Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - 25 divorce cases filed every day
The Times of India
BANGALORE: 25 cases every day and 1,400 cases in six months. That's IT's city track record on divorce.
Between January and June 2009, as many as 1,400 couples in the city have decided they cannot live with each other and have filed for divorce in family courts. A trend is new as the year 2008 saw only 5,000 cases.
When the family court was set up in 1984 because divorce cases in civil courts were taking too long, there were 800 pending cases. Today, say family court officials, there are an average 25 cases of matrimonial discord being filed every day. While a mutual consent petition may be resolved in as little as two months, cases are known to drag on for 5-6 years, and more, in some cases.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Military Divorce Attorney - For families, toughest times may lie ahead
Augusta GA Military Divorce Attorney - For families, toughest times may lie ahead
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
The wife of the Army chief of staff warned Wednesday that the worst problems for military families may lie ahead.
Sheila Casey, the wife of Army Gen. George Casey Jr., said in testimony before a Senate panel that military families are tough and generally resilient, but the cumulative effects of eight years of war are showing.
“Families are stretched and stressed,” she said. “I often refer to them as the most brittle part of the force. ... We can no longer ask them to make the best of it.”
Her fear that the worst is yet to come is based on her belief that the current stress levels are causing some families to avoid dealing with issues that will resurface when the pace of deployments drops.
“What I hear from people is they don’t have time to divorce,” she said.
A crisis is avoidable if the services put in place strong and fully funded family programs — health, education and employment — that get even more resources when families most need it, she said.
The families that may need help the most are the youngest — those who “don’t enough time together to build strong bonds,” she said.
Casey’s testimony before the Senate Armed Services personnel panel comes at a time when the Obama White House, Defense Department and Congress are all looking at ways to improve family support.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
The wife of the Army chief of staff warned Wednesday that the worst problems for military families may lie ahead.
Sheila Casey, the wife of Army Gen. George Casey Jr., said in testimony before a Senate panel that military families are tough and generally resilient, but the cumulative effects of eight years of war are showing.
“Families are stretched and stressed,” she said. “I often refer to them as the most brittle part of the force. ... We can no longer ask them to make the best of it.”
Her fear that the worst is yet to come is based on her belief that the current stress levels are causing some families to avoid dealing with issues that will resurface when the pace of deployments drops.
“What I hear from people is they don’t have time to divorce,” she said.
A crisis is avoidable if the services put in place strong and fully funded family programs — health, education and employment — that get even more resources when families most need it, she said.
The families that may need help the most are the youngest — those who “don’t enough time together to build strong bonds,” she said.
Casey’s testimony before the Senate Armed Services personnel panel comes at a time when the Obama White House, Defense Department and Congress are all looking at ways to improve family support.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Macon GA Divorce Lawyer - Family Law Attorney
Gibson Divorce -- A Sticky Wicket
Posted Jun 4th 2009 7:55AM by TMZ Staff
Mel Gibson's divorce is rolling along, but we're told it ain't gonna be as simple as a clean 50/50 split.
First of all, it looks like Mel's reported wealth -- $900,000,000 -- is inflated. The business people are still figuring it out, but a huge portion of his net worth is tied up in real estate. As one source put it, relative to his wealth, there's not a lot of cash involved.
That's not to say Mel and Robyn are living on a budget. They have millions in the bank ... we're told Mel is pulling in about $17 million on his latest movie project.
Now here's where it gets complicated. Some of the real estate is being held in trust for their children. As for the rest of the real estate, it's not a good time to sell, but we're told they will most likely have to liquidate the lion's share of these assets for their property settlement.
Permalink:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/04/gibson-divorce-a-sticky-wicket/
Macon GA divorce lawyer & child custody attorney Macon Georgia and Warner Robins family lawyer and divorce attorney Macon GA child custody attorney
Posted Jun 4th 2009 7:55AM by TMZ Staff
Mel Gibson's divorce is rolling along, but we're told it ain't gonna be as simple as a clean 50/50 split.
First of all, it looks like Mel's reported wealth -- $900,000,000 -- is inflated. The business people are still figuring it out, but a huge portion of his net worth is tied up in real estate. As one source put it, relative to his wealth, there's not a lot of cash involved.
That's not to say Mel and Robyn are living on a budget. They have millions in the bank ... we're told Mel is pulling in about $17 million on his latest movie project.
Now here's where it gets complicated. Some of the real estate is being held in trust for their children. As for the rest of the real estate, it's not a good time to sell, but we're told they will most likely have to liquidate the lion's share of these assets for their property settlement.
Permalink:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/04/gibson-divorce-a-sticky-wicket/
Macon GA divorce lawyer & child custody attorney Macon Georgia and Warner Robins family lawyer and divorce attorney Macon GA child custody attorney
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Bond set for wife who tried to have husband killed
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Bond set for wife who tried to have husband killed
By Tom Collins
An Ottawa woman was ordered held on $500,000 bond Thursday for allegedly trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband.
Christina D. Dent, 28, of 1510 Mulberry St. faces 20-40 years in prison with no possibility of probation if convicted of solicitation of murder for hire, a Class X felony. She would be required to serve not less than 85 percent of her sentence under the state Truth in Sentencing Act.
La Salle County state’s attorney Brian Towne said in open court Thursday that Dent was charged following an undercover investigation launched when Dent approached a neighbor and inquired about finding someone willing to kill her husband, 29-year-old Jacob Dent.
The investigation, Towne said, culminated Wednesday when Dent met with an undercover officer posing as a hit man in a vehicle equipped with listening devices.
During the meeting that took place in Ottawa’s north end, he said, Dent and the “hit man” agreed to have Jacob Dent killed in exchange for $7,000, to be paid after the target was killed. Before exiting the vehicle, Christina Dent allegedly gave the officer an unspecified quantity of money as a downpayment, Towne said.
Christina Dent was arrested immediately after exiting the vehicle, Towne said.
Towne asked that bond be set at $500,000 on the basis of flight risk, noting the severity of the charges and Christina Dent’s former ties to the state of California.
Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia set the bond — Dent needs to post $50,000 in cash to be released from custody — and set a June 11 hearing for arraignment. Raccuglia also approved Dent’s request for the services of the public defender.
No motive was presented Thursday in open court, but La Salle County Circuit Court records show the Dents, who have two children under age 4, are engaged in a contentious divorce begun in November. Jacob Dent sued for divorce on the grounds of “extreme and repeated” mental cruelty. The case is pending.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
By Tom Collins
An Ottawa woman was ordered held on $500,000 bond Thursday for allegedly trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband.
Christina D. Dent, 28, of 1510 Mulberry St. faces 20-40 years in prison with no possibility of probation if convicted of solicitation of murder for hire, a Class X felony. She would be required to serve not less than 85 percent of her sentence under the state Truth in Sentencing Act.
La Salle County state’s attorney Brian Towne said in open court Thursday that Dent was charged following an undercover investigation launched when Dent approached a neighbor and inquired about finding someone willing to kill her husband, 29-year-old Jacob Dent.
The investigation, Towne said, culminated Wednesday when Dent met with an undercover officer posing as a hit man in a vehicle equipped with listening devices.
During the meeting that took place in Ottawa’s north end, he said, Dent and the “hit man” agreed to have Jacob Dent killed in exchange for $7,000, to be paid after the target was killed. Before exiting the vehicle, Christina Dent allegedly gave the officer an unspecified quantity of money as a downpayment, Towne said.
Christina Dent was arrested immediately after exiting the vehicle, Towne said.
Towne asked that bond be set at $500,000 on the basis of flight risk, noting the severity of the charges and Christina Dent’s former ties to the state of California.
Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia set the bond — Dent needs to post $50,000 in cash to be released from custody — and set a June 11 hearing for arraignment. Raccuglia also approved Dent’s request for the services of the public defender.
No motive was presented Thursday in open court, but La Salle County Circuit Court records show the Dents, who have two children under age 4, are engaged in a contentious divorce begun in November. Jacob Dent sued for divorce on the grounds of “extreme and repeated” mental cruelty. The case is pending.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Working extra hours won't drive men to divorce
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Working extra hours won't drive men to divorce
by Stephen Lunn - The Australian
MEN in jobs with long hours are no more likely to divorce than anyone else.
And if the extra hours are bringing in more money, it may be helping to keep the marriage together.
A new study co-authored by Melbourne Institute economist Mark Wooden finds men are less likely to split up with their partner if they are working between 40 and 50 hours a week.
"The optimal work arrangement appears to be where the man works a 41- to 49-hour week," Professor Wooden said.
"Beyond this, the risk of separation does rise, but it is still lower than for couples where the male works a 35- to 40-hour work week."
Professor Wooden used data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, which tracked families between 2002 and 2006, to conclude that long work hours do no harm in terms of divorce rates.
His article was published yesterday in HILDA's annual statistical report, titled Families, Income and Jobs, alongside other research that confirmed 2002-2006 as a golden period for household wealth creation, which surged 35 per cent over the five years.
The report, commissioned by the federal Government, found Australians to be heavy credit card users, but quite responsible in managing credit. The majority pay off their full balance each month, and only 16 per cent say they "rarely" or "never" pay off the full balance monthly.
In his study of work hours, Professor Wooden noted the current debate over the effect of long working hours on family life. About one in five workers report putting in 50 hours or more a week.
"While surveys have consistently found people believe long hours are detrimental for personal relationships, there are few, if any, studies providing evidence of clear causal links between long work weeks, especially when worked by the husband, and subsequent marital separation or divorce," his paper notes. "Indeed, recent studies conducted in both the US and The Netherlands suggests that, if anything, the probability of divorce falls with the number of hours worked by the husband."
Professor Wooden said income played a part in the chances of divorce, with the probability of separation falling the higher the income level of the male.
But Barbara Pocock, from the Centre for Work and Life at the University of South Australia, said it was hard to unpick the complex reasons behind divorce.
"People separate and divorce for a nest of reasons, and I think it's difficult to try to isolate single causes," Professor Pocock said.
"Qualitative research shows long hours can be a significant factor when examining the quality of a relationship, but an important component is whether those hours are voluntarily worked.
"Also the nature of the work may be a factor, for instance how intense it is. That can be a real relationship killer."
Professor Wooden's research did find a link between long working weeks and higher levels of smoking, although only among men.
The HILDA report found the typical Australian family's net wealth surged by 35per cent to $665,000 in the five years to 2006, driven by soaring house prices and kicked along by the buoyant sharemarket.
The mean value of owner-occupied housing grew from $256,911 in 2002 to $343,547 in 2006, the figures show. And superannuation levels typically increased from $98,287 to $127,140 in those five years, although the data was collected before the global financial crisis cut a swath through super balances.
Melbourne Institute senior research fellow Roger Wilkins, who co-authored thepaper, said the increase in wealth was "phenomenal".
