Thomas P. Carnes, Attorney & Mediator

10/17/2026

Parental rights are fundamental, but they also come with key legal responsibilities. Courts focus primarily on the best interests of the child when establishing custody, education, and medical decision-making rights.

https://www.clientresourceproject.org/articles/your-voice-your-role-understanding-parental-rights?

10/10/2026

Does getting married automatically make you responsible for your partner's prior debt? While pre-marital balances generally stay individual, joint loans and state community property rules can change things. Learn how marital debt works.

Marriage can change how debt affects your finances, so it's important to know where the responsibility falls.

10/03/2026

Building your family through adoption? From terminating parental rights to completing mandatory court filings and finalization hearings, an adoption attorney helps protect your legal rights every step of the way. Learn more about navigating the adoption process.

https://adoption.com/adoption-laws/adoption-attorneys/?

09/26/2026

How might child welfare proceedings change for tribal families? A new model state law aims to provide consistent rules for state courts handling cases under the Indian Child Welfare Act. Discover how this could impact family law nationwide.

The Uniform Law Commission is proposing a state-level update of ICWA, the federal statute passed in 1978 to protect tribal children families.

09/19/2026

Affordable childcare is essential for working parents, yet federal subsidy waitlists have more than tripled in two years. As funding changes hit state programs, many families face difficult financial choices. Explore how these shifts impact low-income families nationwide.

The Child Care and Development Fund, the U.S. government's main source of funding to help low-income families pay for childcare, serves over 1.6 million children in a typical month.

09/12/2026

"Gray divorce" brings unique financial challenges, including dividing pension rights, updating estate plans, and re-evaluating Social Security benefits. Understanding how your marital property is split ensures your retirement remains secure.

Divorcing after 50? Use this gray divorce checklist designed to protect your finances, retirement, and assets – before you sign anything.

09/05/2026

Premarital and postmarital agreements allow couples to define how debts, property, and personal assets will be handled during and after marriage. These legal contracts help establish clear financial roles and protect separate interests rather than relying on standard state laws. Understanding what rights can be protected—and what limits exist—helps ensure both partners enter the agreement with full clarity.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/building-a-business/this-is-the-legal-checklist-every-brand-needs

08/29/2026

Transferring property during divorce may be tax-free initially, but future sales can trigger significant capital gains liabilities. Understanding cost-basis rules and IRS exclusions helps protect your post-divorce financial stability.

Dividing assets fairly in a divorce means looking beyond their current values and asking whether they'll create tax liabilities — or tax breaks — in the future.

08/22/2026

Adoption laws can be complex and vary quite a bit from state to state. Different states have their own specific rules regarding background checks, financial stability, and personal history requirements for prospective parents. Being unprepared for the court-ordered investigation process can often lead to unexpected delays and complications.

Learn more about how adoption laws work: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/adoption?

08/15/2026

Child support orders aren't set in stone, but they don't update automatically. Whether due to a job change, deployment, or disability, requesting a modification requires showing a substantial change in circumstances to the issuing court. Read our guide to learn more.

https://www.findlaw.com/family/child-support/child-support-modification.html