Linda D. Elrod & Robert G. Spector, A Review of the Year in Family Law: Parentage and Assisted Reproduction Problems Take Center Stage, 39 Fam. L.Q. 879 (2006).
This article provides a brief review of pertinent cases in family law for reporting year 2004-2005. Last year the focus was on same-sex marriages. This year major cases combined issues of same-sex marriage and a range of children’s issues. Two of the most important cases affecting children came from the federal bench. The first was Roper v. Simmons in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were under age eighteen when their crimes were committed. The second case came out of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The court found that the right to counsel guaranteed to foster children in deprivation proceedings, pursuant to the Due Process Clause of the Georgia Constitution, means the right to effective counsel. Over the next few years we expect courts to continue to struggle with these issues.

Charts, 39 Fam. L.Q. 917 (2006)

• Chart 1--Alimony/Spousal Support Factors
• Chart 2--Custody Criteria
• Chart 3--Child Support Guidelines
• Chart 4--Grounds for Divorce and Residency Requirements
• Chart 5--Property Division
• Chart 6--Third-Party Visitation
• Chart 7--Appointment Laws in Adoption, Guardianship, Unmarried Parent and Divorce Cases

For details, see Charts: Summarizing the Laws in the 50 States.

Family Law in the Fifty States 2004-2005 Case Digests, 39 Fam. L.Q. 925 (2006).

This year’s summary of family law cases covers approximately the period of August 1, 2004, through July 31, 2005. The case digests are presented in a topical outline framework and alphabetized by state within each topic heading. The summary does not include every case from every jurisdiction but highlights some of the more important ones. The digests are a result of reports submitted in each state by reporters and supplemented by Washburn Law School student staff.

Nancy Ver Steegh & Terri Port Wright, Annual Survey of Periodical Literature, 39 Fam. L.Q. 1065 (2006).

The Eighteenth Annual Survey of Periodical Literature covers the period from approximately November 2004 through September 2005. The survey is not comprehensive in nature nor is it intended to promote any particular point of view. Rather, the authors aim to highlight the variety and depth of scholarship that has been produced during the year and underscore currently debated “hot topics.”

FLQ Index to Volume 39, 39 Fam. L.Q. (2006).

Publication Date: May 2006