Divorce Blame

Feb 11, 2013 by

Although someone usually gets blamed whenever a marriage fails, suing your local church congregation for your divorce is definitely an unusual circumstance. Whenever a divorce occurs, someone is likely to be blamed for causing it. That fact is simply human nature, and it is hard to imagine that no one would receive at least a small bit of blame and that everyone would be equally happy and completely guilt-free when a close personal relationship is finally and legally terminated. It is almost...

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The Squeaky Wheel: Divorce from a Child’s Perspective

Aug 8, 2012 by

According to The Child Advocate, “Divorce is an intensely stressful experience for all children, regardless of age or developmental level; many children are inadequately prepared for the impending divorce by their parents.” Award-winning author Robert Kimmel Smith takes a close look at this painful topic from a child’s perspective in his young adult novel “The Squeaky Wheel” (published by iUniverse), now an Authors Guild Backinprint.com edition. When...

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Divorce Papers Accuse Nevada Governor of Infidelity

Aug 8, 2012 by

An affair with a Playboy model was one of the charges levied against Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons by his estranged wife Dawn. The accusation hit the news yesterday when the Washoe County Family Court unsealed the records on the case giving journalists plenty to talk about. The divorce documents allege that Gibbons had two affairs, one with a former Playboy model and another with a women to whom he sent over 800 text messages. Governor Gibbons says both women are “just friends” but...

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Do You Need Divorce Insurance?

Aug 8, 2012 by

Is it any surprise that an enterprising insurance company is now offering divorce insurance? Everyone knows that getting a divorce can cost a small fortune these days. The price of splitting up in the United States can easily range from a few thousand dollars to over $20,000 depending on the situation and the assets involved. In that light, purchasing a few bucks of divorce insurance every month might pay big dividends when the relationship goes awry. It would certainly be an advantage to have...

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Gay Marriage on Hold in California for Now

Aug 8, 2012 by

Gay rights supporters in California are debating when the next assault on the state’s Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban should be launched. Although many Prop. 8 opponents are eager to get to work before the 2010 elections, Equality California, the state’s largest gay-rights group, is setting its sights on 2012. Other gay-rights groups, like the Courage Campaign, are moving ahead with plans for the 2010 ballot. The question of when to go back to the polls has been a central issue...

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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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Texas Blocks Same-Sex Divorce

Aug 8, 2012 by

Even though same-sex marriage is not legal in Texas, a Texas appeals court has ruled that gay couples cannot get divorced in that state. Same-sex couples married in other states do not have the legal right to get divorced in the Lone Star State and must seek their relationship remedies elsewhere. It appears the Texas appellate court was worried that if the state recognized same-sex divorce, it would also have to recognize same-sex marriage and that is something the Texas legislature does not...

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Mandatory Divorce Reading

Aug 8, 2012 by

Books can make news for many different reasons these days and the best-seller racks are always full of new and interesting titles to choose from, but it is not often that books make news because they are mandatory reading. Especially not books on parenting, divorce and family communication, however a judge in Canada recently ordered a couple with two kids to do exactly that. Ontario Superior Court Justice David Price found himself presiding over the case of a couple who got married in 1998 and...

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Divorce at the Top

Aug 8, 2012 by

When the former governor of California and his wife recently announced their separation in a joint statement there was no mention of a specific cause for the separation. Arnold Schwarzenegger was widely quoted at the time as saying “We both love each other very much,” and the split at first looked like it might be temporary. Maria Shriver was less forthcoming and made no public statement, leaving the press to speculate that if even she had been unhappy in the marriage, she had made...

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Arming Parents with Information

Aug 8, 2012 by

Following years of complaints from parents and parent’s right groups, the city of San Diego, California is considering making adjustments to policies on parental notification when children are removed from a home by the city’s Child Protective Welfare Services. A grand jury in San Diego recently concluded that parents should receive written notification as to why their children are being removed from their home and custody. The San Diego County Grand Jury has conducted ongoing...

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Same-Sex and Marriage in the Census

Aug 8, 2012 by

New Census Bureau data released Monday from the American Community Survey of 3 million households shows that 76% of those who have ever been married, have been married just one time. The figures are 20% for those who have been married twice and 5% have been married three or more times. The new data also shows almost 200,000 fewer same-sex couples than the previous year with 565,000 same-sex couples in 2008 and 754,000 in 2007. Census officials stated there was no intention of altering the...

