Wiegandt & Doubles, P.C., lawyers in Fincastle, VA, Virginia

Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act

In 1980 Congress enacted the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA) to close existing gaps and bring greater uniformity to interstate child-custody practice. The PKPA requires state courts to enforce and not modify custody and visitation determinations made by sister states unless the original state either no longer has jurisdiction or declined to exercise jurisdiction.More...

Intentional Tort Actions between Parent and Child

Even states that retain the traditional parental immunity for negligence, or for acts within the areas of parental discretion and authority, do not immunize parental sexual molestation of a minor child. These states may allow a specific exception to parental immunity for child sexual abuse for all willful, wanton, or malicious acts causing injury to children or for intentional felonious conduct. More...

International Adoption - Orphan Petition

Persons who wish to adopt a child from a foreign country must file an "Orphan Petition" with the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The full name of the petition is "Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative."More...

The Foster Care System

In most jurisdictions both state and local executive branch entities control the child welfare system. Adjunct to these state actors are numerous private social services agencies that provide services to foster children and their families. In addition, state courts monitor each child in the foster care system. More...

Foster Children

A child may be removed from a household if they are abused, either sexually or physically, or neglected. The child may be neglected in that they are not provided with their basic needs such as food, shelter, and emotional stability. The goal for the foster child is that the child be cared for by capable foster parents for a temporary period of time. More...