"Certainly 35 per cent real growth is a staggering increase," Dr Wilkins said. "It was led by housing price growth, and while that has levelled off since the figures were collected, they haven't declined like the US and to a degree the UK."
Dr Wilkins examined Australia's use of credit cards, finding a high level of card ownership but also a high degree of responsible use.
About 60 per cent of Australian adults possess a credit card, with card ownership highest in couple households aged 35 to 54years.
"Overall less than 4.5 per cent of the population can be regarded as experiencing credit card difficulty. (But that is) a significant segment of the community, implying financial hardship associated with excessive credit card debt ... could be an important community issue."
Dr Wilkins said people were becoming smarter about their use of cards.
"They are tending to use credit cards more as a payment system than for credit, using the opportunity for 50 days' interest free to receive interest in a savings account then automatically transfer the payment over."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
by Stephen Lunn - The Australian
MEN in jobs with long hours are no more likely to divorce than anyone else.
And if the extra hours are bringing in more money, it may be helping to keep the marriage together.
A new study co-authored by Melbourne Institute economist Mark Wooden finds men are less likely to split up with their partner if they are working between 40 and 50 hours a week.
"The optimal work arrangement appears to be where the man works a 41- to 49-hour week," Professor Wooden said.
"Beyond this, the risk of separation does rise, but it is still lower than for couples where the male works a 35- to 40-hour work week."
Professor Wooden used data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, which tracked families between 2002 and 2006, to conclude that long work hours do no harm in terms of divorce rates.
His article was published yesterday in HILDA's annual statistical report, titled Families, Income and Jobs, alongside other research that confirmed 2002-2006 as a golden period for household wealth creation, which surged 35 per cent over the five years.
The report, commissioned by the federal Government, found Australians to be heavy credit card users, but quite responsible in managing credit. The majority pay off their full balance each month, and only 16 per cent say they "rarely" or "never" pay off the full balance monthly.
In his study of work hours, Professor Wooden noted the current debate over the effect of long working hours on family life. About one in five workers report putting in 50 hours or more a week.
"While surveys have consistently found people believe long hours are detrimental for personal relationships, there are few, if any, studies providing evidence of clear causal links between long work weeks, especially when worked by the husband, and subsequent marital separation or divorce," his paper notes. "Indeed, recent studies conducted in both the US and The Netherlands suggests that, if anything, the probability of divorce falls with the number of hours worked by the husband."
Professor Wooden said income played a part in the chances of divorce, with the probability of separation falling the higher the income level of the male.
But Barbara Pocock, from the Centre for Work and Life at the University of South Australia, said it was hard to unpick the complex reasons behind divorce.
"People separate and divorce for a nest of reasons, and I think it's difficult to try to isolate single causes," Professor Pocock said.
"Qualitative research shows long hours can be a significant factor when examining the quality of a relationship, but an important component is whether those hours are voluntarily worked.
"Also the nature of the work may be a factor, for instance how intense it is. That can be a real relationship killer."
Professor Wooden's research did find a link between long working weeks and higher levels of smoking, although only among men.
The HILDA report found the typical Australian family's net wealth surged by 35per cent to $665,000 in the five years to 2006, driven by soaring house prices and kicked along by the buoyant sharemarket.
The mean value of owner-occupied housing grew from $256,911 in 2002 to $343,547 in 2006, the figures show. And superannuation levels typically increased from $98,287 to $127,140 in those five years, although the data was collected before the global financial crisis cut a swath through super balances.
Melbourne Institute senior research fellow Roger Wilkins, who co-authored thepaper, said the increase in wealth was "phenomenal".
"Certainly 35 per cent real growth is a staggering increase," Dr Wilkins said. "It was led by housing price growth, and while that has levelled off since the figures were collected, they haven't declined like the US and to a degree the UK."
Dr Wilkins examined Australia's use of credit cards, finding a high level of card ownership but also a high degree of responsible use.
About 60 per cent of Australian adults possess a credit card, with card ownership highest in couple households aged 35 to 54years.
"Overall less than 4.5 per cent of the population can be regarded as experiencing credit card difficulty. (But that is) a significant segment of the community, implying financial hardship associated with excessive credit card debt ... could be an important community issue."
Dr Wilkins said people were becoming smarter about their use of cards.
"They are tending to use credit cards more as a payment system than for credit, using the opportunity for 50 days' interest free to receive interest in a savings account then automatically transfer the payment over."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Katie Price to Give Peter Andre a Quickie Divorce
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Katie Price to Give Peter Andre a Quickie Divorce
by Free Britney
Katie Price and estranged husband Peter Andre will be divorced for good in just six weeks, according to reports, after she realized a reconciliation was not in the cards finally agreed to his demands for a split - and a prompt one.
The UK's News of the World reveals that the devastated model (also known as Jordan) has now accepted she will never save her marriage to the singer, with whom she has young children, but plans to fight for the bulk of her £40 million fortune.
The anorexic-looking, enormous-breasted Price - with rib cage and boob-job scar on full display on the catwalk at a London Clothes Show event - met lawyers this week, reluctantly agreeing to let Peter Andre divorce her quickly.
A source close to Jordan reveals: "This has been a landmark couple of days for Katie. It's sad, but she's given up the fight. She now accepts she's never getting Peter back and is ready to move on with her life. It hasn't been easy."
As for Peter, he recently bought a dream home for himself and seemed confident in his decision and determined as ever to put Katie behind him.
But a source close to him says: "He's been more emotional this week than at any time. The reality has kicked in and as a result he hit rock bottom."
Friends say Peter Andre plans to issue a petition for divorce, likely to cite "unreasonable behavior." Jordan is not planning to contest it, and therefore pave the way for Peter's application to end their three-year union in short order.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
by Free Britney
Katie Price and estranged husband Peter Andre will be divorced for good in just six weeks, according to reports, after she realized a reconciliation was not in the cards finally agreed to his demands for a split - and a prompt one.
The UK's News of the World reveals that the devastated model (also known as Jordan) has now accepted she will never save her marriage to the singer, with whom she has young children, but plans to fight for the bulk of her £40 million fortune.
The anorexic-looking, enormous-breasted Price - with rib cage and boob-job scar on full display on the catwalk at a London Clothes Show event - met lawyers this week, reluctantly agreeing to let Peter Andre divorce her quickly.
A source close to Jordan reveals: "This has been a landmark couple of days for Katie. It's sad, but she's given up the fight. She now accepts she's never getting Peter back and is ready to move on with her life. It hasn't been easy."
As for Peter, he recently bought a dream home for himself and seemed confident in his decision and determined as ever to put Katie behind him.
But a source close to him says: "He's been more emotional this week than at any time. The reality has kicked in and as a result he hit rock bottom."
Friends say Peter Andre plans to issue a petition for divorce, likely to cite "unreasonable behavior." Jordan is not planning to contest it, and therefore pave the way for Peter's application to end their three-year union in short order.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Military Divorce Attorney - Military Families Don't Have Time to Divorce?
Augusta GA Military Divorce Attorney - Military Families Don't Have Time to Divorce?
The Military Wire - Posted by Michael Schindler
"What I hear from people is that they don't have time to divorce." This was part of Sheila Casey's testimony before a Senate panel a few days ago.
Recent studies indicate that military divorce rates are climbing. Mrs. Casey was sounding the alarm before the Senate hearing and making the point that "the worst problems for military families may lie ahead."
Two days ago I shared the stage with a JAG officer who recently returned from Iraq. He shared his pictures, part of his testimony and experiences and then as he was about ready to pass the baton, informed our audience that there were two primary reasons soldiers came to his office: update a power of attorney and file for divorce.
The rate of which military service members are filing for divorce is climbing. As Sheila Casey points out, "families are stretched and stressed...(they) are the most brittle part of the force...we can no longer ask them to make the best of it."
The Obama White House, Defense Department and Congress are all looking for ways to improve family support.
We are positioned to help support. And I encourage each one of you to stand shoulder to shoulder with our military families and offer support. It is our time to serve.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
The Military Wire - Posted by Michael Schindler
"What I hear from people is that they don't have time to divorce." This was part of Sheila Casey's testimony before a Senate panel a few days ago.
Recent studies indicate that military divorce rates are climbing. Mrs. Casey was sounding the alarm before the Senate hearing and making the point that "the worst problems for military families may lie ahead."
Two days ago I shared the stage with a JAG officer who recently returned from Iraq. He shared his pictures, part of his testimony and experiences and then as he was about ready to pass the baton, informed our audience that there were two primary reasons soldiers came to his office: update a power of attorney and file for divorce.
The rate of which military service members are filing for divorce is climbing. As Sheila Casey points out, "families are stretched and stressed...(they) are the most brittle part of the force...we can no longer ask them to make the best of it."
The Obama White House, Defense Department and Congress are all looking for ways to improve family support.
We are positioned to help support. And I encourage each one of you to stand shoulder to shoulder with our military families and offer support. It is our time to serve.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Columbus Attorney Divorce Overview
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Columbus Attorney Divorce Overview
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- The Snellville man accused of abducting an Atlanta woman earlier this week, driving her to a remote cabin in Tennessee and raping her has more than simply the police case to worry about now.
The suspect, 46 year old David Jansen, who claims he was having an affair with the woman and that the sex was consensual, found out Friday that his wife of nearly 25 years filed for divorce in Superior Court in Gwinnett County as soon as police told her.
"She's frightened," said the wife's divorce attorney, Margaret Washburn of Lawrenceville, Friday evening. "She said that this is not the husband and father that she's known.... She's very frightened of this person, right now."
Jansen is out of jail on an $800,000 bond. Washburn said it was one of Jansen's brothers who paid the $80,000 cash to a bail bondsman for Jansen's release.
Jansen is accused of kidnapping an Atlanta woman -- an acquaintance of his -- tying her, taking her to a rental cabin in the mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and raping her.
Whatever happened, Washburn said Jansen set up his trip in advance -- with lies.
"He told his employer he was going for a family vacation, and he told his wife he was going on a business trip."
But Jansen was inside the cabin with the other woman, ordered a pizza, and when Chris Turner showed up to deliver it, what he saw inside as Jansen opened the door scared him.
"That's when I see the young lady pop over the back of the couch with her hands bound together, and was mouthing to me to call 911," Turner said.
According to the police report, Jansen claimed that the woman and he "were on a romantic getaway from their spouses" and that the woman "found bondage arousing. He said she had asked to be tied up, and the entire ordeal was part of a plan they had talked about prior, as consenting adults. He said they knew each other because he was a client of her's at a club she and her husband own in Atlanta, Georgia."
The police report goes on to say that the woman told investigators that she "had not asked to be tied up." She said that she and her husband had been aquainted with Jansen, professionally. She said that Jansen had driven up to her as she jogged near her home in NE Atlanta and asked her to check out his new car. When she got in, "that's when Mr. Jansen tied her hands down with what she thought were pre-made restraints of rope.... he took her cell phone and locked it in the trunk." She said once he drove her to the Gatlinburg area, he raped her.
