Special power of attorney refers to a person delegating specified powers to an attorney to act on their behalf. Unlike general power of attorney which gives wide-ranging decision power, special power of attorney limits the area of decision...
family & personal matters
split custody
Split custody is a custody arrangement that involves multiple children and awards sole custody divided between the two parents. In some cases, the children live permanently with one parent. In others, the children rotate living with each...
spousal communications privilege
Spousal communications privilege is a legal doctrine that protects the confidentiality of communications between spouses. This privilege ensures that one spouse cannot be compelled to testify against the other regarding private communications...
spousal privilege
Spousal privilege, also known as marital privilege and husband-wife privilege, includes two types of privileges: the spousal communications privilege and the spousal testimonial privilege.
The spousal communications...
spousal support
Spousal support, also known as alimony, is a legal obligation on a person to provide financial support to their spouse before or after marital separation or divorce. The purpose of spousal support is to limit any unfair economic effects of a...
springing durable power of attorney
Springing durable power of attorney is a type of power of attorney that lasts when the principal is incapacitated and does not take effect immediately. Durable power of attorney allows the powers of the attorney to continue when the principal...
stayaway order
Stay away order is a form of restraining order in which a court orders someone not to go within a certain distance of another person or place. Like other restraining orders, a stay away order generally is given when someone has experienced or...
stepchild
A stepchild is a child born to or legally adopted by your spouse before your marriage whom you have not legally adopted. If you legally adopt the child, your parent-child relationship is the same as if the child were biologically related to...
stepparent
A stepparent, including stepfather and stepmother, is a person who marries one’s own parent after the death or divorce of the other parent and therefore has no biological relationship to the child. Stepparents are not legal parents of the...
stepparent adoption
Stepparent adoption is the legal, formal adoption of a child by a stepparent who is married to a legal parent of that child. Stepparent adoption is the most common type of adoption in the United States, with conditions such as voluntary...