Abstract
The legal definition of family is particularly important in situations involving adoption, custody, and decision making with respect to children. This chapter provides an overview of the legal evolution of the concept of family. The roles of the social worker as witness, advocate, or evaluator in the context of divorce, adoption, and custody proceedings are examined.
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Notes
- 1.
Prior to the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) , 36 states and the District of Columbia had recognized the right of same-sex couple to marry (Denniston, 2015). In recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry, the Supreme Court noted the “centrality of marriage to the human condition” (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015, slip op. p. 3) and concluded that the fundamental right to marry under the U.S. Constitution is applicable to same-sex, as well as to opposite-sex, couples.
- 2.
The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) replaces the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act of 1968 (National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, 2017). As of January 2016, the UCCJEA had been adopted by 49 states and the District of Columbia. Only Massachusetts and Puerto Rico had not adopted the Act as of that date.
References
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Legal References
Cases
Anderson v. Anderson, 577 So. 2d 658 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1991).
Braschi v. Stahl, 543 N.E.2d 49 (N.Y. 1989).
Caban v.Mohammed, 441 U.S. 380 (1979).
Carney v. Carney, 598 P.2d 36 (Cal. 1979).
Doe v. Roe, 526 N.Y.S.2d 718 (N.Y. Supr. Ct. New York County 1988).
Friederwitzer v. Friederwitzer, 432 N.E.2d 765 (N.Y. 1982).
In re Brian T., Jr., 38 A.3d 114 (2013).
In re Emmanuel, 648 A.2d 904 (1994).
In re Isaiah J, 59 A.3d 892 (Conn. 2013).
In re Justin F, 45 A.3d 94 (2012).
In re Nicholas H., 46 P.3d 932 (Cal. 2002).
In re Paul M., Jr., 85 A.3d 1263 (Conn. 2014).
In re Sean H., 586 A.2d 1171 (1991), cert. denied, 218 Conn. 904.
Lassiter v. Department of Social Services, 452 U.S. 18 (1981).
Lehr v. Robertson, 463 U.S. 268 (1983).
Loveheart v.Long, 762 S.W.2d 32 (Mo. 1988).
Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967).
Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319 (1976).
Meyer v.Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923).
Michael H. v. Gerald D., 491 U.S. 110 (1989).
Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (2015).
Palmore v. Sidoti, 466 U.S. 429 (1984).
Quilloin v Wolcott, 434 U.S. 246 (1978).
Rubano v. DiCenzo, 759 A.2d 959 (R.I. 2000).
Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745 (1982).
Stanley v. Illinois, 405 U.S. 645 (1969).
T.E.P. v. Leavitt, 840 F. Supp. 110 (d. Utah 1993).
Turner v. Safley, 482 U.S. 78 (1987).
Statutes
Alabama Code § 26-13-1 (2016).
Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2451 (2005).
Arkansas Code § 9-27-362 (2016).
California Family Code § 7000 et seq. (2016).
Code of Virginia § 16.1-331 -334.1 (2016).
Connecticut General Statutes § 45a-717(b), 46b-115a(1), 46b-120(8), 46b-120(10) (2015).
Connecticut General Statutes §§ 46b-150 – 150e (2016).
Emancipation of Minors Act [Illinois], 750 Illinois Compiled Statutes 30/1 et seq. (2017).
Emancipation of Minors Act [Michigan], Michigan Compiled Laws § 722.4c (1998).
Florida Statutes § 743.015 (2017).
Louisiana Civil Code, tit. VIII, arts. 366, 368 (2009).
Mississippi Code Annotated § 93-11-65 (2001).
Montana Code Annotated § 41-1-501 (2017).
Emancipation of Minors Act [New Mexico], New Mexico Statutes Annotated §§ 32A-21-1 to 32A-21-7 (1978).
North Carolina General Statutes §§ 7B-3500 to -3509 (1998).
Official Code of Georgia Annotated §§ 15-11-200 to -208 (2014).
Oregon Revised Statutes §§ 419B.550 to 419B.558 (2015).
Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act of 1981, 28 U.S.C.A § 1738-A (West 20002).
Texas Family Code § 31.001 (1995).
Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. (1997). http://www.uniform laws.org/shared/docs/child_custody_jurisdiction/uccjea_final_97.pdf. Accessed 13 November 2017.
Vermont Statutes Annotated, tit. 12, § 7151 (2003).
Washington Revised Code §§ 13.64.010 to -080 (1995).
West Virginia Code § 49-4-115 (2016).
Wyoming Statutes § 14-1-201 et seq. (2016).
Other Sources
United States Constitution, 14th Amendment.
United States Constitution, Article 4, section 1.
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Loue, S. (2018). Working with Families. In: Legal Issues in Social Work Practice and Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77414-5_7
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