

Maximum age thresholds

If a woman made homemaking her career with the expectation that her husband would take care of her, what should she request? a) Modification alimony b) Rehabilitative alimony c) Permanent alimony d) Bifurcation

Permanent alimony

In what circumstance will a court generally grant an increase in alimony payments to a payee? a) The payee suffers health issues. b) The payor retires. c) The payor wins a big lottery prize. d) The payee remarries a person who has no ability to earn income.

The payor wins a big lottery prize.

Andrea Moorehead was abandoned by her birth mother, a crack-cocaine user who had tested positive for venereal disease, shortly after birth. Andrea was placed with foster parents when she was nine days old. The foster parents, Melva and Robert Dearth, sought to adopt Andrea when she was 10 months old. The Dearths are white and Andrea is black. They live in an interracial neighborhood, they attend an interracial church, and their two children attend an interracial school. They have a stable marriage and financial standing. Which of the following factors may NOT be considered in determining whether the Dearths may adopt Andrea? a) Their age b) The stability of their marriage c) Their race d) Their religious views

Their race

Under what circumstance does a court have jurisdiction to grant a divorce? a) One party has recently moved to the state. b) There is in personam jurisdiction over the person required to make alimony or child support payments. c) A child is attending school in the state. d) Either party requests the court to take the case.

There is in personam jurisdiction over the person required to make alimony or child support payments.

What recourse do parents have if children perpetually fail to obey them? a) They can request a dissolution. b) They can sue the child. c) They can request child protective services remove the child from the home. d) They can institute a CHINS proceeding.

They can institute a CHINS proceeding.

All states now have some form of no-fault divorce. a) True b) False

True

Although property divisions can be decided by a judge, they are often negotiated by the divorcing parties before court proceedings begin. a) True b) False

True

Common reasons for annulment include bigamy, incest, fraud, and religious concerns. a) True b) False

True

Generally, states require that people marry voluntarily, and jointly apply for a license. a) True b) False

True

Government has a legitimate right to prevent maltreatment and abuse of family members. a) True b) False

True

In some states adoption records are closed meaning adopted children do not have legal rights to identify their birth parents. a) True b) False

True

In states with equitable property distribution, property is categorized as marital or separate property. a) True b) False

True

It is permissible for states to enact laws that require stepparents and/or grandparents to provide child support if parents are unable to fulfill court-ordered support obligations. a) True b) False

True

Many states require spouses to be legally separated for a period of time before a divorce is granted. a) True b) False

True

Many states statutorily require adult children to provide financial support for their parents if the parents are unable to support themselves. a) True b) False

True

Property received as a gift or inheritance is considered separate property for property division purposes. a) True b) False

True

Some states have enacted laws that express a preference that adoptive parents must be of the same religion as the adoptee or birth parents. a) True b) False

True

The states can initiate legal proceedings to involuntarily terminate the parental rights of birth parents who have abandoned their child. a) True b) False

True

Today a pregnant woman has the right to unilaterally decide to have an abortion early in her pregnancy even if the person who would become the child's father objects. a)True b)False

True