Family Law: Child Support, Property, Alimony, Divorce, and Marriage Rights

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, court cases, procedural rules, and concepts in Mississippi and federal family law.

Child Support Modification

Changing the amount of child support a parent must pay because of a significant change in circumstances.

McCord v. McCord (1995)

A court case holding that a father winning a $2 million lottery was a material change in circumstances justifying reconsideration of his child support award.

Material Change in Circumstances

A significant change in someone's situation, such as a major increase in income, that may justify modifying child support.

Imputed Income

Income the court assigns to someone based on what they are capable of earning, even if they are unemployed.

Separate Property

Property that belongs to only one spouse, generally including specific gifts, inheritances, and certain property owned before marriage.

Community Property

Property jointly owned by spouses under community property laws, such as money earned during marriage, joint bank accounts, and homes purchased with marital income.

Equitable Distribution

The property division standard used in Mississippi where marital property is divided fairly, but not necessarily 50/50.

Alimony

Financial support that one spouse may be required to pay the other spouse to assist with living expenses such as housing, food, and clothing.

60-Day Waiting Period

The mandatory period Mississippi generally requires before granting an irreconcilable differences divorce.

Rule 81(d)

A Mississippi rule that provides special summons and hearing procedures for certain domestic-relations proceedings.

Discovery

The legal process of obtaining information and evidence from the opposing party during a divorce.

Rule 8.05

Mississippi's financial disclosure rule for Chancery Court proceedings requiring statements of income, expenses, assets, and debts.

Irreconcilable Differences Divorce

A divorce based on an irretrievable breakdown agreed upon by the spouses under Mississippi procedures.

United States v. Windsor (2013)

A Supreme Court case that struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) under the Fifth Amendment, requiring federal recognition of state-recognized same-sex marriages.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

A Supreme Court case grounded in the Fourteenth Amendment (Due Process and Equal Protection) that struck down state marriage bans and established nationwide marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Chancery Court

The Mississippi court system that handles family law matters (including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, and property division) as well as estate and equity matters.