Recent Blog Posts
Bad News about Using Social Media during Divorce
Infidelity is one of the most commonly cited reasons for divorce. Social media is not helping to keep people honest in their relationships. Relationship expert Logan Levkoff said that “the Internet lends itself to secret behaviors. It just offers more avenues [to cheat].” There are also other dangers presented to divorce by the internet and specifically social media.
A recent study decided to ask cheaters questions about their behaviors. They surveyed 2,400 American adults to find common behaviors of cheaters. One third of them had created a social media or email account that was unknown to their spouses. The most commonly used site to cheat on was Facebook.
NBA Great Jordan Files to Dismiss Paternity Suit
On February 6th, Pamela Smith filed a paternity suit against the NBA legend Michael Jordan. She claimed that the two had an extramarital relationship in 1995, which resulted in a pregnancy. At that time, Jordan was married to his wife Juanita, who he divorced in 2006.
The Georgia woman requested to change her son, Grant Pierce Jordan Reynolds’ last name to Jordan. She also wants child support and assistance in paying for medical bills that are not covered by insurance. This comes on the heels of “Taj” posting a confessional video on YouTube in December of last year that confesses that MJ is his father and that they should have a better relationship.
Kardashian Divorce Trial in May | Illinois Divorce Lawyer
Kim Kardashian already had a due date for her baby; she now has a trial date for her divorce from NBA player Kris Humphries, according to a recent post by the Quincy Herald-Whig.
A May 6 trial was set for the reality TV star by a judge on Friday. Kardashian wants to end her marriage before July, which is when her child with Kanye West is due to be born.
Kardashian and Humphries had been married for only 72 days when she filed for divorce on October 31, 2011.
Their trial is predicted to last three to five days and has the potential to reveal details about Kardashians reality show empire, which includes “Keeping up with the Kardashians” and a few other spinoff shows as well.
It was determined Friday that Humphries’ lawyers will have adequate time to prepare for the trial. Humphries would prefer to have the marriage annulled, stating that Kardashian only married him for the sake of her show. She, however, denies that allegation and wants what would be her second divorce.
Louisiana Hits Jackpot in Back Child Support Collection | Illinois Child Support Attorney
The Louisiana Department of Children’s and Family Services (DCYF) recently announced the success of a pilot program the agency launched in September 2011, intercepting more than $806,000 in casino winnings from 599 parents to cover back child support payments. Currently there is more than $1.2 billions in child support that is owed by non-custodial parents.
The program was introduced and passed in 2010 to deal with the growing problem of child support evasion. Any gambling winnings over $1200 are seized and applied to the back child support. There are currently 18 casinos in the state participating in the program. Two days after it went into effect, $1995.40 was collected from a non-custodial father. Other states that have enacted similar casino winning laws are Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico and West Virginia.
Cyber-Bullying Cost Mom Custody | Geneva, Il Family Law Attorney
Much has been written about couples who are in the midst of a divorce using each other’s social media networking sites against each other. The New York Daily News recently reported about the case of a New York mother who lost custody of her ten year old son because of the disparaging remarks she make about him on her Facebook page, in what some are referring to as a form of “cyber-bullying”.
According to court documents, the parents separated in 2006 and entered into a joint custody agreement for their three children. In 2009, the parents agreed to joint legal custody, with the father having primary physical custody. The mother was to have parenting time one evening per week and every other weekend. The following year, the mother filed a modification to increase her parenting time, which the father objected to. The father also requested sole legal custody of the three children.
Kardashian wants Divorce Finalized by child's birth | Geneva Divorce Attorney
It’s no longer a secret that Kim Kardashian, whose marriage to Kris Humphries lasted less than three months, is now pregnant with her boyfriend Kanye West’s baby. Humphries has acknowledged that lengthening the time of the divorce could cause stress that may be harmful to the baby, he seems to be in no rush. It is clear, however, that Kim is.
