http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com General legal information from Fort Lauderdale / West Palm Beach based family law attorney Janet Langjahr, serving, with her network, all of Florida, New York and New Jersey Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:46:52 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Eighty-two year old Husband owns used auto parts business. Husband has stroke. Wife gets legal guardianship of Husband. Husband is admitted to nursing home. Eighty year old Wife discharges Husband from nursing home. Wife rejects in-home nursing care. Husband and Wife live in back room of Husband's business establishment... In conditions unfit for human habitation. Police find Husband, ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/08/domestic-violence-another-side-of-it/ In Japan, the wives control the pursestrings. Historically, Japanese wives skim some of the family's earnings and roll it over into their own personal rainy day fund, called "bellybutton money". The weak economy in Japan over the last year and a half or so has taken its toll on many ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/07/japans-wives-yen-for-divorce/ Ontario Canada's highest court has fired a shot which may be heard around the family law universe. Common law Husband threatens and harasses common law Wife ... with the intention of intimidating her into backing off on her claims for property division and alimony. For example, Husband threatens to send intimate pictures ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/06/canadian-court-upholds-family-court-damages-award-for-one-spouses-purely-psychological-abuse-of-the-other-spouse/ Maltese Mother and Scottish Father are divorced. Mother has custody of their Daughter and they live in Malta. Father lives in Scotland. Last November, Mother and Daughter go to Scotland to visit relatives. While they are there, Father requests a visitation day in Scotland. Mother agrees. But Father refuses to return Daughter and accuses ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/05/scottish-court-orders-return-of-daughter-from-father-in-scotland-to-mother-in-malta-after-daughter-is-allegedly-retained-by-father-in-scotland-for-two-months/ Everyone knows some parent (or grandparent) of an adult child who just doesn't like their child's chosen spouse. The reasons vary - and sometimes there really is no actual reason. In most instances, the parent (or grandparent) has no choice but to "get over it". But that doesn't necessarily stop them ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/04/israeli-grandmother-instigates-grandsons-divorce-from-her-grave/ UK Husband owns roughly 300 acre farm. Husband and Wife have stormy marriage. Wife tells friends that Husband is violent with her. Husband also reportedly threatens Wife Wife e-mails one friend that Husband claims to have associates "who could get rid of bodies". Husband reportedly has affair. Wife discusses ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/03/husband-allegedly-murders-wife-over-uk-200000-pounds-dispute-in-amount-to-settle-divorce/ Attorney-Husband has a lucrative class-action personal injury litigation practice. Husband and Wife have millions of dollars in assets. Husband has been working on a particular case for the last several years of Husband's marriage to Wife. Wife files for divorce from Attorney-Husband. After Wife files for divorce, but before final judgment, Husband ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/02/timing-is-everything/ Husband is celebrated surgeon and professor in Germany. Then he reportedly pleads guilty to intentionally harming patients and then falsifying medical records. He is fined approximately $37,000, but is not sentenced to jail. He does however lose his position and standing. Husband reportedly receives approximately $3 million in severance pay. Husband and Wife ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/02/01/german-ex-surgeon-now-living-in-canada-seeks-modification-because-wife-isnt-moving-on-with-her-life-to-pursue-financial-independence-even-though-he-allegedly-has-not-given-her-her-full-court-orde/ Teens in foster care are not that adoptable. So they tend to remain in foster care. Permanently. Yet these teenagers may have extended family who might be willing to take them in and adopt them. If they only knew of their circumstances. Or existence. That's the premise that ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/31/non-profit-finds-extended-family-members-to-adopt-teenagers-in-foster-care/ First came The Divorce Party, not long ago at all. So it was just a matter of time until ... The Divorce Gift Registry. The brainchild of a British department store. It's intended not only to help a newly divorced ex-spouse celebrate their divorce, but also to replace items they lost in the divorce, ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/30/and-now-the-rollout-of-the-divorce-gift-registry/ It's been ten years since the US Supreme Court all but stranded grandparents seeking visitation with their grandchildren out in the cold, but the grandparents of America refuse to be left there ... and many state legislators have since taken up their cause, despite the high court's ruling. A Wisconsin statute ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/30/you-cant-keep-a-loving-grandparent-down/ Mother and