Baltimore City child protective services charged me with abusing my stepson. I smacked him on the arm to get him to stop bothering the dog but it left a bruise and CPS said it was abuse. Apparently I had the right to appeal it but no one told me that and I missed the deadline. Now the charge is showing up on a background check for a new job I applied for. I told the employer what happened but they won’t hire me with this mark on my record. How do I get this child abuse charge off my record for good?

When my husband and I met we both had good careers. I never expected to leave my job so I signed a prenup waiving my right to any alimony. After we got married, we had a son who is disabled. He needs full-time care, so I quit my job to stay home with him. My husband encouraged me to do this, since neither of us wanted our son to be cared for by a stranger. Things with my husband have gotten rough over the last year and I am worried about how I will support myself if we divorce. I know he’d have to pay child support for our son, but since I signed the prenup, I’m not entitled to any alimony. Is there a way for me to challenge the prenup and get it overturned, or at least modified, because it’s no longer fair to me?

A lifelong friend of ours has a teenage daughter who is pregnant. She is willing to let us adopt her baby but says she needs us to pay her expenses during the pregnancy, as well as all the expenses relating to her labor and delivery. We are fine with paying her medical expenses, but we aren’t sure if it’s legal for us to pay for the groceries, car insurance, etc. that she’s asking us to pay. She lives with her boyfriend and we suspect she’ll use some of any money we give her to support him. What are we allowed to pay for and do we need to put any agreement we make with her about expenses and payment in writing?