Magazine Archive
Children Confounding the Courts; An Immigration Conundrum
Separation of families at the border has been a big part of the news of late. According to the Department of Homeland Security, last Spring 2,342 children had been separated from their parents after crossing the Southern U.S. border. However, according to a report issued on January 17, 2019 by the inspector general for the...
Read ArticleMinor's Counsel - Protecting Children's Rights in Family and Probate Court
As this issue of The Contra Costa Lawyer is devoted to “children’s rights,” it seems appropriate to explore what their rights are when family members can’t agree on who gets to make decisions about the child’s health, education, and welfare; where the child will live; with whom the child will live; how much time the...
Read ArticleThe Child as a Witness in Dissolution Proceedings
Clients often ask whether their child will have to choose which parent he or she wants to live with after the divorce. As with most legal questions, the answer is—It depends. While a child is not required to express to the court his or her preference or to provide any input regarding custody or visitation,...
Read ArticleA Safe Place to Talk - New Law Requires Support Services for Transgender Youth in Foster Care
On September 14, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2119 amending Welfare and Institutions Code sections 16010.0 and 16010.2 to provide gender affirming health care and mental health care to foster youth. Gender identity, as defined by the American Psychological Association (APA), is a person’s deeply-felt, inherent sense of being a boy, a man,...
Read ArticleCASA: Speaking Up for Youth - An Interview with Ann Wrixon, Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Contra Costa County
Research shows that children in foster care with CASA advocates have much better outcomes. They are able to find a safe, permanent home, spend less time in foster care, are less likely to be bounced from home to home.
Read ArticleEvery Child's Right to a Free Appropriate Public Education: The Basics
We are all no more than two degrees of separation from a child with a disability. If your own child or family member is not challenged in this way, you most assuredly know a friend, a neighbor or a colleague with a child who has a developmental delay, a physical handicap, a genetic disorder or...
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