Jansen and his wife, both 46, were childhood sweethearts in Metro Atlanta, their 25th wedding anniversary is this coming August 25th, and they have two children -- the younger, their daughter, just graduated from high school.
Washburn said Jansen has been on strong, prescription drugs for a physical ailment for the past five or six years, which has changed him.
"She [Jansen's wife] said he's become more withdrawn from the family, less likely to participate in family events, just an overall, general change in his demeanor."
Jansen's wife got a restraining order when she filed for divorce, prohibiting Jansen from coming near her, their two children, or their Snellville home.
"She's terrified. She's devastated. This is just beyond belief that he is out with this other woman, consensual or not, rape or not. He's out with another woman. This totally blows 33 years of a relationship with someone that was her husband, father to her children. She's terrified, she's very frightened. If he's capable of that, what else is he capable of?"
Jansen's attorney told 11Alive News Friday night he could not comment, other than to say that he may make a statement next week, and that Jansen is aware of the divorce petition.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Columbus family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- The Snellville man accused of abducting an Atlanta woman earlier this week, driving her to a remote cabin in Tennessee and raping her has more than simply the police case to worry about now.
The suspect, 46 year old David Jansen, who claims he was having an affair with the woman and that the sex was consensual, found out Friday that his wife of nearly 25 years filed for divorce in Superior Court in Gwinnett County as soon as police told her.
"She's frightened," said the wife's divorce attorney, Margaret Washburn of Lawrenceville, Friday evening. "She said that this is not the husband and father that she's known.... She's very frightened of this person, right now."
Jansen is out of jail on an $800,000 bond. Washburn said it was one of Jansen's brothers who paid the $80,000 cash to a bail bondsman for Jansen's release.
Jansen is accused of kidnapping an Atlanta woman -- an acquaintance of his -- tying her, taking her to a rental cabin in the mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and raping her.
Whatever happened, Washburn said Jansen set up his trip in advance -- with lies.
"He told his employer he was going for a family vacation, and he told his wife he was going on a business trip."
But Jansen was inside the cabin with the other woman, ordered a pizza, and when Chris Turner showed up to deliver it, what he saw inside as Jansen opened the door scared him.
"That's when I see the young lady pop over the back of the couch with her hands bound together, and was mouthing to me to call 911," Turner said.
According to the police report, Jansen claimed that the woman and he "were on a romantic getaway from their spouses" and that the woman "found bondage arousing. He said she had asked to be tied up, and the entire ordeal was part of a plan they had talked about prior, as consenting adults. He said they knew each other because he was a client of her's at a club she and her husband own in Atlanta, Georgia."
The police report goes on to say that the woman told investigators that she "had not asked to be tied up." She said that she and her husband had been aquainted with Jansen, professionally. She said that Jansen had driven up to her as she jogged near her home in NE Atlanta and asked her to check out his new car. When she got in, "that's when Mr. Jansen tied her hands down with what she thought were pre-made restraints of rope.... he took her cell phone and locked it in the trunk." She said once he drove her to the Gatlinburg area, he raped her.
Jansen and his wife, both 46, were childhood sweethearts in Metro Atlanta, their 25th wedding anniversary is this coming August 25th, and they have two children -- the younger, their daughter, just graduated from high school.
Washburn said Jansen has been on strong, prescription drugs for a physical ailment for the past five or six years, which has changed him.
"She [Jansen's wife] said he's become more withdrawn from the family, less likely to participate in family events, just an overall, general change in his demeanor."
Jansen's wife got a restraining order when she filed for divorce, prohibiting Jansen from coming near her, their two children, or their Snellville home.
"She's terrified. She's devastated. This is just beyond belief that he is out with this other woman, consensual or not, rape or not. He's out with another woman. This totally blows 33 years of a relationship with someone that was her husband, father to her children. She's terrified, she's very frightened. If he's capable of that, what else is he capable of?"
Jansen's attorney told 11Alive News Friday night he could not comment, other than to say that he may make a statement next week, and that Jansen is aware of the divorce petition.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Columbus family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - "When Sex Leaves the Marriage"
When Sex Leaves the Marriage
By TARA PARKER-POPE
New York Times - 3 June 2009
Is your relationship still filled with sparks? (Lauren Fleischman for The New York Times)
Why do some couples sizzle while others fizzle? Social scientists are studying no-sex marriages for clues about what can go wrong in relationships.
Married men and women, on average, have sex with their spouse 58 times a year, a little more than once a week, according to data collected from the General Social Survey, which has tracked the social behaviors of Americans since 1972. But there are wide variations in that number. Married people under 30 have sex about 111 times a year. And it’s estimated that about 15 percent of married couples have not had sex with their spouse in the last six months to one year, according to Denise A. Donnelly, associate professor of sociology at Georgia State University, who has studied sexless marriage.
I recently spoke with Professor Donnelly about how much researchers really understand about no-sex marriages. Here’s our conversation.
Is there any indication that the sexless marriage is becoming more common? Or are we just hearing about it more?
I suspect that we just hear more about it. Back in the days before reliable birth control, having a sexless marriage was one way of limiting family size. Those were also the days when women were not supposed to enjoy sex and often used it as a bargaining tool in their marriages (because they were socialized to do so). Plus, unhappy couples (who are less likely to have sex) were more likely to stay together because of social expectations, or because they had children they were raising.
Why does a marriage become sexless? Does it start that way? Or does sex fade?
The answer to that one is both. Some of the people in our sample never had much sex from the beginning, while others identified a particular time or event (childbirth, affair) after which sex slowed or stopped. Some people become accustomed to their spouse, bored even, and sex slows. For others, it is the demands of raising a family, establishing a career, and mid-adulthood. And there are people who have very low sex drives, and may even be asexual. They may have some sex with their partners to begin with, but it becomes unimportant to them (and usually not so unimportant to their spouses). These folks may also be dealing with guilt, issues with the human body, or feel that sex is “dirty” or only for procreation. A small number of couples showed a mixed pattern, where they would have periods of “feast” and of “famine.”
Are couples in sexless marriages less happy than couples having sex?
Generally, yes. There is a feedback relationship in most couples between happiness and having sex. Happy couples have more sex, and the more sex a couple has, the happier they report being. But keep in mind that sex is only one form of intimacy, and that some couples are fairly happy (and intimate) even without sex. In my 1993 study, I did find that people in sexless marriages were more likely to have considered divorce than those in sexually active marriages. There is no ideal level of sexual activity — the ideal level is what both partners are happy with — and when one (or both) are unhappy, then you can have marital problems.
Can people in a marriage that has become sexless rekindle their sex lives?
Some do. But once a marriage has been sexless for a long time, it’s very hard. One or both may be extremely afraid of hurt or rejection, or just entirely apathetic to their partner. They may not have been communicating about sex for a very long time (if ever) and have trouble talking about it. Couples who talk over their sex lives (as well as other aspects of their marriages) tend to have healthier marriages, but it’s hard to get a couple talking once they’ve established a pattern of non-communication.
There are mixed opinions about what to do to rekindle marital sex. For some couples, it may be as simple as a weekend away from the kids, taking a vacation or cruise, or just having some time off, alone. Others may need help in re-establishing communication and may seek professional assistance. The sad fact is that there are few counseling professionals that deal with this issue. Often, marriage counselors focus on other aspects, rather than sex. While these other aspects may play a big role in sexual inactivity, talking explicitly about sex is essential.
Are people in sexless marriages more likely to get divorced?
In my studies, as well as others, people in sexless marriages report that they are more likely to have considered divorce, and that they are less happy in their marriages.
Some of our former respondents have kept in touch with me, and the happiest ones are actually those that have moved on to other partners. It may be that lack of sex is a signal that all intimacy in a marriage is over, and that both would be happier in other situations. I know that this may not be a popular idea with the religious and political right, but it may be a better solution than staying in a marriage that is hurtful and unfulfilling.
In sum, these situations are just so complicated. Each couple has to examine their specific histories, their motivations and goals, and whether it is worth it to them to work on putting sex back in the marriage. It can be a difficult task and require that people take emotional and physical steps that aren’t comfortable for them.
What else are you trying to learn about sexless marriages?
I’m hoping to begin some longitudinal work which follows couples over time, to try and understand better the processes they experience, how they make decisions, and how these decisions affect their future happiness. Ultimately, I’d like to know how those who were able to repair their sexual relationships did so.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
By TARA PARKER-POPE
New York Times - 3 June 2009
Is your relationship still filled with sparks? (Lauren Fleischman for The New York Times)
Why do some couples sizzle while others fizzle? Social scientists are studying no-sex marriages for clues about what can go wrong in relationships.
Married men and women, on average, have sex with their spouse 58 times a year, a little more than once a week, according to data collected from the General Social Survey, which has tracked the social behaviors of Americans since 1972. But there are wide variations in that number. Married people under 30 have sex about 111 times a year. And it’s estimated that about 15 percent of married couples have not had sex with their spouse in the last six months to one year, according to Denise A. Donnelly, associate professor of sociology at Georgia State University, who has studied sexless marriage.
I recently spoke with Professor Donnelly about how much researchers really understand about no-sex marriages. Here’s our conversation.
Is there any indication that the sexless marriage is becoming more common? Or are we just hearing about it more?
I suspect that we just hear more about it. Back in the days before reliable birth control, having a sexless marriage was one way of limiting family size. Those were also the days when women were not supposed to enjoy sex and often used it as a bargaining tool in their marriages (because they were socialized to do so). Plus, unhappy couples (who are less likely to have sex) were more likely to stay together because of social expectations, or because they had children they were raising.
Why does a marriage become sexless? Does it start that way? Or does sex fade?
The answer to that one is both. Some of the people in our sample never had much sex from the beginning, while others identified a particular time or event (childbirth, affair) after which sex slowed or stopped. Some people become accustomed to their spouse, bored even, and sex slows. For others, it is the demands of raising a family, establishing a career, and mid-adulthood. And there are people who have very low sex drives, and may even be asexual. They may have some sex with their partners to begin with, but it becomes unimportant to them (and usually not so unimportant to their spouses). These folks may also be dealing with guilt, issues with the human body, or feel that sex is “dirty” or only for procreation. A small number of couples showed a mixed pattern, where they would have periods of “feast” and of “famine.”
Are couples in sexless marriages less happy than couples having sex?
Generally, yes. There is a feedback relationship in most couples between happiness and having sex. Happy couples have more sex, and the more sex a couple has, the happier they report being. But keep in mind that sex is only one form of intimacy, and that some couples are fairly happy (and intimate) even without sex. In my 1993 study, I did find that people in sexless marriages were more likely to have considered divorce than those in sexually active marriages. There is no ideal level of sexual activity — the ideal level is what both partners are happy with — and when one (or both) are unhappy, then you can have marital problems.
