Family, immigration and federal rules
Custody, divorce and wills; visas, work permits and the fees attached; and what the federal portals and agencies now require of you.
Family
3 guides filed under this heading
- How Divorce Splits Property in the US: Community Property vs Equitable Distribution
Nine states divide marital property down the middle. The rest divide it fairly — not the same thing. What counts as marital property, and how the court decides.
4 min read - Wills and Advance Directives: Who Decides When You Cannot
A will decides property after death. It does not decide health care before it. What each document actually controls, and where your wishes lose force.
12 min read updated October 5, 2026 - Child custody: the terms, the standard, and why the answer depends on your state
Custody splits into legal and physical, joint and sole. The best-interest standard is state law; which court decides follows the UCCJEA and PKPA.
2 min read updated October 25, 2026
Immigration
4 guides filed under this heading
- A $70,000 fee to work after graduation: the OPT proposal, explained
DHS proposed a $70,000 fee for a first OPT work authorization and $30,000 for each one after, paid by the school. Comments close November 9, 2026.
10 min read updated October 8, 2026 - The refund a proposal would tie to immigration status
Treasury proposed tying the refunded part of the earned income, child, college and adoption credits to immigration status. Comments closed; no rule exists yet.
11 min read updated October 9, 2026 - The work permit that renewed itself is gone, and the rule is now final
DHS finalized the end of the 540-day automatic EAD extension on October 14, 2026. Which renewals are covered, which are not, and how to avoid a lapse.
12 min read updated October 15, 2026 - The Congo question at check-in: CDC's new flight attestation starts November 3
From November 3, anyone boarding a flight to the US must sign that they have not been in the DRC in 21 days. What the CDC order requires, and who cannot board.
12 min read updated October 30, 2026
Government Services
9 guides filed under this heading
- What Is America.gov? The New Federal Front Door, Explained
America.gov launched on September 29, 2026 as a single, AI-assisted front door to federal services. What it does today, what is coming, and what to avoid.
14 min read updated November 3, 2026 - Your First Passport Is Going Online: What the State Department Announced
Online first-time passport applications are coming through America.gov, with official statements pointing at both December 1 and 2027. Plus a 2028 redesign.
6 min read updated October 12, 2026 - The 2028 passport redesign: what is confirmed, and what the State Department has not said
A single 38-page book, cover art and a white box are in writing for 2028. What the redesign changes, what is unconfirmed, and when renewing early makes sense.
8 min read updated October 12, 2026 - What America.gov's Own Terms Say About the Answers It Gives You
The government's own fine print says the portal is not the agency of record, its answers can be wrong, and nothing there is legal, tax or money advice.
11 min read updated October 29, 2026 - America.gov Weekly: The Passport Date Is December 2026
The first-week record on America.gov: a December 2026 passport date, a chatbot that stopped answering election questions, and why the answer engine changed.
10 min read updated October 5, 2026 - America.gov Weekly: The Answer the Portal Denied Giving
October 5–11, 2026: the answer America.gov then denied giving, the first benchmark for government chatbots, and why a wrong answer leaves you no claim.
12 min read updated October 12, 2026 - The New Federal Reward for Reporting Fraud: $10,000 to $30,000, With Conditions
The Justice Department's new tip program pays $10,000 to $30,000 for fraud reports that lead to charges, but only in narrow subject areas and never on request.
13 min read updated October 29, 2026 - America.gov Weekly: The Portal's First Changelog, and the Claims It Cannot Yet Prove
October 19-26, 2026: America.gov published dated release notes and revised its privacy policy. What a changelog proves, and what it does not.
11 min read updated October 27, 2026 - America.gov Weekly: A Late Changelog Line, a Contested Sign-In, and the First Audit of Chatbot Voter Guides
October 27–November 3, 2026: a late changelog entry, a withdrawn feature, SBA routing fraud tips to the portal, and Treasury choosing ID.me over Login.gov.
15 min read updated November 3, 2026
Firearms Law
1 guide filed under this heading
- Are Silencers and SBRs Unregulated Now? The Oct 9 NFA Change, Explained
Federal registration for silencers, SBRs and SBSs ended Oct 9, 2026 — but you still buy through a dealer, pass a background check, and state law varies.
6 min read
Other topics on Counsel
Every guide on this site is filed under one of these
Voting and elections
Registration, the difference between each kind of election and ballot, and the official timeline from the last day to vote to certification.
Consumer, workplace and housing law
The rules that bind the other side of a routine transaction: a job, a lease, a contract, a cancelled flight, a debt collector.