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Hollywood Prenups

Aug 8, 2012 by

Prenuptial agreements in divorce are contracts entered into prior to marriage that commonly include provisions for asset division in the event of a breakup. Prenuptial agreements are recognized in all fifty states and must be completed in writing, and notarized. If you’re a celebrity, they can apparently also include hefty forfeiture clauses as a result of any incidence of adultery. Seems many of the rich and famous are opting to minimize their risk and maximize the cash payouts when...

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Larry King Divorce May Still Be On

Aug 8, 2012 by

When we last visited the topic of Larry King’s marriage, the CNN reporter and his wife Shawn had announced they were setting their impending divorce aside and that “We owe it to ourselves and our children to continue being dedicated to each other.” Now, it seems the split may be back on the front burner after Shawn’s recent drug overdose that many observers say was a suicide attempt. Whatever the truth is, property division issues now seem to be the main bone of...

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More Divorce Apps

Aug 8, 2012 by

A few weeks ago we examined a new iPhone application called “Divorce Cost and Prep” created by Dallas Attorney Michelle O’Neill and Fort Worth CPA Bryan Rice. Their divorce app was aimed at helping divorcing couples assess the monetary costs associated with the dissolution of a marriage. The $9.99 divorce cost and prep app helped users estimate their divorce expenses without having to pay an accountant or attorney to do the same thing. Now it appears O’Neill and Price...

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Philippine Divorce Law Changes

Aug 8, 2012 by

Americans marrying Filipinos and Filipinos marrying Americans have long shared a common problem when it comes to divorce; the nation of the Philippines has never had any provisions for divorce at all. Persons wanting to remarry were often just plain out of luck if they wanted a divorce in that country. Under Philippine law there was no divorce procedure, only annulment was on the books and an annulment in the Philippines is an extremely difficult status to obtain. Even those Filipinos who...

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Sandra Bullock Ready to File for Divorce?

Aug 8, 2012 by

The gossip continues to swirl around Sandra Bullock’s possible divorce and now her abrupt cancellation of a scheduled appearance in a U.K. film premiere has only added fuel to the fire. In a statement from Warner Brothers UK, Sandra apologized for not going to the London premiere. The statement said “Due to unforeseen personal reasons, a trip abroad has been deemed impossible at this time.” Bullock was also recently photographed hiking in Northern California, and more...

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Japanese Prosecutors Finally Relent in International Child Custody Case Against US Father

Aug 8, 2012 by

Prosecutors in Japan have dropped the case against an American man arrested after he snatched his children from his ex-wife in her home country of Japan. An official with the Japanese Prosecutors Office said the department decided to abandon the case because the father’s intent was only to see his children. United States citizen Christopher Savoie, claimed his ex-wife Noriko Savoie had violated a U.S. court custody decision by taking the children from Franklin, Tennessee, to her home in...

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4,600 Divorces a Day

Aug 8, 2012 by

International news readers will recognize that news reporting in India is frequently concerned with the goings-on of their more populous neighbor to the North, China. This week the Times of India newspaper is reporting that the rapidly rising divorce rate in China is due to mounting social pressures caused by the country’s rapid economic growth and an overall decline in fertility rates across the world’s most populous nation. The recent Times report states that nearly, 850,000...

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What are Court Orders?

Aug 8, 2012 by

When proceeding with a divorce, many arrangements must be made between the spouses. If husband and wife are unable to negotiate an agreement about the children, bills, and/or other issues, a court order can be used to split financial responsibilities until the divorce becomes finalized. The first step in splitting financial responsibilities is always to attempt to negotiate with your spouse. This will save legal costs for both parties. There are circumstances where this might not be possible,...

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New Divorce Rules for Europe

Aug 8, 2012 by

New European Union legislation on divorce will enable couples with different nationalities, those living apart in different countries, or those living together in a nation other than their home country, to decide which country’s laws apply to their divorce. The European Parliament passed the legislation and the new rules will go into effect in 18 months. The rules will be enforced in a group of 14 European Union countries including Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia,...

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