Can people in a marriage that has become sexless rekindle their sex lives?
Some do. But once a marriage has been sexless for a long time, it’s very hard. One or both may be extremely afraid of hurt or rejection, or just entirely apathetic to their partner. They may not have been communicating about sex for a very long time (if ever) and have trouble talking about it. Couples who talk over their sex lives (as well as other aspects of their marriages) tend to have healthier marriages, but it’s hard to get a couple talking once they’ve established a pattern of non-communication.
There are mixed opinions about what to do to rekindle marital sex. For some couples, it may be as simple as a weekend away from the kids, taking a vacation or cruise, or just having some time off, alone. Others may need help in re-establishing communication and may seek professional assistance. The sad fact is that there are few counseling professionals that deal with this issue. Often, marriage counselors focus on other aspects, rather than sex. While these other aspects may play a big role in sexual inactivity, talking explicitly about sex is essential.
Are people in sexless marriages more likely to get divorced?
In my studies, as well as others, people in sexless marriages report that they are more likely to have considered divorce, and that they are less happy in their marriages.
Some of our former respondents have kept in touch with me, and the happiest ones are actually those that have moved on to other partners. It may be that lack of sex is a signal that all intimacy in a marriage is over, and that both would be happier in other situations. I know that this may not be a popular idea with the religious and political right, but it may be a better solution than staying in a marriage that is hurtful and unfulfilling.
In sum, these situations are just so complicated. Each couple has to examine their specific histories, their motivations and goals, and whether it is worth it to them to work on putting sex back in the marriage. It can be a difficult task and require that people take emotional and physical steps that aren’t comfortable for them.
What else are you trying to learn about sexless marriages?
I’m hoping to begin some longitudinal work which follows couples over time, to try and understand better the processes they experience, how they make decisions, and how these decisions affect their future happiness. Ultimately, I’d like to know how those who were able to repair their sexual relationships did so.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - Uncontested divorce
Uncontested Divorce in Georgia - Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer
In GA, an uncontested divorce is where both the husband and wife basically know how they want to divide their assets and debts. This is also the least expensive type of divorce.
Generally, there are no minor children involved in these types of cases and the parties usually have not accumulated many assets. Even if you have minor children, you may still file for an uncontested divorce. This is common as well. Yet, all terms must be agreed to in writing by both parties.
In addition, if you have accumulated assets, you may file for an uncontested divorce in GA, so long as you agree to all terms oof the agreement.
For these and other reasons, it is important to seek legal advice from a Georgia divorce lawyer when creating a settlement agreement, especially when there are minor children i and assests involved.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
In GA, an uncontested divorce is where both the husband and wife basically know how they want to divide their assets and debts. This is also the least expensive type of divorce.
Generally, there are no minor children involved in these types of cases and the parties usually have not accumulated many assets. Even if you have minor children, you may still file for an uncontested divorce. This is common as well. Yet, all terms must be agreed to in writing by both parties.
In addition, if you have accumulated assets, you may file for an uncontested divorce in GA, so long as you agree to all terms oof the agreement.
For these and other reasons, it is important to seek legal advice from a Georgia divorce lawyer when creating a settlement agreement, especially when there are minor children i and assests involved.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Oh Yeah, THAT Guy Files for Divorce
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Oh Yeah, THAT Guy Files for Divorce
by TMZ Staff
Frequent Hollywood tough guy Danny Trejo has filed for divorce from his wife Debbie of 11 years.
Trejo, who has appeared in such movies as "Desperado," "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," "Heat," "From Dusk till Dawn," and "Con Air," cited irreconcilable differences.
The couple has two children.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
by TMZ Staff
Frequent Hollywood tough guy Danny Trejo has filed for divorce from his wife Debbie of 11 years.
Trejo, who has appeared in such movies as "Desperado," "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," "Heat," "From Dusk till Dawn," and "Con Air," cited irreconcilable differences.
The couple has two children.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Divorce law aids children
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Divorce law aids children
By CATHERINE DOLINSKI
Children caught in the middle of nasty divorces soon may have legal advocates to look after their interests.
Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law on Tuesday a bill that will allow courts to appoint certified Guardian ad Litem volunteers to represent children in divorces even if there is no allegation of abuse or neglect.
In bitter divorces, "oftentimes the parents hate each other more than it seems that they love their children," said Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who sponsored the bill with Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.
The idea came from a legal aid organization, Stargel said. The extent of the program will depend on volunteers.
Involving the volunteers in divorces where there is no abuse or neglect is a big change, said George Sheldon, secretary of the Department of Children & Families.
"When a family splits up, everybody is thinking about the parents. Somebody really does need to be speaking for the kid. Divorce has, to a large extent, a larger impact on the kids than it has on the parents."
It goes into effect July 1.
Joyner was not available for comment.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
By CATHERINE DOLINSKI
Children caught in the middle of nasty divorces soon may have legal advocates to look after their interests.
Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law on Tuesday a bill that will allow courts to appoint certified Guardian ad Litem volunteers to represent children in divorces even if there is no allegation of abuse or neglect.
In bitter divorces, "oftentimes the parents hate each other more than it seems that they love their children," said Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, who sponsored the bill with Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.
The idea came from a legal aid organization, Stargel said. The extent of the program will depend on volunteers.
Involving the volunteers in divorces where there is no abuse or neglect is a big change, said George Sheldon, secretary of the Department of Children & Families.
"When a family splits up, everybody is thinking about the parents. Somebody really does need to be speaking for the kid. Divorce has, to a large extent, a larger impact on the kids than it has on the parents."
It goes into effect July 1.
Joyner was not available for comment.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Hard times may hold off divorce
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Hard times may hold off divorce
By Robert Strauss - For The Inquirer
It really wasn't so long ago that Bruce Carlino felt sure that his company's prosperous times would last. If not forever, at least for a good long while.
So when Carlino's alimony and support payments were decided in 2006, he was willing and able to pay 51 percent of all the bills for his two children, then ages 14 and 11.
Unfortunately, Carlino's business was automobiles. GM automobiles, in fact. Since then, sales at the agency where he is a sales manager have gone from 70 cars a month to 25.
Now Carlino, his income at the South Jersey agency halved, is filing in court to have his payments reduced.
"I can't tell you but how quickly it came," said Carlino, 49, of Marlton, who had been married 21 years before his divorce. "People hear bankruptcy, and would you buy a GM car?"
The recession has changed many circumstances, not the least of which is people who have thought about divorce, are in the midst of a divorce, or, like Carlino, are going through the aftermath of divorce.
Divorce rates generally rise during recessions, but only in small increments, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The theory: Bad economic times exacerbate tensions already present in the marriage.
Yet these days, even divorces are taking a hit. No national statistics have been published for this year, but local divorce lawyers have noticed a drop. The reason? They believe it's a fear of filing.
"With people nervous about the economy and the loss of income, they are reticent about making a move," said Barry Chatzinoff of Chatzinoff and Zoll, a Cherry Hill matrimonial law firm. "I noticed it starting in January. It was like the faucet had been turned off. Last year was still a strong year, but this year, people are coming in for consultations, but just not filing."
Nancy Gold, an attorney from Mount Laurel, said the recent recession has put an emphasis on assets - what will I have to give up if I go through with this?
"Most people's largest assets these days are their retirement accounts and their houses," she said. "People can't sell their houses at virtually any price, and until people believe the market is going up, they aren't going to want to do anything with stock accounts either."
During previous recessions, said Chatzinoff, when couples contemplated divorce, they didn't experience the precipitous rise in asset values that preceded this economy. People weren't expecting the economy to drastically change, either, so divorce was based more on desire, not finances.
During the Great Depression, the divorce rate initially declined. But it increased during the Depression's later years, according to David Popenoe, founder and codirector of the National Marriage Project, a research center at Rutgers University.
"People may tough it out first in a bad economy, but eventually, divorce is a psychological thing," he said. Putting it off only increases stress and contributes to a declining marriage. "In most cases, it can be only put off for so long."
Richard Klein, who represents Carlino, anticipates seeing an increase in cases similar to Carlino's - where the income loss likely is permanent. Like the car business, the financial industry - also comprising people with good incomes and portfolios - has shed jobs. Typically, said Klein, cases take months to decide, but he believes Carlino's will be settled by the summer because of the circumstances.
Still, when it comes to petitioning for reduced payments, this is the one time that a lasting income loss will act in your favor.
In the past, when asking the court for a reduction, "it couldn't be that you just lost your job, since in most cases, you could get another one in your field," Klein said. "Plus, for the most part, your assets would still be going up."
Since Carlino has worked in the car business for 30 years, there's little opportunity for him to learn a new trade that will pay even close to his current salary. Still working the same long hours for less money, he can't get a second job, either.
The pain has been felt across economic lines.
"Unemployment has hit everywhere," said West Chester attorney Steven H. Rubin. "Everyone did better in the early years of this decade, so no matter what level you were at, this looks like a bad time."
This economy has made the lower-earning spouse more vulnerable in divorces as well, said Chatzinoff.
When money gets tight, he said, many women take on more work hours (nationally, the Census Bureau says 96 percent of alimony recipients are female) to compensate for their husbands' losing income or seeing other assets decrease. Come time for a divorce, she will be bringing in a greater percentage of family income and therefore in a worse position when a judge makes alimony or child-support decisions, Chatzinoff said.
"Divorce is not easy under any circumstances, but in tight economic times, it can be really treacherous."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
By Robert Strauss - For The Inquirer
It really wasn't so long ago that Bruce Carlino felt sure that his company's prosperous times would last. If not forever, at least for a good long while.
So when Carlino's alimony and support payments were decided in 2006, he was willing and able to pay 51 percent of all the bills for his two children, then ages 14 and 11.
Unfortunately, Carlino's business was automobiles. GM automobiles, in fact. Since then, sales at the agency where he is a sales manager have gone from 70 cars a month to 25.
Now Carlino, his income at the South Jersey agency halved, is filing in court to have his payments reduced.
"I can't tell you but how quickly it came," said Carlino, 49, of Marlton, who had been married 21 years before his divorce. "People hear bankruptcy, and would you buy a GM car?"
The recession has changed many circumstances, not the least of which is people who have thought about divorce, are in the midst of a divorce, or, like Carlino, are going through the aftermath of divorce.
Divorce rates generally rise during recessions, but only in small increments, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The theory: Bad economic times exacerbate tensions already present in the marriage.
Yet these days, even divorces are taking a hit. No national statistics have been published for this year, but local divorce lawyers have noticed a drop. The reason? They believe it's a fear of filing.
"With people nervous about the economy and the loss of income, they are reticent about making a move," said Barry Chatzinoff of Chatzinoff and Zoll, a Cherry Hill matrimonial law firm. "I noticed it starting in January. It was like the faucet had been turned off. Last year was still a strong year, but this year, people are coming in for consultations, but just not filing."
