Divorce Capitals

Aug 8, 2012 by

Recent statistics show that the state of Florida and in particular, Panama City, Florida leads the nation in the number of annual divorces. After examining the statistics for the number of divorced people reported to be in each city, the totals were compared to the number of people divorcing in 2009 and a clear list of the top 50 capital cities for divorce emerged. The top 50 list was created by the Daily Beast website, that crunched the numbers to come up with the rankings. The entire Daily...

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Divorce “Befitting a Getty” Costs a Million a Month

Aug 8, 2012 by

It appears that no amount of money can fix a marriage headed for imminent divorce, or at least not for the heir to the Getty oil fortune, Peter Getty. Peter and wife of 9 years, Jacqui, have been involved in a long-running divorce battle that is currently underway in Los Angeles Superior Court. The public divorce documents in the case provide a fascinating glimpse into a dysfunctional relationship in the upper stratosphere of finances where society’s wealthiest families play. Jacqui Getty...

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Divorce in the Animal World

Aug 8, 2012 by

It appears that giant turtles are very much like humans when it comes to their long-term love relationships. And like many unhappily married humans who grow apart and eventually divorce their partners, two giant turtles at an Austrian zoo have called a halt to their 115-year long relationship, and now refuse to have anything to do with each other. Despite their keeper’s best attempts at “turtle counseling” in order to help the aging couple reignite their marriage, the turtles...

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Defense of Marriage Act Under Fire

Aug 8, 2012 by

A New York Congressman plans to introduce a bill in Congress that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), or at least repeal the part of the Act that denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages in the United States today. It is uncertain whether or not Congressman Jerry Nadler’s bill would tackle repeal of the entire DOMA or just the part of the Act that addresses federal recognition of same-sex marriages. The Act now states that the U.S. government does not recognize...

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Deafness and Divorce

Aug 8, 2012 by

Many different components of marital relationships have long been identified as potential sources of discord and eventual divorce, but a bit of surprising news recently published in the UK Telegraph newspaper shows that deafness can now be added to the list. According to a survey conducted by the British firm HearingDirect.com, a retailer of hearing aids and related products, ongoing deafness in a marriage that causes arguments between spouses can promote marital breakdown to the point of...

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Dating Abuse Affects One in Five Teens

Aug 8, 2012 by

Studies show that one in five teenagers in a serious dating relationship reports being physically abused by their partner. This issue is so serious that several states have passed laws specifically addressing teen dating abuse. Hazelden Publishing, the leading publisher of evidence-based violence prevention programs for students in first grade through 12th grade, understands the significance of preventing dating violence and has published Safe Dates, the only evidence-based program that...

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Cutting Kids in Half

Aug 8, 2012 by

A bill has been introduced into Pennsylvania legislature proposing a shift in child custody determinations made by the court from the current “best interests of the children” preference to joint physical custody by both parents. The Pennsylvania Families Association is lobbying on behalf of the bill and claims it will prevent child custody from being used as leverage in divorce cases. The group contends the change will save both time and money spent in court. The current state laws...

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Covering Your Assets in a Divorce

Aug 8, 2012 by

Under a bill recently passed by the state legislature, as soon as a husband or wife sues for divorce by filing a summons in New York State Supreme Court, they are both required to not alter the economic status of the marriage from that point on. As soon a person receives a divorce summons they can no longer move money or other property around to hide it or shield it from claims by their spouse. In years past, planning a divorce also meant planning to be the first one to clean out the bank...

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Court Clerks Sued for Collecting Illegal Fees in Divorce Cases

Aug 8, 2012 by

TAMPA, Fla., March 25 — The Clerks of the Circuit Court have been charging and collecting illegal filing fees in divorce cases throughout the state, according to a class action lawsuit filed today in Hillsborough County. Thousands of cases have been affected and over one million dollars of illegal fees collected by the court clerks since last July, the lawsuit alleges. The suit was filed by several people who paid such fees in their own cases, on behalf of themselves and other people who...

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Cohabitation is not Marriage Practice

Aug 8, 2012 by

Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, says young men and women in their 20’s today suffer from the effects of modern hedonistic lifestyles that have shattered traditional family values and replaced them with a relationship wasteland instead. Wilcox’s research has led him to conclude that today’s “spring-break sexual liberation” promises only increasing costs for the practitioners and their unfortunate families. Wilcox...

