Stateline Midwest ~ July.August 2012

Under a reworking of Indiana’s child support law, parents can stop paying child support once their child turns 19.

This Act enables courts to put requirements into child custody orders allowing divorced parents to visit their children by electronic communication. The Act defines "electronic communication" to mean contact, other than face-to-face contact, facilitated by electronic means, such as by telephone, electronic mail, instant messaging, video teleconferencing, wired or wireless technologies by Internet, or other medium of communication."

This Act defines embryos and establishes criteria for legal custodianship of embryos.

This Act helps facilitate legal services to underserved communities. It defines and restricts how a person or organization can use the term "legal aid." The Act directs the state Judicial Council to set up a pilot program to appoint legal representation for unrepresented low-income parties in civil matters involving critical issues such as domestic violence, child custody, and elder abuse.

Illinois became the first state in the Midwest with a civil-union law for same-sex couples as the result of a bill (SB 1716) passed during the legislature’s fall veto session.

Suggested State Legislation: The new Uniform Parentage Act confronts the complicated issue of establishing legal parentage against the complications that technology provides. It brings genetic testing into modern parentage actions in a manner that is efficient, but that preserves due process rights for all concerned

Suggested State Legislation: In 1984 New York established a state Adoption Information Registry within the state department of health to enable adopted children to get identifying information about their biological parents. New York Chapter 435 of 2008 enhances awareness of that Registry by directing that a biological parent be given an Adoption Information Registry Birth Parent Registration Consent form at the time they surrender their child for adoption.