http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com General legal information furnished as a service of Fort Lauderdale / West Palm Beach family law attorney Janet Langjahr Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:01:55 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Some Cambodians are dissatisfied with their divorce courts - even more so than people in this country are with ours. A Cambodian Husband decided to divorce his Wife, because he didn’t feel that she tended to his care during an illness. They decided to try to circumvent the courts as much as ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/10/07/cambodias-version-of-an-amicable-court-free-divorce/ Two men took a stand on a crane on Ohio State University’s campus in support of fathers’ rights in child custody disputes. Dressed as superheroes, they called on Ohio’s and California’s governors to start investigations into their states’ respective family court systems. They claim that the courts are corrupt because perjury consisting ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/10/04/men-stake-out-crane-to-draw-attention-to-perceived-unfairness-to-fathers-in-certain-states-family-courts/ Quebec couple married for twelve years, after living together for seven years. Husband is more than 20 years older than Wife. Husband is a judge. Wife is a perpetual student, working temporary and/or part-time jobs from time to time during the marriage. Husband has accumulated nearly one million dollars in ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/10/03/quebec-judge-argues-his-wife-isnt-entitled-to-half-of-his-pension-under-equitable-distribution-type-legal-framework/ Once the divorce is out in the open, sometimes activity on the credit cards of one or both spouses suddenly escalates. This can happen due to one spouse’s lack of cash to live on. It can also happen due to the malice of a spouse. Or any ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/10/02/how-to-protect-your-credit-rating-in-divorce/ An elderly Singaporean Husband wants a divorce from his Wife - after more than twenty-five years of marriage. Husband alleges that his Wife has engaged in “unreasonable behaviour, distrust and irresponsibility”, mostly pertaining to money. The Wife denies the allegations and further alleges that the Husband is guilty of bigamy and harassment. The ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/10/01/youre-never-too-old-to-divorce/ South Carolina Mother served with summons for child support. Past due child support. Twelve years, to be precise. Children are long since grown. But that doesn’t void the legal duty to pay. The entire arrearage. All 63 cents of it. Or else. According to a new computer system utilized by the South ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/29/sc-mother-served-with-summons-for-12-years-past-due-child-support-63-cents-or-else/ Wisconsin ex-husband, Father, is deployed in military. Father “assigns” his visitation time to his new wife, Stepmother. Ex-Wife and Mother refuses to allow Stepmother to have Father’s full extended summer visitation period. But Stepmother is willing to allow Stepmother some visitation in Father’s absence. Wisconsin actually has a statute allowing ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/28/wi-stepparent-does-not-stand-in-non-custodial-spouse-parents-shoes-with-regard-to-visitation-rights/ A Florida family court awards Wife $5,000 as a lump sum payment from Husband. Husband is angry. Husband knows he must comply with letter of order. But decides to play fast and loose with the spirit of the order, for maximum effect. So Husband pays, in full - with wheel ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/27/former-florida-husband-held-in-contempt-for-complying-with-courts-order-technically/ New couple move into (guest) house on Husband’s parent’s property. Couple adopt two pet dogs. Four years later, Wife moves out and gets an apartment. Wife leaves pets with Husband, but visits them often. Couple files for divorce. The family court orders Husband not to dispose of any marital ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/26/in-laws-refuse-to-return-couples-pets-to-widowed-daughter-in-law-despite-court-order/ A Canadian couple just lost their sixth child to Child Protective Services. They haven’t abandoned, abused or neglected any of their children. They haven’t had the chance. Each child has been taken into protective custody shortly after birth. It hasn’t been because the parents are in jail. Or drug ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/24/mildly-mentally-retarded-bio-parents-beware-your-kids-are-more-likely-to-be-removed-than-from-parents-who-have-already-abandoned-abused-or-neglected-their-children/ Army colonel did not want to pay court-ordered child support beyond his small voluntary payments. How badly did he not want to pay additional child support? Badly enough to allegedly engage in fraud in the paternity testing process, specifically, having someone else take the paternity test for him. For ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/23/army-colonel-cheats-on-paternity-test-to-avoid-court-ordered-support-is-convicted-for-his-fraud-then-tries-to-reduce-his-payments-due-to-the-reduction-of-his-income-because-of-his-convictions/ A Broward County judge entered a temporary injunction for protection against domestic violence against a South Florida Husband who allegedly entered his Wife’s home and searched the house she shared with their three sons, machete in hand, for a phantom boyfriend. The injunction was to protect both Wife ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/22/south-florida-man-killed-by-police-before-temporary-order-of-protection-made-permanent/ Young UK Mother has two babies, ages one and two years old, one from a previous relationship and one with her fiance, an Indian national. Mother and kids move to remote area of India with now-husband. They are pursuing an “alternative lifestyle”. Mother dies suddenly, apparently due to complications related to ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/22/tragic-sudden-death-of-uk-mother-in-india-strands-her-two-babies-with-indian-biological-father-of-one-baby-while-grandmother-awaits-return-in-uk/ Delinquency in child support is a huge problem in this country. And in the UK too. In the UK in 2005, there were 330,000 cases in arrears, to the extent of 3 billion UK pounds. So the Brits came up with a hoped-for solution to stem the tide. A new class in ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/20/uk-to-begin-teaching-child-support-system-in-elementary-schools/ Minnesota Mother goes to Wisconsin and reports Father to police for having their five kids with him wrongfully. Mother produces a 2005 court order awarding her custody of the children. Police go to the Father’s home to investigate at about 11pm. The children, all present, all appear to be fine. ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/19/mn-mothers-last-resort-in-custody-battle-fraudulent-custody-order/ Issue presented: absent abandonment, abuse or neglect of a child, should the state sit in judgment, second-guessing a parent’s decision as to what is in that parent’s child’s best interests? Some recent Canadian court decisions: “The case involved a separated father who had been granted custody of his 12-year-old daughter. He had ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/17/absent-abandonment-abuse-or-neglect-of-a-child-should-the-state-sit-in-judgment-second-guessing-a-parents-decision-as-to-what-is-in-that-parents-childs-best-interests/ In Mississippi: Stepfather is convicted of allegedly abusing two year old Mississippi Baby, including biting him, and is sentenced to twenty years in prison. Baby received medical treatment after the abuse, thanks only to Grandmother’s intervention - over Baby’s Mother’s objections. Mother was concerned that Stepfather, her husband, would “get into trouble” for ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/16/random-dispositions-for-failing-to-report-child-abuse/ When the marriage starts heading south, it’s time to start paying attention to the finances - especially for spouses who never paid attention before. With some spouses, the window of opportunity to prove the existence of assets and that they are marital will close rapidly. So it may ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/15/how-to-find-hidden-assets-in-divorce/ New York Mother and her mother, Grandmother, battle for custody of Child. Father is not in the picture at the time. Mother allegedly murders Grandmother. Mother is convicted of the killing and sentenced to twenty-five years to life. During the criminal investigation, Father discovers he is Child’s Father. Father ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/14/convicted-new-york-murderess-seeks-jailhouse-visitation-with-five-year-old-child/ One Oklahoma county is testing a new approach to child support enforcement. Separate the noncustodial parents who don’t want to pay from the noncustodial parents who do want to pay but can’t, because they don’t have a job. For the noncustodial parents who fall into the second category, a Court ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/13/oklahoma-program-helps-deadbeat-noncustodial-parents-become-employable-and-find-and-keep-jobs-to-pay-support/ UK Husband had been a forensic accountant. Just the type of expert professional who might have made his career “following the money” and testifying in divorce cases. Only this time, the matter at hand wasn’t someone else’s divorce. It was his own Wife whose lawyer had written him a ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/12/uk-husband-convicted-of-murder-after-wifes-request-that-he-move-out-of-the-marital-residence-due-to-affair/ Pennsylvania Father and Mother divorce. Father gets primary custody of Child, who is now five years old. Mother takes her extended summer vacation time with Child. At the end of her visitation, Mother is supposed to drop Child off at paternal grandparents’ home in Ohio. Five days after the scheduled ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/11/pa-bench-warrant-issued-for-mother-who-retained-child-after-extended-summer-visitation/ Swedish scientists have isolated what has been dubbed The Divorce Gene. Of course, the presence of the so-called Divorce Gene doesn’t guarantee that the person with the gene will get a divorce. But there is a statistical correlation between the presence of the gene and the brain chemistry’s influence in ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/10/marriage-certificate-then-premarital-testing-for-the-divorce-gene/ Grandmother often took Grandchildren into her home to watch them and visit with them. Grandmother had argument with oldest daughter and son-in-law in November of 2005. Since then, Grandmother has been denied any contact with Grandchildren. This is not the most common scenario under which grandparents lose access to grandchildren. Generally, there is a ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/08/north-carolina-grandparents-lobby-for-grandparent-visitation-rights-statutes/ Gay male Manhattan couple adopt Baby together, using a surrogate mother. Couple splits up before very long. Court awards rotating joint physical custody. Dad is awarded the weekends. Pop is awarded the weekdays. Not satisfied, Dad allegedly procures a fake driver’s license - using Pop’s information. Dad uses it to apply for ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/07/abducting-parent-confesses-guilt-abroad-based-on-misinterpretation-of-consequences-of-law-of-hague-convention/ Minnesota judge goes through divorce. By the end, he owes his attorneys over $100,000. Judge reportedly begins appointing attorney with his divorce law firm to mediate cases on his docket. Nineteen to be precise. The judge had never appointed this attorney to mediate cases on his docket before his own ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/06/mn-family-court-judge-accused-of-ethical-violation-for-appointing-his-lawyer-as-mediator-in-cases-on-his-docket-allegedly-in-return-for-partial-writedown-of-his-own-divorce-legal-bill/ What are the odds? In Anderson County, South Carolina one recent Saturday, police responded to the scene where a woman allegedly poured lighter fluid on her husband - because he criticized her for pawning some household items. The man declined to press charges. In another incident in the same ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/04/sometimes-men-are-the-victims-of-domestic-violence-too/ Florida Mother is disabled. Mother takes prescription drugs for pain from her disability. Department of Children and Families removes Child, places her with maternal grandparents and establishes case plan for Mother to regain custody of Child. The case plan requires Mother to obtain a medical evaluation from the University of Miami ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/03/disabled-mothers-parental-rights-reinstated-where-she-cant-comply-with-case-plan-through-no-fault-of-her-own/ A pilot program in Volusia County, Florida allows thirty-five children to remain home with their families instead of being removed as a result of abuse or neglect. The new Family In-Home Recovery Support Team (FIRST) program concentrates on providing intensive in-home services to just seventeen families at this time. Volusia ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/02/pilot-program-in-volusia-offers-intensive-in-home-services-as-alternative-to-foster-care/ Georgia Husband and Wife prepare for second marriage each. They make a prenuptial agreement. Wife waives claims to alimony, the marital home and other assets in the agreement. Fast forward several years. Divorce case begins. The Court awards temporary alimony to Wife and shared temporary possession of ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/09/01/shocking-aftermath-of-an-unsuccessful-mediation/ Man marries woman. Couple has child. Man becomes city manager of a Florida town. Man has sex change operation. Man-turned-woman gets discharged from city manager job. Couple begins divorce. Couple reaches agreement under which former husband pays former wife alimony and child support. In an unusual property division provision ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/31/marital-settlement-of-former-city-manager-includes-splitting-profits-with-wife-from-selling-story-of-his-life-with-sex-change/ Although they remain one of the most common reasons for breakups of relationships, affairs may just be going out of style. Not so much because people no longer want to have them. But more because they are getting harder and harder to carry on in secret, at least for any ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/31/technology-threatens-traditional-affairs/ They used to be primarily about how property would be divided in the event of divorce - or death of a spouse. And perhaps alimony and attorney’s fees in the event of a divorce. In the old days. Modern prenups have gotten more expansive … and creative. He wants guarantees about how frequently they ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/30/its-not-your-mothers-prenup/ An attorney who concentrates on