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National Academy of Family Law Attorneys (NAFLA) names Matthew J. Yao as Top 10 Family Law Attorney Under 40 in Virginia

posted Jul 10, 2014, 7:21 PM by Matthew Yao


The National Academy of Family Law Attorneys (NAFLA) names Matthew J. Yao as Top 10 Family Law Attorney Under 40 in Virginia.

From the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys website:

"The National Academy of Family Law Attorneys is an organization devoted to recognizing the top family law attorneys in the nation. With over a million attorneys in the United States, choosing the best lawyer is difficult. However, through a stringent selection process, the NAFLA awards the best family law attorneys in each state with our most prestigious honor of being named "TOP 10". The very few attorneys (less than 1%) that are good enough to make our list have demonstrated an extraordinary amount of knowledge, skill, experience, expertise and success in their practice of family law.

The attorneys that make our list have to first be nominated by a licensed practicing attorney. Second, our research staff verifies that they meet the minimum requirements of membership. Then they have to be one of 50 attorneys chosen to advance to the final selection stage by our processing committee. And, finally they have to be selected by our Board of Governors as the "TOP 10". We know it is a tough process but we wouldn't have it any other way."


See the listing here: Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40 in Virginia

Estado de Inmigrante Juvenile Especial (SIJS) en casos de menores extranjeros no acompañados y pasos ilegales de la frontera

posted Mar 23, 2014, 10:01 AM by Matthew Yao

Cada día, niños están arriesgando sus vidas cruzando la frontera ilegalmente. La mayoría de las veces, estos niños cruzan la frontera solos, y por lo tanto son designados menores extranjeros no acompañados (UAC). Una vez que son detenidos por inmigración, ponen a estos niños en refugios y están sujetos a procedimientos de deportación. Si el niño tiene la suerte de tener a un familiar en los Estados Unidos que quiere patrocinarlos, el niño se libera a ese pariente pendiente las medidas de deportación.

Para muchos de estos niños, estado de inmigrante juvenil especial (SIJS) es la única base para permanecer en los Estados Unidos.  Para ser elegible para SIJS, el tribunal de menores con jurisdicción sobre el niño tiene que llegar a ciertas conclusions. Los requisitos de SIJS se puede encontrar haciendo clic en el estado de inmigrante juvenile especial (SIJS) en el enlace que aparece a la izquierda.


El factor principal que se tiene que probar es que el niño ha sido víctima de maltrato o descuido, o ha sido abandonado por sus padres.  Pero en muchos de estos casos, los padres no han golpeado ni abusado del niño. Entonces, ¿cómo es que estos niños pueden calificar para SIJS?

Lo que se suele pasar por alto en estos casos es que el niño ha sido descuidado por los padres. Más concretamente, los padres han dejado el niño mal supervisado. El Manual del Departamento de Servicios Sociales Servicios de Menores y Familias de Virginia define la supervisión inadecuada como el niño con quien los padres le a dejado con supervisión inadecuada, o en una situación que requiere juicio o acciones superior al nivel del madurez del niño, estado físico, y/o las capacidades mentales que dictarían razonablemente. Esto resulta en poniendo el niño en riesgo de explotación sexual o otro tipo de daño físico...

Un niño cruzando la frontera ilegalmente es un niño que no esta adecuadamente supervisado.  Aunque los niños a menudo sean acompañados por coyotes, los coyotes no son cuidadores adecuados y frecuentemente abandonán a los niños que acompañan. Durante el viaje a los Estados Unidos, el niño está expuesto a una multitud de situaciones peligrosas, como caminar en el desierto durante días sin comida o agua. En el caso de una niña joven, existe un gran riesgo de ser abusada sexualmente. Padres que permiten sus niños embarcar en un viaje tan peligroso estan siendo descuidosos de sus niños.

Los abogados del Yao Law Firm, P. C. tienen mucha experiencia en la ley del estado de inmigrante juvenile especial. Póngase en contacto con nosotros hoy para que podamos ayudarle con su caso de SIJS.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) in cases involving unaccompanied alien children and illegal border crossing

posted Mar 14, 2014, 9:19 PM by Matthew Yao   [ updated Mar 14, 2014, 9:26 PM ]

Every day, children are risking their lives crossing the border illegally.  Most of the time, these children are unaccompanied and therefore designated unaccompanied alien children (UAC).  After being caught by immigration, they are placed in shelters and subject to removal proceedings.  If the child is fortunate enough to have a relative in the U.S. who is willing to sponsor them, the child is released to that relative pending the removal proceedings.

For many of these children, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) is the only basis for them to stay in the United States.  In order to be eligible for SIJS, the juvenile court having jurisdiction over the child must make certain findings.  The requirements for SIJS can be found by clicking the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) link on the left.

The main factor that needs to be proven is that the child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned by his or her parents.  But in many of these cases, the parents haven't beaten or otherwise abused the child.  So how can these children qualify for SIJS?

What is often overlooked in these cases is that the child has been neglected by the parents.  More specifically, the parents have left the child inadequately supervised.  The Virginia Department of Social Services Child and Family Services Manual defines inadequate supervision as the child being "left in the care of an inadequate caretaker or in a situation requiring judgment or actions greater than the child's level of maturity, physical condition, and/or mental abilities would reasonably dictate."  This results in "placing the child in jeopardy of sexual or other exploitation [or] physical injury..."

A child crossing the border illegally is a child that is inadequately supervised.  Even though the children are often accompanied by coyote smugglers, the coyotes are not adequate caretakers and will often leave the children they are accompanying.  On the journey to the U.S., the child is exposed to a multitude of dangerous situations, such as walking in the desert for days without much food or water.  In the case of a young girl, there is an extremely high risk of being sexually abused.    Parents that allow their children to embark on such a dangerous journey are neglecting their children.

The attorneys at Yao Law Firm, P.C. are very experienced in advocating for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.  Please contact us today so that we can help with your SIJS case.

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