Nancy Gold, an attorney from Mount Laurel, said the recent recession has put an emphasis on assets - what will I have to give up if I go through with this?
"Most people's largest assets these days are their retirement accounts and their houses," she said. "People can't sell their houses at virtually any price, and until people believe the market is going up, they aren't going to want to do anything with stock accounts either."
During previous recessions, said Chatzinoff, when couples contemplated divorce, they didn't experience the precipitous rise in asset values that preceded this economy. People weren't expecting the economy to drastically change, either, so divorce was based more on desire, not finances.
During the Great Depression, the divorce rate initially declined. But it increased during the Depression's later years, according to David Popenoe, founder and codirector of the National Marriage Project, a research center at Rutgers University.
"People may tough it out first in a bad economy, but eventually, divorce is a psychological thing," he said. Putting it off only increases stress and contributes to a declining marriage. "In most cases, it can be only put off for so long."
Richard Klein, who represents Carlino, anticipates seeing an increase in cases similar to Carlino's - where the income loss likely is permanent. Like the car business, the financial industry - also comprising people with good incomes and portfolios - has shed jobs. Typically, said Klein, cases take months to decide, but he believes Carlino's will be settled by the summer because of the circumstances.
Still, when it comes to petitioning for reduced payments, this is the one time that a lasting income loss will act in your favor.
In the past, when asking the court for a reduction, "it couldn't be that you just lost your job, since in most cases, you could get another one in your field," Klein said. "Plus, for the most part, your assets would still be going up."
Since Carlino has worked in the car business for 30 years, there's little opportunity for him to learn a new trade that will pay even close to his current salary. Still working the same long hours for less money, he can't get a second job, either.
The pain has been felt across economic lines.
"Unemployment has hit everywhere," said West Chester attorney Steven H. Rubin. "Everyone did better in the early years of this decade, so no matter what level you were at, this looks like a bad time."
This economy has made the lower-earning spouse more vulnerable in divorces as well, said Chatzinoff.
When money gets tight, he said, many women take on more work hours (nationally, the Census Bureau says 96 percent of alimony recipients are female) to compensate for their husbands' losing income or seeing other assets decrease. Come time for a divorce, she will be bringing in a greater percentage of family income and therefore in a worse position when a judge makes alimony or child-support decisions, Chatzinoff said.
"Divorce is not easy under any circumstances, but in tight economic times, it can be really treacherous."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - Alimony Factors in a GA Divorce
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - Alimony Factors in a GA Divorce
Marital fault is generally not a factor in deciding whether alimony should be awarded although some divorce lawyers wish it was so. The reason the GA divorce courts do not generally consider marital fault in determining alimony is because the purpose of alimony is not to punish or reward the spouse requesting alimony. However, in Georgia, if the spouse requesting alimony committed adultery or deserted the other spouse and the adultery or desertion was the cause of the divorce, then their claim for alimony is defeated. Mitigating factors such as ability to earn, high marital debts to be paid, etc., may serve to make alimony unrealistic.
In Savannah Georgia, either party may choose to have a jury trial to determine the issue of whether and how much alimony should be awarded. An alimony award can be modified at a later date if the facts warrant it or if the parties agree to a modification.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Marital fault is generally not a factor in deciding whether alimony should be awarded although some divorce lawyers wish it was so. The reason the GA divorce courts do not generally consider marital fault in determining alimony is because the purpose of alimony is not to punish or reward the spouse requesting alimony. However, in Georgia, if the spouse requesting alimony committed adultery or deserted the other spouse and the adultery or desertion was the cause of the divorce, then their claim for alimony is defeated. Mitigating factors such as ability to earn, high marital debts to be paid, etc., may serve to make alimony unrealistic.
In Savannah Georgia, either party may choose to have a jury trial to determine the issue of whether and how much alimony should be awarded. An alimony award can be modified at a later date if the facts warrant it or if the parties agree to a modification.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - Alimony in Richmond Hill
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - Alimony in Richmond Hill
The purpose of alimony is to provide an adequate income stream for the spouse who had become economically dependent on the other spouse after a GA divorce. The modern trend is for courts to award less alimony then they did in the past because today women are more likely to work outside the home and therefore tend to be less economically dependent on their spouse.
In Georgia, the divorce court has considerable discretion in determining whether to award alimony. If alimony is awarded, the divorce court has considerable discretion in determining the amount of alimony. The court will consider many factors in determining the amount of alimony, including:
(1) The standard of living established during the marriage;
(2) The duration of the marriage;
(3) The age and the physical and emotional condition of both parties;
(4) The financial resources of each party;
(5) Where applicable, the time necessary for either party to acquire sufficient education or training to enable him to find appropriate employment;
(6) The contribution of each party to the marriage, including, but not limited to, services rendered in homemaking, child care, education, and career building of the other party;
(7) The condition of the parties, including the separate estate, earning capacity, and fixed liabilities of the parties; and
(8) Such other relevant factors as the court deems equitable and proper.
See O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
The purpose of alimony is to provide an adequate income stream for the spouse who had become economically dependent on the other spouse after a GA divorce. The modern trend is for courts to award less alimony then they did in the past because today women are more likely to work outside the home and therefore tend to be less economically dependent on their spouse.
In Georgia, the divorce court has considerable discretion in determining whether to award alimony. If alimony is awarded, the divorce court has considerable discretion in determining the amount of alimony. The court will consider many factors in determining the amount of alimony, including:
(1) The standard of living established during the marriage;
(2) The duration of the marriage;
(3) The age and the physical and emotional condition of both parties;
(4) The financial resources of each party;
(5) Where applicable, the time necessary for either party to acquire sufficient education or training to enable him to find appropriate employment;
(6) The contribution of each party to the marriage, including, but not limited to, services rendered in homemaking, child care, education, and career building of the other party;
(7) The condition of the parties, including the separate estate, earning capacity, and fixed liabilities of the parties; and
(8) Such other relevant factors as the court deems equitable and proper.
See O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Savannah GA divorce lawyer & Richmond Hill Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Savannah family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Alimony Georgia
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Alimony (Georgia)
Alimony is the right to spousal support during the pendency of a divorce or as part of the terms of a divorce decree. Either spouse (male or female) can be ordered to pay alimony to the other. The court may grant alimony to one spouse from either the income or the estate of the other spouse. Alimony can be awarded in the form of periodic payments or a lump sum. If periodic payments are awarded, the payments are usually terminated upon the death of the payer spouse or the remarriage of the payee spouse, or upon some other condition specified in the award judgment. A lump sum award is not modifiable. The lump sum award is final and survives the death of either of the parties.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Columbus family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Alimony is the right to spousal support during the pendency of a divorce or as part of the terms of a divorce decree. Either spouse (male or female) can be ordered to pay alimony to the other. The court may grant alimony to one spouse from either the income or the estate of the other spouse. Alimony can be awarded in the form of periodic payments or a lump sum. If periodic payments are awarded, the payments are usually terminated upon the death of the payer spouse or the remarriage of the payee spouse, or upon some other condition specified in the award judgment. A lump sum award is not modifiable. The lump sum award is final and survives the death of either of the parties.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Columbus family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Child Custody and Visitation in Georgia
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Custody and Visitation in Georgia
Introduction to Custody and Visitation
The question of "What gets custody of the kids?" is one of the most difficult and often the most emotionally draining both for parents and their children, when spouses divorce. Custody and visitation are the legal terms in court ordered determinations of which parent the child lives with and the conditions for the child to visit the other parent. Custody and visitation are never considered to be final. In Georgia, the law does not favor either the mother or father. Rather, they look to the relationship of each parent with the child. While grandparents and others may seek custody, there is a presumption in favor of the natural parents. This section is designed to give you a general knowledge of the issues involved in determining the parties custody and visitation rights.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Columbus family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Introduction to Custody and Visitation
The question of "What gets custody of the kids?" is one of the most difficult and often the most emotionally draining both for parents and their children, when spouses divorce. Custody and visitation are the legal terms in court ordered determinations of which parent the child lives with and the conditions for the child to visit the other parent. Custody and visitation are never considered to be final. In Georgia, the law does not favor either the mother or father. Rather, they look to the relationship of each parent with the child. While grandparents and others may seek custody, there is a presumption in favor of the natural parents. This section is designed to give you a general knowledge of the issues involved in determining the parties custody and visitation rights.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is a Columbus GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Columbus family lawyer, GA child custody attorney
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Study finds parents of ADHD children more likely to divorce
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Study finds parents of ADHD children more likely to divorce
About a year ago, my son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Recently, while conducting some research for a future post on this site, I started to wonder, “how does ADHD affect a marriage. At first I was planning to write about spouses with ADHD. But then I came across some findings that on one hand, shocked me. But being that I’m the main caregiver to a child with ADHD, the second part of the findings didn't surprise me at all.
According to a recent article published by the Washington Post: “Couples who have a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are nearly twice as likely to divorce or separate as couples who do not have children with the psychiatric disorder.” Why? “Having a child who is inattentive or hyperactive can be extremely stressful for caregivers and can exacerbate conflicts, tensions and arguments between parents.”
Psychologists Brian Wymbs and William Pelham, launched the research, tracking families with and without children diagnosed with ADHD. According to the study and the article I just linked to, 12.6 percent of the parents of children without ADHD were divorced by the time the children were eight years old, the figure was 22.7 percent for parents of kids with the disorder.
The study also found that “regardless of whether they were dealing with easy or difficult children, parents who had ADHD children at home were three times as likely to be negative toward each other as parents who did not. Put another way, the parents of children with ADHD simply had less ability to respond to challenges with equanimity; they appeared to be psychologically worn thin.”
My husband has a very demanding job. I’m the main parent. There are many times I’m the only parent present for days. So the term, “worn thin”? Yeah. You’ve got that right.
But like John Grohol writes at Psych Central, “The answer isn’t just in a bottle of Adderall" (Though medication can help manage some of the symptoms) “A parent must rise to the challenge, and be prepared to work not only on helping their child with ADHD, but also on their own marital relationship.”
How do you do protect the state of your marital union? If you suspect your child has ADHD, bring up your concerns with your child’s pediatrician. From there, your pediatrician will be able to refer you to a testing site, therapist or pediatric neurologist. (Check with your insurance company as you proceed.) A diagnosis can help parents and the child understand certain behaviors as well as address issues. Another part of the equation is for the caretaker to take time for oneself. Recharge the ole emotional batteries.
Because trying to communicate with your spouse in front of your ADHD child can be stressful (lots of interruptions) and frustrating, date nights are especially important. Getting together to talk and enjoy each other’s company on a regular basis can go a long way in nuturing your bond.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
About a year ago, my son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Recently, while conducting some research for a future post on this site, I started to wonder, “how does ADHD affect a marriage. At first I was planning to write about spouses with ADHD. But then I came across some findings that on one hand, shocked me. But being that I’m the main caregiver to a child with ADHD, the second part of the findings didn't surprise me at all.
