Unit 71: Essay Topics for Family Law
Write a short essay (5 ¶s) on one of the following topics. Don't just paint with broad strokes. Good papers use a particular case as a profile of a wider issue. In the best papers, the author is personally invested in the issue.
1. What are “Children’s Rights”? What are a child’s legal options if these rights are violated? At what age do you think should a child be able to make these decisions?
2. What are “Parental Rights and Responsibilities”? When are parents overstepping their authority and how can they lose their rights as parents? Most people agree with spanking, but what about a belt? What about verbal abuse? How many chances should unstable parents be given to get their children back?
3. Where’s the line? When should a child be re-united with his/her birth parents and when should they not? What if a mother abandonned her baby, but later changed her mind? What if the parents have gone successfully thru their rehab program? What if the children don't want to be re-united?
4. Custody Battles: Who gets custody of the kids? Does a mother necessarily make a better parent? What factors should a judge consider when making this decision? Do the courts lean to one side? Do they lean too far?
5. Adoption: What factors should an agency consider when choosing adopting parents? Should single people adopt? What about same-sex couples? Should the birth-mother stay in the picture or disappear? (On this question, research Open Adoption, an arrangement in which a birth-mother has visitation rights with her child.)
6. Same-Sex Marriage: Should same-sex couples have the same rights and privileges as married couples? Does this include the right to adopt children? Is marriage just about love and companionship, or is it about raising a family? There was a gay trio that went to the courthouse for a license. Is this going too far?
7. Polygamy: Can you have more than one spouse? Can a child have more than one mother or father? Should governments recognize such arrangements? If a state makes it illegal, doesn’t that conflict with religious freedom? If all parties concerned are consenting adults, why shouldn’t it be legal?
8. Mixed-Race Adoption: The National Association of Black Social Workers opposes the adoption of black children by non-black families stating that black children feel more comfortable, loved and nurtured when they are raised by people who look like themselves. Are they right or wrong? How important is it that children resemble their parents? How does this contribute to a child's sense of identity?
9. Early amnesty from parents: Can a child grow up quickly, faster than his/her peers? Can a child become an adult sooner if they are ready and willing to function as adults, earning their own income and attending to their own needs? When is a child ready and able to take this step. Under what circumstances should a child seek early amnesty to end his parents' rights over him?
10. The Big Decision: Who has the right to make decisions for those not capable of speaking for themselves? If a spouse, child or parent is on life support, who has the right to "pull the plug"? If the patient is a child, which parent should decide if they disagree? The patient is a parent, which child would make the best decision? (For information on an actual case of this nature, google "Terry Schiavo." What should have stayed a family matter became a national media circus.)
If you have an idea for an essay not covered on this sheet, be sure to clear the topic with me, first.
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