Father divorce. Mother and Father have three Boys together. Mother and Fiance move in together with the Boys, Fiance's child and a child of Mother's from a previous relationship. Mother and Fiance have two more children together. And become engaged. This growing blended family reportedly works very well. Then Father ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/29/yours-mine-and-ours-no-more/ Many states now transmit child support (and spousal support) payments to recipients via debit cards. Sounds convenient for all. Unless some of the money that is supposed to be available through the card isn't. One state using debit cards is New Jersey. One child support recipient was allegedly told that she spent ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/28/debit-cards-for-child-support-and-alimony-recipients-mixed-performance/ That's a question implied by recent scientific advances. Family law keeps getting more and more complicated, thanks, in part, to science. It is now reported that scientists have extracted "bad" DNA from one mother's egg and inserted into that mother's egg "good" DNA extracted from another mother's egg. (For those who ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/27/wave-of-the-future-are-you-a-half-a-parent-or-a-quarter-of-a-parent/ Twelve year old Girl is in child protective custody. Girl is placed in foster care with Man. Reportedly, Man is a pimp who has been profiting from Girl's prostitution at the time the Maryland Child Welfare Agency (Agency) and Girl's aunt allegedly approve him as Girl's guardian. Now Man pleads guilty to this ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/25/child-welfare-agency-approves-preteen-for-foster-care-and-pimp-as-her-guardian/ Wealthy Wife and Husband divorce in UK in 2007. Marital assets are divided equally. The trial court also orders Wife to compensate Husband from her share of the marital estate for some real estate losses he suffered. This is in addition to his receipt of half of the marital assets. Wife appeals ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/24/divorce-trial-court-orders-wealthy-wife-to-cover-husbands-real-estate-investment-losses-with-her-half-share-of-the-marital-estate/ A couple of months ago, I posted a Warning to Seriously Ill Women: Be Prepared to Be Divorced … Now based on a study. Another study concludes that parents of a child suffering from cancer are not statistically significantly more likely to divorce than any other parents, even if the child ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/23/a-child-with-cancer-does-not-raise-odds-of-parents-divorce/ Couple separate. Husband condemns divorce and threatens Wife numerous times. Wife gets injunction for protection against domestic violence, or restraining order, against Husband. Wife requests that Husband be allowed only supervised visitation with their three and five year old Children. Court, however, orders unsupervised visitation for Husband, including weekly overnight timesharing with the couple's ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/22/rejected-husband-sentenced-to-death-in-murder-of-his-ex-mother-in-law-and-two-small-children/ Mother and Father break up. Their Son is 5 years old. Court awards custody of Son to Father. Mother alleges that Father sexually molested Son. Child welfare investigators find no evidence to support those allegations and recommend that Father be awarded custody of Son. Mother abducts Son. And allegedly hides him in a hole in the ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/21/mother-allegedly-hides-child-in-hole-in-wall-for-two-years-to-keep-custody-from-father/ Boyfriend lives in New York. Girlfriend lives in New Hampshire. Boyfriend and Girlfriend "meet" on the internet. Couple has two Daughters. Relationship sours. Custody battle in New Hampshire begins. Girlfriend accuses Boyfriend of sexually abusing Daughters and of "mental delusions". Boyfriend accuses Girlfriend of sexually abusing Daughters and of "mental delusions". Neither police nor child protection agencies in ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/19/guess-what-unmarried-parents-dont-have-an-automatic-right-of-appeal-of-child-custody-rulings-in-all-states/ The goal of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is to facilitate return of internationally abducted children to their home states within a brief six weeks. Unfortunately, this is a far cry from the reality. According to an article written from the British perspective, one-third of children ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/18/uk-is-the-hague-convention-on-the-civil-aspects-of-international-child-abduction-really-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/ Florida is a so-called "no-fault" divorce state. Actually, at this point in time, so is every other state in the union. Except, of course, New York state. The lone holdout requiring fault for divorce. Many attorneys and mediators have worked for years toward changing New York's divorce law. But with no ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/17/new-york-remains-the-last-bastion-of-fault-based-divorces/ Mother and Father are divorced. Child welfare agencies in two states are familiar with the family. Mother is initially awarded custody of their three Children. Later, Mother loses custody of Children and Father is awarded custody of