Most states have abolished a cause of action for breach of contract to marry. However, this does not address the issue of ownership of the engagement ring. When determining ownership of an engagement ring, the court must look at

Alimony is paid from one spouse (ex-spouse) to the other in cases of divorce or legal separation. For one spouse to receive marital support payments there must be a court order and the payments must be for support purposes, not part of

When a married couple divorces (marital dissolution) or legally separates, the court may award alimony or spousal support to one of the former spouses. The purpose of alimony is to avoid the unfair economic consequences of divorce by providing continuing income to a non-wage earning (or lower-earning) spouse, paid by the wage (or higher-wage) earning spouse. Unlike child support,

Paternity refers to the legal determination of who is the biological father of a child. While the identity of a child’s biological mother is usually known, the father’s identity may not always be as certain. Paternity issues often arise in cases involving child support, but they can also be important in relation to adoption, inheritance, custody and visitation, health care and

Premarital agreements, also called prenuptial or antenuptial agreements, are contracts between two people who intend to marry each other. These agreements usually address issues relating to the parties’ property and income during the marriage, after the marriage (if it ends in divorce) and after the death of one or both spouses. Premarital agreements can also