Kansas City Legal Blog

International marriages are becoming more common in Kansas and around the country, which means that there is also a growing number of child custody disputes involving parents who live in different countries. American parents may feel helpless if their children are taken out of the United States, but state laws and international treaties do provide them with some remedies. The most important of these is the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which is more commonly referred to as the Hague Convention.

The Hague Convention protects children who are abducted and taken to a foreign country, but its provisions only apply when children who are 16 years of age or younger are taken to one of the nations where the convention is enforceable. All European and North American countries and many nations in South America and Asia have signed the Hague Convention. The goal of the convention is to return child custody arrangements to the way they were before an abduction.

Contracts are some of the most valuable tools available to Kansas businesses. They can help a company protect its interests when working with suppliers, customers and even employees. These legal agreements are especially useful when one party fails to meet his or her obligations. This is breach of contract, and there are certain steps you can take to protect your company in these situations.

When it comes to a situation that involves a breach of contract, your company interests are at stake. Whether it's a compromise of your trade secrets, loss of money or other type of setback, you can take action to stop losses and seek appropriate damages for this. Breach of contract can occur when one party is late to fulfill obligations, does not meet the terms in the right way or refuses to comply at all. 

Divorce can be tough for Kansas parents for many reasons. The logistics of scheduling can be one of those reasons. In addition to the emotional and financial toll that the end of a marriage takes, it also consumes a lot of time, and fitting that in around work and efforts to spend quality time with children can be challenging. One hurdle parents may face is a child support or custody hearing scheduled at an inconvenient time or place.

In general, a court will expect some kind of documentation that shows why the parent cannot appear in court at the scheduled time. If it is a conflict with the parent's job, the court may accept a letter from the employer stating this. If the parent has relocated, the court may need proof of the change of address. However, this might be an insufficient reason to move the hearing since courts generally want it held where the child resides. Some parents may also be concerned about their safety, and they may need to present a protection order or other documentation supporting this claim.

Police officers in Kansas and around the country will usually assume that a driver has been drinking when a breath test indicates that their blood alcohol concentration is .08% or higher, but it is possible for an individual who has not consumed a drop of alcohol to fail such a test. In 2015, a judge in New York dismissed a drunk driving charge against a woman who had failed a breath test after a doctor revealed that she suffered from an obscure medical condition known as auto-brewery syndrome.

ABS is a rare and terrifying disease that causes the people who suffer from it to become involuntarily intoxicated. The digestive tracts of ABS sufferers contain unhealthy amounts of bacteria or fungi that convert carbohydrates into ethanol. This can lead to BAC levels that are two or three times the legal driving limit even when no alcohol has been consumed. The exact cause of ABS has yet to be identified, but those who are afflicted with it often start to show symptoms shortly after taking antibiotic medication.