Planning to change my last name, which isn't a common thing for men to do. Not sure what reactions to expect from colleagues and peers. How can I best deal with potential social stigma and explanations of reasoning involved? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 31, 2009 - 15 answers

My friend and her ex-boyfriend got in a fight, he got violent and beat her up pretty bad. She got in the car with their baby and fled cross-country to stay with her parents. There is a hearing next month to determine custody of the child, and she doesn't want to lose the kid to what is likely going to be an abusive father. Lawyer up, right? Problem is, not a lot of money. Can you point me to any organizations in California that provide pro-bono / sliding-scale / low-cost legal aid services for abused women? [more inside]
posted by sergeant sandwich on Jun 28, 2009 - 10 answers

Does anyone here have any experience with nominations for conservatorship in the state of California, either as a potential conservator, an attorney, social worker, psychiatrist or anyone else who plays a role in the process? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 16, 2008 - 2 answers

Any recommendations for family law attorneys in the California Bay Area? [more inside]
posted by brool on Dec 18, 2007 - 2 answers

My wife is pregnant and due in June. She works in health care and up until now has been working a few different part-time jobs, juggling shifts to get to more or less full-time equivalent. She is planning on taking paid family leave when the baby arrives. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 16, 2007 - 1 answer

While I love my family, I want to claim the other half of my heritage (my father’s side of the family) in an upcoming visit. [more inside]
posted by Phalene on Jun 24, 2007 - 30 answers