According to a recent article published by the Washington Post: “Couples who have a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are nearly twice as likely to divorce or separate as couples who do not have children with the psychiatric disorder.” Why? “Having a child who is inattentive or hyperactive can be extremely stressful for caregivers and can exacerbate conflicts, tensions and arguments between parents.”
Psychologists Brian Wymbs and William Pelham, launched the research, tracking families with and without children diagnosed with ADHD. According to the study and the article I just linked to, 12.6 percent of the parents of children without ADHD were divorced by the time the children were eight years old, the figure was 22.7 percent for parents of kids with the disorder.
The study also found that “regardless of whether they were dealing with easy or difficult children, parents who had ADHD children at home were three times as likely to be negative toward each other as parents who did not. Put another way, the parents of children with ADHD simply had less ability to respond to challenges with equanimity; they appeared to be psychologically worn thin.”
My husband has a very demanding job. I’m the main parent. There are many times I’m the only parent present for days. So the term, “worn thin”? Yeah. You’ve got that right.
But like John Grohol writes at Psych Central, “The answer isn’t just in a bottle of Adderall" (Though medication can help manage some of the symptoms) “A parent must rise to the challenge, and be prepared to work not only on helping their child with ADHD, but also on their own marital relationship.”
How do you do protect the state of your marital union? If you suspect your child has ADHD, bring up your concerns with your child’s pediatrician. From there, your pediatrician will be able to refer you to a testing site, therapist or pediatric neurologist. (Check with your insurance company as you proceed.) A diagnosis can help parents and the child understand certain behaviors as well as address issues. Another part of the equation is for the caretaker to take time for oneself. Recharge the ole emotional batteries.
Because trying to communicate with your spouse in front of your ADHD child can be stressful (lots of interruptions) and frustrating, date nights are especially important. Getting together to talk and enjoy each other’s company on a regular basis can go a long way in nuturing your bond.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Tough times mean time together for some families
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Tough times mean time together for some families
By MEGAN K. SCOTT – AP
NEW YORK (AP) — After almost 16 years of marriage, Unita Walburn and her husband had drifted apart. The stress of raising two special needs children had taken its toll and the couple was saddled with medical debt.
But rising food, gas and medical costs forced them to adopt a more frugal life — they cut cable, grew their own produce and spent more nights at home. As a result, the Walburns are slowly finding each other again.
"You're not sitting in a room staring at a screen with 150 channels to watch," said Walburn, 40, a stay-at-home mother of three in Spotsylvania, Va. Instead the family plays Scrabble and bakes. "When you simplify, it gives you an opportunity to do more things together."
There's no question that tough economic times are stressful: layoffs, foreclosures, declining portfolios. Even having to give up luxuries like gym memberships or dining out can be upsetting, and financial stress can put a strain on any relationship.
But for some families, cutting back means spending more time at home, giving them an opportunity to reconnect.
Stephanie Smith, a psychologist in Erie, Colo., said a lot of her patients who cut their entertainment budgets have been pleasantly surprised by the joys of staying at home. Something as simple as meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking and eating together can bring families closer, she said.
"If you go to a movie with your family, that's family time and that can be very fun, but you're not interacting with each other," she said. "If you are at home, playing Monopoly or Checkers, you are face to face, talking, interacting."
Audra Krell, 39, a mother of three in Scottsdale, Ariz., said her family is spending more quality time together because they're driving around less and not going their separate ways as often to save on gas.
The family used to eat out three to six times a week. Now Tuesday night is panini night — her 16-year-old makes custom paninis and her two youngest sons make dessert. And the family is taking "staycations" instead of their usual four to six big vacations a year.
"Over three-day weekends and holidays, we sleep in, cook breakfast together and see movies together," said Krell, a freelance writer whose work has been slow. Her husband is CFO for iMemories, a startup company that has not seen the growth they expected. "We are even closer than when we used to frequently vacation together."
Spending time together is one of the benefits of not having the money to go out.
It's something therapists recommend even when there isn't financial stress, said Katherine Muller, clinical psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She suggests things like cooking, going to the park or taking walks.
Although more time at home gives families a chance to reconnect, economic hardship can also tear them apart. It's too early to tell how the economy is affecting divorce rates, but divorce lawyers surveyed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said by an almost two-to-one margin that they see less divorce during economic downturns.
Whether a relationship thrives or fails under economic duress depends on its strength before financial turmoil, the magnitude of the stress and whether the two people can adjust, said Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education for the Council on Contemporary Families and a professor at Evergreen State college in Olympia, Wash.
Duration also has something to do with it, said Allison Pugh, a University of Virginia sociologist. The longer economic pain lasts, the less it will feel like a "fun camping vacation," she said.
For families in conflict over money, Muller suggests starting by finding an activity that's inherently pleasant — perhaps watching a funny movie or playing a board game — where the focus is on that activity rather than direct interaction.
"Don't assume bonding will happen automatically," said Coontz. "Families really need to make an effort to appreciate the good things that are going on in their lives."
Some couples and families are doing that — and learning more about each other in the process.
Danny Godfrey, 23, a marketing coordinator in Pittsburgh, said he has fallen for his live-in girlfriend in a new way since trading nights out for nights in. They make meals together, have water fights with the kitchen sprayer and dance around the house.
"We actually talk instead of just experiencing stuff together," he said.
Krell said in a way, she is grateful for the tough times: "There isn't much to cling to in these uncertain times, but I will always know that due to the poor economy, my family became closer."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
By MEGAN K. SCOTT – AP
NEW YORK (AP) — After almost 16 years of marriage, Unita Walburn and her husband had drifted apart. The stress of raising two special needs children had taken its toll and the couple was saddled with medical debt.
But rising food, gas and medical costs forced them to adopt a more frugal life — they cut cable, grew their own produce and spent more nights at home. As a result, the Walburns are slowly finding each other again.
"You're not sitting in a room staring at a screen with 150 channels to watch," said Walburn, 40, a stay-at-home mother of three in Spotsylvania, Va. Instead the family plays Scrabble and bakes. "When you simplify, it gives you an opportunity to do more things together."
There's no question that tough economic times are stressful: layoffs, foreclosures, declining portfolios. Even having to give up luxuries like gym memberships or dining out can be upsetting, and financial stress can put a strain on any relationship.
But for some families, cutting back means spending more time at home, giving them an opportunity to reconnect.
Stephanie Smith, a psychologist in Erie, Colo., said a lot of her patients who cut their entertainment budgets have been pleasantly surprised by the joys of staying at home. Something as simple as meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking and eating together can bring families closer, she said.
"If you go to a movie with your family, that's family time and that can be very fun, but you're not interacting with each other," she said. "If you are at home, playing Monopoly or Checkers, you are face to face, talking, interacting."
Audra Krell, 39, a mother of three in Scottsdale, Ariz., said her family is spending more quality time together because they're driving around less and not going their separate ways as often to save on gas.
The family used to eat out three to six times a week. Now Tuesday night is panini night — her 16-year-old makes custom paninis and her two youngest sons make dessert. And the family is taking "staycations" instead of their usual four to six big vacations a year.
"Over three-day weekends and holidays, we sleep in, cook breakfast together and see movies together," said Krell, a freelance writer whose work has been slow. Her husband is CFO for iMemories, a startup company that has not seen the growth they expected. "We are even closer than when we used to frequently vacation together."
Spending time together is one of the benefits of not having the money to go out.
It's something therapists recommend even when there isn't financial stress, said Katherine Muller, clinical psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She suggests things like cooking, going to the park or taking walks.
Although more time at home gives families a chance to reconnect, economic hardship can also tear them apart. It's too early to tell how the economy is affecting divorce rates, but divorce lawyers surveyed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said by an almost two-to-one margin that they see less divorce during economic downturns.
Whether a relationship thrives or fails under economic duress depends on its strength before financial turmoil, the magnitude of the stress and whether the two people can adjust, said Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education for the Council on Contemporary Families and a professor at Evergreen State college in Olympia, Wash.
Duration also has something to do with it, said Allison Pugh, a University of Virginia sociologist. The longer economic pain lasts, the less it will feel like a "fun camping vacation," she said.
For families in conflict over money, Muller suggests starting by finding an activity that's inherently pleasant — perhaps watching a funny movie or playing a board game — where the focus is on that activity rather than direct interaction.
"Don't assume bonding will happen automatically," said Coontz. "Families really need to make an effort to appreciate the good things that are going on in their lives."
Some couples and families are doing that — and learning more about each other in the process.
Danny Godfrey, 23, a marketing coordinator in Pittsburgh, said he has fallen for his live-in girlfriend in a new way since trading nights out for nights in. They make meals together, have water fights with the kitchen sprayer and dance around the house.
"We actually talk instead of just experiencing stuff together," he said.
Krell said in a way, she is grateful for the tough times: "There isn't much to cling to in these uncertain times, but I will always know that due to the poor economy, my family became closer."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Pa. trooper gets life in killing girlfriend's husband
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Pa. trooper gets life in killing girlfriend's husband
INDIANA, Pa. - A state trooper was sentenced yesterday to life in prison without parole for the slashing death of his girlfriend's estranged husband.
An Indiana County jury in March convicted Trooper Kevin Foley, 43, of first-degree murder in the slaying of Blairsville dentist John Yelenic. Yesterday, County Court Judge William Martin imposed the automatic life sentence that the verdict brings. Yelenic was killed April 13, 2006, a day before he was to sign divorce papers from his wife, Michele. The divorce was so acrimonious that Yelenic's attorney tried to get the divorce decree issued after his death. - AP
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
INDIANA, Pa. - A state trooper was sentenced yesterday to life in prison without parole for the slashing death of his girlfriend's estranged husband.
An Indiana County jury in March convicted Trooper Kevin Foley, 43, of first-degree murder in the slaying of Blairsville dentist John Yelenic. Yesterday, County Court Judge William Martin imposed the automatic life sentence that the verdict brings. Yelenic was killed April 13, 2006, a day before he was to sign divorce papers from his wife, Michele. The divorce was so acrimonious that Yelenic's attorney tried to get the divorce decree issued after his death. - AP
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Shannon Burke’s Wife Files For Divorce
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Shannon Burke’s Wife Files For Divorce
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- The wife of former Orlando radio host Shannon Burke has filed for divorce.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Catherine Burke filed paperwork May 29, saying their marriage was "irretrievably broken."
Catherine is also asking for alimony and permanent ownership of the couple’s home.
Shannon was just released from jail May 27.
He's facing aggravated battery and animal cruelty charges for allegedly shooting dog April 30. The bullet then graced his wife's head.
Catherine said she anticipates between medical and veterinary bills, and repairing the house, the damage from the shooting will cost $20,000.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- The wife of former Orlando radio host Shannon Burke has filed for divorce.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Catherine Burke filed paperwork May 29, saying their marriage was "irretrievably broken."