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Child Support Issues

Aug 8, 2012 by

The cost of a typical divorce usually goes far beyond just basic financial aspects when there are children involved. The children in a family weathering divorce suffer emotional wounds that often follow them into adulthood. While mom and dad battle it out over whose fault it was, whose needs went unmet most, and the problems involved with who will live where and with whom, the children may be unable to process the anger, stress, and hurtful words. They may internalize them and feel like they...

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Children of Divorce Get Help in Florida

Aug 8, 2012 by

It’s no secret that children are negatively impacted by the break-up of a family. Divorce is always a huge headache for most couples, but the experience can be even worse on the children in the home. Many states offer support resources including legal and financial assistance for divorcing parents, and therapy or counseling for the whole family after the divorce is final. But very few states provide any assistance or guidance for the dependants during a divorce unless there are specific...

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Children Coping with Divorce

Aug 8, 2012 by

A recent study reports that the coping skills of children of divorced parents can depend largely on how the parents react to the situation. Divorce affects children in many different ways and children typically experience varied feelings and emotions, but the feelings depend mostly on the nature of the child’s relationship with parents prior to the divorce, how arguments and disagreements were handled, and whether or not the parents took the child’s feelings into...

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CDC Report Shows Massachusetts has Lowest Divorce Rate

Aug 8, 2012 by

A recently released study of divorce in the United States shows that same-sex marriage has not ruined the institution of marriage in Massachusetts as some opponents had claimed it would back in 2004 when the state began issuing same-sex marriage licenses following the Supreme Court decision in the case of Goodridge vs. the Department of Public Health. Looking at the total number of divorces in Massachusetts reveals that the state had the lowest divorce rate in the nation for the year 2007...

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Catching Cheaters Online

Aug 8, 2012 by

It is common knowledge that the recently relaxed privacy settings on Facebook have enabled some members’ personal details to be leaked without them realizing it. What people might not know is that social media stalking has become a widespread evidence-gathering tool for attorneys involved in divorce cases. In the old days attorneys would have to get the goods on cheating spouses by using private investigators to snoop around with cameras. Now they just go online to look for compromising...

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Can You Really Do-It-Yourself?

Aug 8, 2012 by

The economic hardships brought on by divorce causes many people to search for do-it-yourself options in order to save money. Before considering this alternative several questions must be answered. A major consideration in a Pro Se (or “for yourself” divorce without an attorney) is the law in the state where the divorcing couple resides. State law rather than federal law governs the process of divorce. Some states make divorce simple, especially when there are no minor children...

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Canada Proposes New Divorce & Child Custody Laws

Aug 8, 2012 by

The Canadian Province of British Columbia is proposing sweeping changes to existing laws on separation, divorce and child custody. A new Family Law Act will encourage out-of-court settlements instead of costly legal battles in front of a judge. The proposed changes are part of an overhaul of the 32-year old Family Relations Act, which the government intends to replace with a new Family Law Act early next year. B.C. Attorney General Mike de Jong said that families who need a court’s help...

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Calculating Child Support

Aug 8, 2012 by

Divorce is difficult, often involving anger and confusion; a major issue in divorce is child support. Access to information empowers individuals with understanding of important changes in their lives. Each state determines procedures for calculating child support; therefore, a parent seeking to establish or modify a child support order must research the particular state’s rules. To facilitate the child support process most states utilize a formula or “calculator,” using...

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A Broken Family Justice System

Aug 8, 2012 by

Several Ontario, Canada Chief Justices commenting on a report from the Law Commission of Ontario agree the family justice system in their jurisdiction left a lot to be desired and that massive changes are probably in order. Observations in the report referred to a “Broken Family Justice System” and included the fact that fine-tuning the system has been ineffective and that perhaps a totally new family law concept is required in the province. The current adversarial system of justice...

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Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Especially When Kids Are Involved

Aug 8, 2012 by

Two people who have fallen in love and gotten married are rarely pleased that the original plan of death do us part didn’t come to fruition. This already emotionally challenging process is multiplied tenfold when children are involved. Deciding on custody and visitation can be a painful process for everyone, and could easily put damaging factions inside any family. With a topic that carries as much weight as this one, it’s important to study the statistics to see what this process...

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