BARTLESVILLE LAW BLOG

Earlier today, I represented an adoptive couple at their final hearing on adoption. As soon as the judge signed the order, my clients had a new child. Adoption is one of the most joyous areas of law to practice. It is one of the few types of cases where a client is happy at the end. Celebrating Adoption Awareness Month November is adoption awareness month. Recently, I saw a heartwarming story about a woman who adopted a child she found abandoned at a skilled nursing facility

Understanding what makes a marriage legal in Oklahoma is essential for couples planning to get married or wondering if their union meets the state’s requirements. At Persaud Law Office in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, we have received questions about age limits, marriage licenses, and common-law marriage. Here’s what Oklahoma law says. Requirements for a Legal Marriage in Oklahoma You May Not Be Married to Anyone Else Marriage by someone who has a living spouse is bigamy. Bigamy

This year, the Oklahoma state legislature passed nearly five hundred new laws. Below is a description of some of the most important laws passed this year. Some of these are brand new statutes, others are amendments to existing statutes. Most of these laws will go into effect this November 1; others have already gone into effect.   Birth Certificates HB 1688 – allows parents to apply for a “minor correction” of an error in a child’s birth certificate within one year of the chi

If you have received a summons in a civil case, you have twenty days to respond. In a small claims case, you do not need to respond until your hearing date, or until seven days after you receive a copy of the petition, whichever is later. If you receive a motion in an ongoing civil case, you generally have fifteen days to respond. In any of those cases, you may ask for an extension of the deadline, and judges are often lenient in granting extensions. Depending on how long you

This year the Oklahoma State Legislature passed the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act (UCAPA). UCAPA takes effect on November 1, 2025. The goal of UCAPA is to strengthen the power of the court to prevent abduction of children. Under UCAPA, if a judge, district attorney, parent, or other person with custody or visitation rights to a child, believes that there is a risk that the child will be abducted, the person may file a petition in court showing the facts that demonstr

A relative of yours has passed away, and you want to settle the estate without probate. You wonder if this is possible. In some cases, it...

This September 1, the “Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act” goes into effect. The Expedited Actions Act is designed to make civil lawsuits go...

In Oklahoma, there are procedures that allow adults to gain custody of a relative’s child. However, because parents’ rights are...

Foreclosure can be a confusing, stressful process. Unfortunately, it’s also quite common; in recent years, almost half  of the civil...

In Oklahoma, the short answer is No. However, a judge must accept a will and file it if you present the will to him. Also, after a person...

Want to know how our local courthouse works? The Washington County Court Clerk, Jean Davis, recently gave an interview to our local KWON...

Last year, the Oklahoma state legislature passed the “Oklahoma Standby Guardianship Act.” This law allows a parent to designate another...

Under the law of attorney-client confidentiality, a lawyer may not reveal information relating to the representation of a client,...

If you’re a client, and you communicate with a lawyer for the purposes of obtaining legal services, the communication is privileged. That...

There’s only one type of breach of contract. But there are many types of actions that constitute a breach of contract. My internet...

If you’re planning your estate, and you have a pet, you may be wondering if you can include your pet in your estate plan. The answer is...

The Oklahoma courts have created a standard visitation schedule that includes specific holidays. However, every family is different, and...

In most civil cases, the plaintiff must prove the correctness of his case by a “preponderance of the evidence” – that is, more likely...

Recently, the Oklahoma legislature enacted a law that allows you to execute your will, or other estate planning documents,...

In Oklahoma, a child may be adopted with the parents’ consent. Generally, both parents must consent to the adoption, unless one parent is...