representing only men offers the following mistakes that men make in divorce. Truth is, women can and do make the same mistakes. They are not (generally) legal mistakes per se, but rather tactical mistakes that both men and women usually come to regret ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/29/mistakes-men-and-women-make-in-divorce-and-usually-regret-later/ Abuse victims can obtain orders of protection, called injunctions for protection against domestic violence in Florida. The purpose of these orders is to deter further violence. And to facilitate a swift and appropriate remedy for any violations of the order. Now Illinois has taken an additional step. Under a new ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/27/global-positioning-devices-find-new-use-as-domestic-abusers-detection-alert-system/ A Canadian Wife recently challenged her divorce attorney’s invoice in Canadian court. That’s a pretty extraordinary thing to do. And, not surprisingly, she wasn’t successful in it. After a thorough review of the record, which took more than 10 days, the British Columbia Court of Appeal found the attorney’s invoice was ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/26/multi-millionaire-winner-in-divorce-court-challenges-her-legal-fees-unsuccessfully/ California Husband wanted a divorce. A special kind of divorce. Outside the courts … He did not want to divide the marital assets with Wife. Or to pay her alimony. He wanted everything for himself. But he had put everything in Wife’s name. Husband’s solution to his dilemma? He ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/25/husband-kidnaps-and-tortures-wife-intending-to-avoid-property-division-and-alimony/ Maryland Husband is charged with murdering his three children, ranging in ages from 2 to 6. For five months, Husband, who confessed to the murders, has tried to change his defense counsel’s plea to guilty, and now has requested to represent himself. Before the court rules on his request to reprsent himself, ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/24/father-confesses-to-murdering-his-children-after-maryland-court-awards-unsupervised-visitation-despite-psychiatric-diagnoses-and-threats/ Nineteen year old woman (Mother) and a fifteen year old boy (Boy) have sex, and a Baby is conceived. The Mother is under a grand jury indictment for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, which could lead to incarceration for a year and one-half as well as having to register as ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/23/oh-statutory-rape-child-victim-ordered-to-pay-child-support-to-his-rapist-while-his-parents-seek-custody-of-baby/ A spouse wants to be able to spend money without having to account to or justify the expenditure to the other spouse. How to accomplish it? Either hidden savings or hidden credit cards. According to surveys, anywhere from 40% to over 80% of couples have money secrets from each other or lie to ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/22/a-modern-fault-financial-infidelity/ Parents of a preschool child live several states apart. How do they timeshare? One possibility … The preschooler “rotates” from one parent’s home to the other’s, on a monthly basis. That is possible (if not beneficial) before the child begins school. But what about after the child starts school? ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/21/is-rotating-physical-custody-good-for-kids/ There’s a lot more to divorce than the legal aspects of it, of course. For the other aspects, there are a lot of books out there. By women. For women. So one Connecticut man decided it was time for a book by a man - for men. ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/20/divorce-prep-from-a-male-perspective/ Thirty-five year old Indian house-painter has affair with teen-aged girl. He decides to marry her. Problem: He is already married to a woman of his own age. Wife leaves Husband due to affair, returning to her parents’ home. Husband asks for divorce and presents divorce papers to Wife to sign. ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/19/older-indian-man-kills-wife-to-marry-teenager/ The foster care system falls far short of our society’s needs and expectations. But measures are afoot to help improve it. Some of the improvements relate to kinship foster care, child care provided to dependent children by extended family members instead of strangers. Two and one-half million American children live with ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/18/pending-bill-in-congress-could-provide-support-for-foster-kids-to-extended-family-members/ Baby disappeared during religious riots in India in 2002, which left approximately 1,000 people dead. Baby’s Muslim family eventually gave him up for dead. Recently, Baby’s family discovered that he was still alive. A Hindu police officer had allegedly found Baby and more or less gave him to relatives to raise ... http://www.fladivorcelawblog.com/2008/08/17/indian-court-upholds-placement-of-virtually-kidnapped-boy-with-hindu-foster-family-over-biological-muslim-family/