Humphries attorney has claimed that Kim is only using her pregnancy as an “opportunity to gain a litigation advantage,” or she is simply using her pregnancy as an excuse to speed up the divorce since there is a clear due date.
Kim, however, says it’s much simpler than that. “I do not want to be married to [Humphries] when I have my baby,” stated the reality star in a declaration that was filed Jan. 24 in the Los Angeles Superior Court, reported E! News.
As directly quoted by E!, Kim’s declaration states, “Immediately upon it becoming known to the public I was pregnant…I began to see articles in the media with quotes attributed to [Humphries] stating that now that I am pregnant he has ‘got all the power,’ ‘that he is in control of my misery,’ and that is not going ‘to allow’ me to be divorced by the time that I have my baby.”
International Adoptions to U.S. Fall- Kane County Family Lawyer
International adoptions by U.S. parents fell 7 percent in 2012, continuing a multi-year decline caused partially by stricter adoption laws, the Chicago Tribune reported on January 24. The number of internationally adopted children dropped from 9,320 to 8,668, with most of the children coming from China than from any other country.
"This is a continuation of a trend," said Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. "There's no lack of, if you will, demand in this country," he said. "People would like to adopt more children; the issue is whether those children are available. And they're becoming less and less available, and that's what the numbers show."
Similar Drinking Habits May Increase Marital Happiness
Married couples who share similar drinking habits may get along better than couples where one partner is a heavy drinker but the other is not, according to a new study from Norway. In general, divorce is much more likely to happen in relationships where the usage of alcohol is high. The study suggests that especially in marriages where the wife is a heavy drinker, the relationship is more likely to end in divorce. In marriages where only the wife consumed considerable amounts of alcohol, the divorce rate was 26.8%. But in marriages where only the husband was a heavy drinker, the divorce rate was not nearly as high, only 13.1%.
The researchers speculate that drinking in women upended marriages for gender and cultural reasons. Women are generally more strongly affected by alcohol than men are which may impair them, and add risk in a marriage, more than a husband’s drinking might. In addition, drinking “may be judged as incompatible with female roles.”
Financial tips for Remarriage|Family Law attorney- Kane County, IL
With divorce becoming such a common occurrence in American society, rates of remarriage, in turn, have surged as well. It seems as if everyone is looking for a second chance at love – or even a third or fourth chance, in some cases. As a recent Detroit Free Press article points out, however, with remarriage comes financial issues that can have serious consequences for couples looking to remarry.
First, if you receive alimony from your former spouse or Social Security benefits based on your former spouse’s records, these benefits will end when your new marriage begins. If these funds make up the bulk of your monthly income, then you and your fiance will have to decide whether you need to replace that income or if you can do without. Keep in mind, however, that forgoing that income may leave you without any income at all in the event that your remarriage doesn’t pan out as well as expected.
Next, if you have a child in college or looking to go to college in the near future, your new spouse’s income will factor into the calculation for financial aid. If your new spouse makes a substantial income, and you were relying on financial aid to pay for your child’s college education, then you may have to rethink your funding strategy. Your new spouse’s income very well could make your child completely ineligible for financial aid.
Why to Hire a Divorce Lawyer
The U.S. divorce rate has nearly doubled since 1960, according to the National Marriage Project, an initiative of the University of Virginia, and, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Smart Money magazine, the number of legal professionals dealing with divorce has increased accordingly. During the recession, advertisements for ‘quick and easy’ divorce (boasting prices as low as $299 to file) popped up all across the country—yet, according to Smart Money, sometimes this price is just a eye-catcher to get you in the door. While it’s not a scam, these low rates apply for couples that have already decided on the terms of their settlement, which is rare.
Many of these lawyers who advertise with paper fliers on telephone poles have not proven themselves with a successful track record, and are more likely to end up embroiled in scandal. The importance of hiring a reputable and experienced attorney can't be overstated—lawsuits against family law attorneys increased by more than double in the past two decades. To determine if the lawyer you're interested in hiring has any black marks against his record, always be sure to cross check his firm with the state bar association.
