UHLC Nota Bene

Family law is full of complex and difficult issues, many of which are complicated even further when one or more parties serve in the military. Fortunately, Mark E. Sullivan has written a comprehensive, two-volume guide for attorneys representing servicemembers and their families in domestic cases. Now in its third edition, The Military Divorce Handbook covers a wide range of issues, such as locating military personnel, obtaining evidence abroad, obtaining documents from the government, navigating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, custody and visitation, military tax issues, pension and property division, domestic abuse, and family support. In addition to discussions of substantive law, the book also includes numerous practice tips, sample legal documents, and references for further research. The Military Divorce Handbook is now available at the O’Quinn Law Library, on the New Books shelf next to the reference desk.      

The American Bar Association’s Section of Family Law publishes a number of useful handbooks and practice guides, including The Adoption Law Handbook , by Jennifer Fairfax. Now in its second edition, this book provides step-by-step guidance to all aspects of the adoption process, whether independent or performed through a private or public agency. It also guides the attorney through client intake and consultation, and provides checklists and sample questions to ask the client. Other topics covered include biological fathers, termination of parental rights, the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children, second-parent and co-parent adoptions, post-adoption contact agreements, the Indian Child Welfare Act, cost and financing, adult adoption, open adoption records, and international adoption. There is a summary of key points at the end of each chapter, and the book contains a wide array of forms and sample agreements.  The Adoption Law Handbook is now available on the New Boo...

The ABA's Section of Family Law has recently published Electronic Evidence for Family Law Attorneys by Timothy J. Conlon and Anthony Hughes. This book, now available in the law library , begins with an introduction that discusses, among other things, what distinguishes family law from other areas of law with respect to electronic evidence. The chapter that covers integrating electronic evidence into one's practice focuses on several matters related to the attorney client relationship such as data security, e-mails, social media habits, and conducting a preliminary inventory of data assets. Deletion of electronic records, and gathering open source intelligence are also discussed. The authors also examine the preservation of webpages, text messages, e-mails, and social media and cloud services. The selection and the use of experts and obtaining access to electronic records are among the other topics explored.