Catherine is also asking for alimony and permanent ownership of the couple’s home.
Shannon was just released from jail May 27.
He's facing aggravated battery and animal cruelty charges for allegedly shooting dog April 30. The bullet then graced his wife's head.
Catherine said she anticipates between medical and veterinary bills, and repairing the house, the damage from the shooting will cost $20,000.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Divorce Doesn't Make You Weird, According to Quirky Kid in New Bill Cochran Picture Book
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Divorce Doesn't Make You Weird, According to Quirky Kid in New Bill Cochran Picture Book
CHAPPAQUA, N.Y., June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of children live through their parents' divorce, and feelings of anxiety, anger, fear, and loss are common. But in the face of difficulties, humor can go a long way. A heartfelt new picture book by Bill Cochran, My Parents Are Divorced, My Elbows Have Nicknames, and Other Facts About Me (HarperCollins), uses a fun approach to show how one boy adjusts to changes in his life after his parents divorce. By acknowledging one child's real emotions along with his amusing experiences, the book can help young readers -- and their parents --- cope with what can be a challenging situation.
Ted is a regular kid --- except that he goes to sleep with one sock on, has named his elbows Clyde and Carl, and likes to pretend he's a chicken when he answers the phone. He may be quirky, but he's perfectly normal, and he describes both his parent's divorce and his own quirks in a straightforward, matter-of-fact way. Most importantly, his feelings about the divorce are shown to be a normal part of life. "It bums me out," he says, when he has to go from one parent's house to the other's. "But that doesn't mean I'm weird."
In My Parents Are Divorced, young readers get a character they'll identify with, a boy who likes to eat spaghetti sauce out of the jar and wear a superhero cape around the house. Colorful, exuberant illustrations by New York Times bestselling illustrator Steve Bjorkman are a perfect match for Ted's antics. By normalizing the realities of divorce and Ted's reactions to it, this lighthearted book can be a useful starting point for family conversations.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
CHAPPAQUA, N.Y., June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of children live through their parents' divorce, and feelings of anxiety, anger, fear, and loss are common. But in the face of difficulties, humor can go a long way. A heartfelt new picture book by Bill Cochran, My Parents Are Divorced, My Elbows Have Nicknames, and Other Facts About Me (HarperCollins), uses a fun approach to show how one boy adjusts to changes in his life after his parents divorce. By acknowledging one child's real emotions along with his amusing experiences, the book can help young readers -- and their parents --- cope with what can be a challenging situation.
Ted is a regular kid --- except that he goes to sleep with one sock on, has named his elbows Clyde and Carl, and likes to pretend he's a chicken when he answers the phone. He may be quirky, but he's perfectly normal, and he describes both his parent's divorce and his own quirks in a straightforward, matter-of-fact way. Most importantly, his feelings about the divorce are shown to be a normal part of life. "It bums me out," he says, when he has to go from one parent's house to the other's. "But that doesn't mean I'm weird."
In My Parents Are Divorced, young readers get a character they'll identify with, a boy who likes to eat spaghetti sauce out of the jar and wear a superhero cape around the house. Colorful, exuberant illustrations by New York Times bestselling illustrator Steve Bjorkman are a perfect match for Ted's antics. By normalizing the realities of divorce and Ted's reactions to it, this lighthearted book can be a useful starting point for family conversations.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Columbus Attorney Divorce Overview
Columbus GA Divorce Lawyer - Columbus Attorney Divorce Overview
What is alimony?
Alimony is payment by one spouse to the other for support and maintenance. The court may grant alimony to either the husband or the wife. Alimony may be for a limited period or until the spouse receiving alimony dies or remarries. It may be paid in one payment of money or property, or it may be paid over a period of time.
What happens to "our" possessions in a divorce?
One of the most difficult and complex areas of divorce is the division of marital property. Marital property is all property acquired during the marriage, except for property received by gift from a third party or by inheritance. Each spouse is entitled to an equitable share of all marital property acquired during the marriage. The judge or jury will decide on the division of marital property. Marital property will be divided equitably (not necessarily equally) between the parties regardless of how the title to the property is held. There is no set formula or percentage amount used to divide marital property.
How will the court order be enforced?
The court order can be enforced by garnishment or a contempt action. A contempt action is filed in the same court that issued the divorce. In addition, support orders can be enforced through the district attorney's office if the non-paying spouse resides out of town.
If my spouse and I agree on all matters pertaining to getting a divorce, do we still need a lawyer?
A lawyer will ensure that all matters that should be resolved in a divorce are resolved. Acting without a lawyer could end up being a costly mistake both to the parties and to their children.
Alimony is payment by one spouse to the other for support and maintenance. The court may grant alimony to either the husband or the wife. Alimony may be for a limited period or until the spouse receiving alimony dies or remarries. It may be paid in one payment of money or property, or it may be paid over a period of time.
What happens to "our" possessions in a divorce?
One of the most difficult and complex areas of divorce is the division of marital property. Marital property is all property acquired during the marriage, except for property received by gift from a third party or by inheritance. Each spouse is entitled to an equitable share of all marital property acquired during the marriage. The judge or jury will decide on the division of marital property. Marital property will be divided equitably (not necessarily equally) between the parties regardless of how the title to the property is held. There is no set formula or percentage amount used to divide marital property.
How will the court order be enforced?
The court order can be enforced by garnishment or a contempt action. A contempt action is filed in the same court that issued the divorce. In addition, support orders can be enforced through the district attorney's office if the non-paying spouse resides out of town.
If my spouse and I agree on all matters pertaining to getting a divorce, do we still need a lawyer?
A lawyer will ensure that all matters that should be resolved in a divorce are resolved. Acting without a lawyer could end up being a costly mistake both to the parties and to their children.
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - Richmond Hill Custody Attorney
Savannah GA Divorce Lawyer - Richmond Hill Custody Attorney
What do I do if I am the victim of family violence?
Georgia has a law protecting victims of family violence. The parties do not have to be married in order for a victim to ask the court for relief. However, the parties have to reside in the same household. A victim of family violence can file a petition with the Superior Court that family violence has occurred in the past and may occur in the future. The court can issue a temporary order granting a variety of remedies, including eviction of the offending party from the residence or providing suitable alternate housing for the victim and children, as well as financial relief.
The victim does not need a lawyer to file a Family Violence Petition. The clerk of the Superior Court in the victim's residing county may provide forms for the Petition or be able to direct a victim to a family violence shelter or social service agency for direction.
This pamphlet has been prepared by the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia as a public service. It is not intended to be a comprehensive statement of law. Its purpose is to inform, not to advise on any specific legal problem. If you have specific questions regarding any matter contained in this pamphlet, you are encouraged to consult an attorney. © State Bar of Georgia.
Georgia has a law protecting victims of family violence. The parties do not have to be married in order for a victim to ask the court for relief. However, the parties have to reside in the same household. A victim of family violence can file a petition with the Superior Court that family violence has occurred in the past and may occur in the future. The court can issue a temporary order granting a variety of remedies, including eviction of the offending party from the residence or providing suitable alternate housing for the victim and children, as well as financial relief.
The victim does not need a lawyer to file a Family Violence Petition. The clerk of the Superior Court in the victim's residing county may provide forms for the Petition or be able to direct a victim to a family violence shelter or social service agency for direction.
This pamphlet has been prepared by the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia as a public service. It is not intended to be a comprehensive statement of law. Its purpose is to inform, not to advise on any specific legal problem. If you have specific questions regarding any matter contained in this pamphlet, you are encouraged to consult an attorney. © State Bar of Georgia.
Augusta GA Military Divorce Attorney - Divorce courts harass our troops and small businesses
Augusta GA Military Divorce Attorney - Divorce courts harass our troops and small businesses
by Hans Bader
Memorial Day is an opportunity to thank our troops, and open our eyes to the disgraceful way they are treated by divorce courts. The bias that divorce courts in my home state of Virginia exhibit against males, people who start small businesses, and breadwinner spouses in general has been ably chronicled by Richard Crouch, a prominent family lawyer, in the Virginia state bar publication Family Law News.
But what ashames me most as a lawyer is how divorce courts routinely flout our troops’ rights under federal law. Crouch notes that Virginia courts ignore federal law by ordering members of the military to share their pensions with spouses who divorced them after even short marriages: “Something everybody learned early on is that a military wife had to have ten years of marriage to the service member overlapping ten years of military service to divide the pension. However, the Virginia Court of Appeals has adopted the rule that this statutory limitation in 10 USC 1408 limits only direct payment by the military of the former spouse’s half of the pension. Thus a service member can be required by a Virginia court to split his or her military retirement with the former spouse even if it was less than a ten year marriage. Cook v. Cook, 18 Va. App. 726, 446 SE2d 894 (1994).”
This contempt for the legal rights of divorced soldiers matters a lot, because soldiers have fairly high divorce rates, thanks to the stresses and strains of military life, such as unforeseen deployments overseas. Usually, it is the wife, not the husband, who initiates the divorce (two-thirds of divorces in America are initiated by the wife, not the husband, although male spouses of female soldiers also initiate many divorces. Most divorces are no-fault divorces. By the way, I am not divorced).
Another way the state courts put soldiers at a disadvantage, and discourage them from serving their country, is to award their ex-spouses a share of their potential military pension starting at the earliest date they could possibly retire — even if they intend not to retire then but rather to keep on serving their country. That effectively forces them out of the military, depriving the armed forces of seasoned troops. This injustive is permitted, but not mandated, by federal law.
Lt. Col. Patricia Larrabee was effectively force out of the military by “a court order directing that she pay her ex-husband a share of her retirement when she reaches 20 years of service in 2006, whether or not she retires.” “‘I can’t afford to write a check to my ex-husband every month out of my military pay,’ she told then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. ‘By the way,’ Larrabee added, ‘he makes thousands and thousands of dollars more than I do.’”
Colleen M. Timpano, who served in the Navy, describes how she was royally ripped off by a state divorce court, which effectively “indentured” her “for life” to her “former husband,” who used drugs before and after his expulsion from the Navy, and “contributed absolutely nothing” to her career, even as she helped “finance his college education.” The court awarded her “ex-husband 30 percent of” her “retired pay for life, which will be paid to her “ex-husband and his third wife for the rest of his life.” Federal law did nothing to stop this.
State courts also jail returning reservists based on their inability to pay excessive child support levels that accumulated after they were called into service at pay levels far lower than what they received in civilian employment. The Bradley Amendment keeps their child support from being reduced retroactively when they return from the field of battle, even if they had no time to get their child support payments reduced before being suddenly called up and sent into battle. The Bradley Amendment has contributed to state courts jailing many hapless fathers, including “a veteran of the first Gulf War who was captured in Kuwait in 1990 and spent nearly five months as an Iraqi hostage before being arrested the night after his release for not paying child support while he was a hostage.” It also has resulted in “a Texas man wrongly accused in 1980 of murder” being billed “nearly $50,000 in child support that had not been paid while in prison” and a “Virginia man required to pay retroactive child support even though DNA tests proved that he could not have been the father.”
