According to research, 17 to 25% of parents relocate within the first two years of a divorce, leaving behind the area where their former spouse may still be living. The reasons for a relocation vary—some move away due to new professional opportunities that have come up in another state; others because of a change in their financial situation; others still may simply feel the need to start anew in another place. Read More

When couples are in the middle of their divorce, the tax implications of the divorce are not usually at the forefront of their minds. However, the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is changing this in some dramatic and unwelcome ways that may push many couples to speed up their divorce proceedings this year. The major issue deals with taxes on alimony payments. Under the prior tax laws, alimony payments (i.e. the Read More

Anyone considering immigrating to the United States under the current climate/administration will face many challenges. Same-sex couples and LGBTQ immigrants will face even greater immigration challenges, needless to say. That’s why it’s important to think through the following five things with your partner if you are considering making the United States your new home: 1) Same-sex spouses can petition to bring Read More

Like many heterosexual couples, many same-sex couples living in America today are made up of one partner who is a U.S. citizen and a partner who is a citizen of another country. For heterosexual couples living abroad, any child born of the partnership is automatically granted U.S. citizenship because one of the biological parents is a U.S. citizen. As same-sex couples are coming to learn though, this is not the Read More

The short answer to this question is that it depends. It depends on what crime the conviction is for, your immigration status, and where the conviction was made. What is certain, however, is that if you have a criminal conviction, no matter how minor or far back in the past, it is very important to have experienced legal counsel helping you with your immigration application from the beginning. What was the Read More

For immigrants who have been issued an order of deportation and those who are unable to reopen their case, the Stay of Removal offers one more chance to stay in the United States a little longer. A stay order temporarily stops the deportation from taking place during which time the immigrant is allowed to remain in the country legally. The Automatic Stay of Removal A Stay of Removal can be issued automatically Read More

When you, a friend, or a family member has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the whole process. You may be uncertain about how to handle the immigration authorities, how to find your detained loved one, or how to get through the legal process without making any mistakes. The first thing you should keep in mind: don't panic. Read up on these essential tips to Read More

If the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gets its way, the social media information of immigrants, including naturalized citizens and permanent residents, may be collected and placed in a person’s immigration file. In September 2017, DHS published a rule in the Federal Register stating its intention to add a person’s “social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information, and search results” to the Read More

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was established by President Obama in June 2012 as a form of relief for undocumented individuals. It was meant to help individuals who immigrated to the United States as children, giving them a limited time to stay in the country and get work authorization. On September 5, 2017, President Trump gave the orders to start winding down DACA. That means the program will phase Read More

If you recently entered the United States as either an entrepreneur or as the new spouse of a US citizen, you may have noticed that your permanent residence status is called “conditional.” This essentially means that your ability to stay in the US will expire if you don't meet certain conditions, so it's important to understand the basics of conditional status. What exactly is conditional permanent residence status, Read More