Children. Mother is allowed visitation supervised by child welfare personnel at the child welfare agency's facilities. Father has ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/16/child-killed-by-father-while-in-fathers-custody-after-being-removed-from-mothers-custody/ Ex-Husband and Ex-Wife divorced in the early 1990s. Ex-Husband is a very, very wealthy man who founded a successful investment company during his divorce from Ex-Wife. Ex-Wife sues Ex-Husband in a civil lawsuit for claimed racketeering. More specifically, allegedly: hiding assets from Ex-Wife and the family court during their divorce filing papers ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/15/long-after-the-divorce-ex-wife-sues-very-wealthy-ex-husband-for-hiding-assets-during-divorce-fraud-etc-and-300-million/ There's a relatively easy way and a potentially very hard way to collect a spouse's share of the other spouse's pension awarded in a divorce. The hard way in many cases is to passively wait for the ex-spouse to send it. Perhaps to e-mail, call or text message the ex. When ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/14/floridians-dont-take-your-qdros-for-granted-if-you-are-entitled-to-share-in-your-exs-pension/ Minnesota Husband and Wife divorce. Court ends marriage without yet addressing all issues in the case. Court enters an injunction or restraining order prohibiting either spouse from transferring or spending marital assets while property division is still up in the air. Husband has a substantial 401(k) account in his name. Husband spends ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/11/husband-held-in-contempt-for-violating-injunction-or-restraining-order-intended-to-protect-marital-assets-until-property-division-settled/ During a thirty day span between November and December, domestic violence resulted in eighteen deaths in the state of Oregon, including children. The killers all committed suicide when they were through. Oregon is appointing a special domestic violence prosecutor and working to improve statewide services in domestic violence situations. Government commentators ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/10/thirty-days-of-domestic-violence-leading-up-to-the-holiday-season/ Brazil is a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Yet it took nearly six years and massive political and legal effort to secure the return to this country from Brazil of a little American boy abducted by his mother ... who died over a ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/09/lesson-learned-from-case-of-child-abducted-to-brazil-and-retained-for-five-years-an-international-convention-is-only-as-good-as-its-enforcement-mechanism/ These days, lots of people reportedly spend lots of time on so-called social networking sites. What are they up to there? Well, it seems a respectable percentage may be engaging in virtual flirtations ... and beyond. A British divorce website initiated a study of recent American divorces or, more specifically, court-filed papers in ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/08/social-networking-it-just-may-be-a-little-too-friendly/ Ex-Husband and Ex-Wife are divorced. Ex-Husband was ordered to pay Ex-Wife alimony in the divorce. Ex-Husband is in arrears to the tune of $70,000. Not because of illness or disability or unemployment. Ex-Husband actually owns several successful businesses and holds roughly one hundred patents. He's comfortable. But Ex-Husband contends that Ex-Wife breached ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/07/eighty-year-old-man-jailed-for-contempt-over-alimony-arrearages-nearly-forty-years-after-divorce/ Michigan Husband and Wife have two children together. Husband is a podiatrist. Husband works long hours and travels a good bit. Wife is in counseling over marriage-related issues. Wife's therapist suggest that she do some "digging" on Husband, using the internet and phone records. Wife agrees. And is shocked by what she finds. Husband was already married ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/05/wife-seeks-annulment-on-grounds-that-husband-has-prior-wife-subsequent-wife-secretly-converted-to-a-different-religion-and-lied-about-the-reasons-for-his-absences-from-home/ Husband and Wife are divorcing, and each is vying for custody of their Sons. Sons go to counseling with Counselor, a therapist. Counselor and her husband (Corroborator), also a therapist, have offices in the same practice and suite. Counselor testified in the custody trial that Husband yelled at Counselor in rage. Corroborator also testified ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/04/child-therapist-and-spouse-partner-tried-for-perjury-allegedly-committed-in-child-custody-trial/ California Husband and Wife have two year old and four year old Daughters. Wife, an attorney, accuses Husband of molesting their older Daughter. Husband denies the allegation. Wife files for divorce. California authorities do not pursue a criminal case against Husband. Wife and Daughters and maternal Grandmother move from Southern California to Texas. Wife ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/03/attorney-mother-and-grandmother-apparently-kill-mothers-two-young-girls-and-then-themselves-to-protect-them-from-alleged-molester-father/ Father allegedly owes $37,000 in child support arrears. Father has the distinction of owning a motorized