IN Upper St. Clair Spring 2016 | Page 47

implants a combination of the egg and sperm of the intended parents (and/or a sperm/egg donor) into a surrogate woman who will carry and deliver the child. In this case, the surrogate is not genetically related to the child and only acts as the carrier. Is surrogacy legal in all countries? Answer: No, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Bulgaria prohibit all forms of surrogacy. What are the costs associated with adopting a child? Answer: Adoption can range in cost from $0 to $50,000 depending on several factors including the age of the child. In addition to adoption fees, other expenses that should be taken into consideration when adopting are travel, medical, out-of-state fees, attorney fees, adoption letter, and other legal expenses. What steps need to be taken to adopt a stepchild? Answer: The most significant step in adopting a significant other’s birth child or children is that of obtaining consent from the other birth parent. It is a requirement to obtain this consent in order for the adoption to be formally recognized. Home visits, adoption hearings, and long waiting periods may be avoided because the adopted children are related to the birth parent. DIVORCE, ANNULMENT, PROPERTY SETTLEMENTS, ALIMONY, CHILD CUSTODY AND VISITATION AND CHILD SUPPORT Family law in Pennsylvania covers a broad spectrum of the consequences of divorce such as child custody, adoption, and paternity testing. What is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? Answer: Grounds for divorce typically fall into two categories: fault and irreconcilable differences, whereas grounds for annulments include being underage, presence of an undissolved previous marriage, and mental incompetence, such as insanity or serious mental disorder. How is property division decided? Answer: Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state. When two parties cannot reach a settlement on division of property, the Court of Common Pleas distributes assets in an “equitable fashion,” meaning what is deemed to be fair by the courts. Equitable division takes into consideration length of marriage, prior marriages, income and value of property, among other things. Property division is only determined after a couple enters into a divorce. What are the deciding factors in awarding child custody? Answer: In all states, both parents have equal rights to custody over a child. Parents are both required to provide the court with reasoning on what is in the best interest of the child. Some states take into consideration age and/or sex of the child when deciding custody. Upper St. Clair McKeesport CarlyntonMontour Shaler Area Celebrate Community Day at Kiwanis Park July 4th! Renziehausen Park Hosts 54th Annual International Village Page 13 FALL 2013 icmags.com sti c Bandta ! Summer Special Section: Education Top five classroom trends School & City News Page 22 SWING! St. Clair Hospital celebrates its 60th anniversary with a 50s-style gala YNTO CAR L Special Section: Trends in Education Calendar of Fall Festivals Page 49 Page 15 Champions! Wildwin Stables offers riding lessons for all ages and skill levels, including therapeutic riding for kids with special needs Special Section: Trends in Education Township & School District News Page 37 C [[