bar stool. Father reportedly drives around town, intoxicated, with the bar stool in his car - and is involved in an accident. As a result, Father is convicted of DUI. Father then tries to sell his motorized bar ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2010/01/02/ebay-almost-facilitates-discharging-part-of-a-child-support-arrearage/ As we look forward to the dawn of a New Year, a glimpse of divorce and separation in Olde England of yesteryear is revealed. The 1774 marital settlement agreement between Elizabeth Paine and early American patriot and revolutionary Thomas Paine was rediscovered some years ago - in a novel from the ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/31/re-surfaced-marital-settlement-agreement-reportedly-paid-for-early-american-patriot-and-revolutionarys-transportation-to-america/ It's been a couple of years since the World's First "Divorce Fair" was held in Vienna. And now they're working their way closer to home. Next month, Nova Scotia, Canada will be hosting Canada's First "Divorce Fair", an event where those contemplating divorce can hear from legal, financial and psychological professionals serving ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/30/the-divorce-fair-makes-its-north-american-debut-in-canada/ Unmarried Utah Mother gets pregnant by Father. When Son is born, Father's name is listed on birth certificate as Father. But Father is in jail when Son is born, so Father doesn't sign birth certificate. So Father's name is removed from Son's birth certificate. After about six months in Mother's care, Son is taken ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/29/utah-supreme-court-recognizes-unmarried-fathers-rights/ Father has toddler Daughter with Girlfriend. Father has Other Daughter, also a toddler, with Other Girlfriend. Daughter and Girlfriend can't be accounted for. Then Other Daughter and Other Girlfriend's bodies are discovered. Shot. Then, hours later, Daughter and Girlfriend's bodies are discovered - in Father's trunk. A few days later, Father's body is found, ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/28/father-murders-two-of-his-children-and-their-respective-mothers-while-court-ordered-not-to-possess-firearms/ A couple of Vermont sociology professors have challenged the institution of marriage, questioning why gays are so anxious to attain it. Following are some of what they view as myths about marriage - and how they shoot them down. Marriage Builds Wealth. Then why are the poor least likely ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/26/marriage-truisms-or-myths/ The case is in Ireland. But it rings with familiarity here in Florida. Husband is a successful broker earning a substantial salary. Wife is a housewife. Couple break up. Husband moves out of the marital home. Trial court orders Husband to pay Wife 137,500 Euros per year as alimony until Wife remarries ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/25/from-florida-to-ireland-cohabitation-alimony-ambivalence-alive-and-well/ Few international parental child abductions have received as much media attention as this Boy's abduction to Brazil by his Mother, but that didn't help much. His Father has been fighting to get him back home since 2004. Even after Mother died in Brazil last year, the Brazilian courts still dragged their heels ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/24/after-five-year-long-court-battle-parentally-abducted-american-boy-finally-returns-home-to-the-us-from-brazil/ A New York appellate case illustrates that courts, especially appellate courts, often do not think like ordinary people or, more particularly, share their sensibilities. In that case, Father doesn't pay his court-ordered child support (of $50 per month) for Baby, and Father argues and tussles with Mother at her home. The trial ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/22/whaddya-mean-failing-to-pay-his-child-support-and-getting-into-physical-fights-with-the-mother-of-his-child-isnt-neglect/ Mexican Mother is awarded custody of Son by a Mexican court. Wealthy French Father, accompanied by counsel, takes papers that look like official Mexican court papers before a Texas judge, representing that he has legal custody of Son. The Mexican court papers were reportedly incomplete and misleading. Apparently, neither Father's counsel nor the ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/20/french-father-abducts-boy-by-presenting-false-mexican-court-orders-to-texas-judge/ Husband and Wife have been married for 22 years. But that didn't stop sixty-two year old Husband from marrying another woman who lives in the same rental complex. Husband is charged with bigamy and identity theft and convicted of the charges. Husband is sentenced only to eighteen months' probation. Husband's "second wife" ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/19/kansas-man-gets-slap-on-wrist-for-bigamy-and-identity-theft-but-defrauded-wife-is-going-for-money/ Happily married Husband and Wife have Son. Son is born very prematurely and is plagued by related medical problems. Son qualifies for free coverage because he is considered "disabled" by reason of his prematurity. Son has expensive heart surgery and eye surgery. Son has home nurses while Husband and Wife are at work. Now, the ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2009/12/18/divorcing-for-a-childs-health/