Even if a reservist manages to hire a lawyer to file a motion to reduce his child support payments to an affordable level while he is overseas, the child support agency often simply refuses to do so (sadly, this is not surprising given that child support agencies have a financial incentive to artificially inflate child support levels, since they receive federal funds based in part on how much child support they collect).
Nor can soldiers called off to battle just pay the child support in advance, if they have the money, to avoid complications of paying on a monthly basis while abroad. Virginia Delegate Jeff Frederick introduced a bill to allow child support to be paid in advance, but it was killed by the Virginia State Senate’s Courts of Justice committee. Dave Briggman of Prince William County, Virginia, was held in contempt for paying his child support early. When he could not afford to pay the penalty, he was then denied the ability to appeal the penalty based on his argument that he was unable to pay, based on the absurd Catch-22 ground that he had not put up an appeal bond in the amount of the penalty — something he by definition could not afford to do, precisely because he lacked the money to pay the penalty. Under the Virginia Court of Appeals’ decision in Mahoney v. Mahoney, if you want to appeal an excessive child support obligation or sanction based on the fact that it is beyond your means, you must first put up an appeal bond in the full amount you can’t afford.
Virginia has the weirdest case law on alimony in the entire southern United States. In Bristow v. Bristow (1980), the Virginia Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s refusal to award lifetime alimony to a wife who separated from her husband less than a year into their marriage, ruling that the trial judge could not deny alimony without making extensive findings, even after such a brief marriage, even though state law explicitly lists the duration of a marriage as a factor in whether to award alimony. (By contrast, in many states, like California, there is a judicial rule-of-thumb that alimony should not last longer in years than half the length of the marriage).
The Virginia Supreme Court’s “generosity” with other people’s money was selective and discriminatory. That same year, in Counts v. Counts (1980), the state supreme court barred a man from suing his ex-wife for deliberately maiming him, applying the now-defunct doctrine of “interspousal tort immunity,” even though Virginia circuit judges previously allowed ex-wives to sue their husbands for domestic violence under an “intentional tort” exception to that immunity. The state supreme court barred the ex-husband’s suit even though it had earlier (rightly) allowed an ex-wife’s estate to sue the ex-husband who murdered her in Korman v. Carpenter (1975). (In response to public outcry, the legislature eventually abolished marital tort immunity).
Divorce law is of enormous economic importance. Divorce cases outnumber any other category of civil case in state courts (nearly half of the docket of the Virginia Court of Appeals is made up of family-law cases), and redistribute far more money from any other category of case. And decisions by divorce courts on how to set alimony and child support payments can be potent disincentives to setting up a small business.
Virginia courts routinely do things that are economically inefficient and unfair, like allowing awards of permanent alimony even after very short marriages (Bristow v. Bristow, 1980), then allowing child support or alimony levels to be reset based on upward changes on the paying spouse’s income (Conway v. Conway, 1990), but not downward changes (Antonelli v. Antonelli, 1991), and allowing child and spousal support levels to be set based not on what the paying spouse actually makes (which would be an easy mechanical calculation that would not require any lawyer time or attorneys’ fees to compute), but rather based on higher, hypothetical (and sometimes arbitrary) estimates of what the paying spouse could make (”imputed income”), as in the cases of Cochran v. Cochran (1992), Antonelli v. Antonelli (1991), and Auman v. Auman (1995).
Setting support levels based on hypothetical rather than actual income results in lots of argument between opposing lawyers about what the hypothetical income should be, generating work for lawyers at the expense of the paying spouse. Similarly, allowing permanent alimony based on very short marriages results in lots of demands for such alimony by wives, and lots of arguments by their lawyers, even though such demands are often rejected anyway by the courts (see, e.g., Bruemmer v. Bruemmer).
Virginia’s divorce laws are an impediment to small business creation by divorced people, who comprise more than a million Virginia residents. As prominent family lawyer Richard Crouch once noted, Virginia courts employ a “heads-I-win, tails-you-lose” approach to people who try to start small businesses.
If you leave a steady salaried job in order to try to set up a small business, and it succeeds, increasing your income, you will have your child support payments increased over their prior levels (and perhaps your alimony payments as well). (Conway v. Conway, 1990).
But if the business fails (as most small businesses do), resulting in your income falling below its prior levels, the courts will force you to pay alimony and child support as if you were still making the higher income you made at your prior job, rather than at the income you currently make (Antonelli v. Antonelli, 1991).
As Crouch notes, “So much for encouraging small business. The wage-slave working stiff is shackled forever to salaried employment with big business, which he leaves at his peril.” Virginia gets a undeservedly generous rating from some business groups for how its courts treat businesses, but those ratings really only take into account how big business fares in tort lawsuits, and in reality, it’s Virginia’s fair-minded juries — not state judges — who make Virginia relatively "pro-business" in that respect I have often used gender-specific words such as “father” and “husband” to describe those who pay alimony and child support in my above discussion, even though state laws do not prevent judges from giving a father custody of the children or awarding support to the father. I do that because, in practice, it is usually the husband and father who pays them, and the law is not applied in a gender-neutral fashion, as Virginia attorney Richard Crouch observed in a 1992 article in Family Law News. (For example, the Virginia Court of Appeals denied alimony to a father even though his ex-wife made five times what he did, and he was the caregiver for the couple’s children, and instead ordered him to pay his ex-wife 40 percent of his meager disability pension, in Asgari v. Asgari [2000]. It is hard to imagine a similarly-situated ex-wife not receiving alimony for at least a few years. For example, in Calvin v. Calvin [1999], the appeals court awarded a wife alimony despite describing her as adulterous, "vindictive and cruel"). As Crouch notes, in Virginia family law, “sex is the difference that makes a difference.”
Defenders of these rulings sometimes claim that they are needed to offset imaginary financial advantages enjoyed by non-custodial parents or men. Those claims are based on ignorance. Arizona State University’s Sanford Braver conducted his own study in the late 1980s, using better methodology, and found that ex-husbands do no better than ex-wives following a divorce, as he recounts in Divorce Dads (1998). Indeed, his study probably understates divorced husbands’ losses as a result of a divorce nationally, since it was conducted in Arizona, which has lower than average child-support collections (as the U.S. Supreme Court observed in Blessing v. Freestone (1998)) , and since it was conducted before increases in child support resulting from Congress’s passage of the 1988 Family Support Act, which prompted state legislatures to substantially increase state child support guidelines, awards, and enforcement.
Similarly, in 2000, a Virginia study (the JLARC study) erroneously claimed Virginia’s child support guidelines were too low only because it compared apples and oranges. It compared just one part of the state’s child support guidelines (the “basic” schedule, excluding statutory add-ons for health insurance and day care expenses) to ALL child-rearing costs, making the guidelines appear artificially low. It also treated as child-care expenses housing and other expenses shared by the custodial parent, for which the custodial parent could seek alimony — potentially resulting in the custodial parent getting paid twice for the same expenses, first in alimony, then in child support. If these errors had been remedied, the study would have found Virginia’s child support levels to be too high.
Perhaps as a result of the unfounded belief that men generally suffer less than women after a divorce, states periodically rewrite their divorce laws to make life harder for breadwinner spouses. For example, Texas, which once forbade alimony as against public policy, now permits it under certain circumstances. North Carolina, which required a showing of fault by the breadwinner spouse to impose spousal support until the mid-1990s, no longer does. And as Richard Crouch notes, courts apply child and spousal support in a gender-biased fashion.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
by Hans Bader
Memorial Day is an opportunity to thank our troops, and open our eyes to the disgraceful way they are treated by divorce courts. The bias that divorce courts in my home state of Virginia exhibit against males, people who start small businesses, and breadwinner spouses in general has been ably chronicled by Richard Crouch, a prominent family lawyer, in the Virginia state bar publication Family Law News.
But what ashames me most as a lawyer is how divorce courts routinely flout our troops’ rights under federal law. Crouch notes that Virginia courts ignore federal law by ordering members of the military to share their pensions with spouses who divorced them after even short marriages: “Something everybody learned early on is that a military wife had to have ten years of marriage to the service member overlapping ten years of military service to divide the pension. However, the Virginia Court of Appeals has adopted the rule that this statutory limitation in 10 USC 1408 limits only direct payment by the military of the former spouse’s half of the pension. Thus a service member can be required by a Virginia court to split his or her military retirement with the former spouse even if it was less than a ten year marriage. Cook v. Cook, 18 Va. App. 726, 446 SE2d 894 (1994).”
This contempt for the legal rights of divorced soldiers matters a lot, because soldiers have fairly high divorce rates, thanks to the stresses and strains of military life, such as unforeseen deployments overseas. Usually, it is the wife, not the husband, who initiates the divorce (two-thirds of divorces in America are initiated by the wife, not the husband, although male spouses of female soldiers also initiate many divorces. Most divorces are no-fault divorces. By the way, I am not divorced).
Another way the state courts put soldiers at a disadvantage, and discourage them from serving their country, is to award their ex-spouses a share of their potential military pension starting at the earliest date they could possibly retire — even if they intend not to retire then but rather to keep on serving their country. That effectively forces them out of the military, depriving the armed forces of seasoned troops. This injustive is permitted, but not mandated, by federal law.
Lt. Col. Patricia Larrabee was effectively force out of the military by “a court order directing that she pay her ex-husband a share of her retirement when she reaches 20 years of service in 2006, whether or not she retires.” “‘I can’t afford to write a check to my ex-husband every month out of my military pay,’ she told then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. ‘By the way,’ Larrabee added, ‘he makes thousands and thousands of dollars more than I do.’”
Colleen M. Timpano, who served in the Navy, describes how she was royally ripped off by a state divorce court, which effectively “indentured” her “for life” to her “former husband,” who used drugs before and after his expulsion from the Navy, and “contributed absolutely nothing” to her career, even as she helped “finance his college education.” The court awarded her “ex-husband 30 percent of” her “retired pay for life, which will be paid to her “ex-husband and his third wife for the rest of his life.” Federal law did nothing to stop this.
State courts also jail returning reservists based on their inability to pay excessive child support levels that accumulated after they were called into service at pay levels far lower than what they received in civilian employment. The Bradley Amendment keeps their child support from being reduced retroactively when they return from the field of battle, even if they had no time to get their child support payments reduced before being suddenly called up and sent into battle. The Bradley Amendment has contributed to state courts jailing many hapless fathers, including “a veteran of the first Gulf War who was captured in Kuwait in 1990 and spent nearly five months as an Iraqi hostage before being arrested the night after his release for not paying child support while he was a hostage.” It also has resulted in “a Texas man wrongly accused in 1980 of murder” being billed “nearly $50,000 in child support that had not been paid while in prison” and a “Virginia man required to pay retroactive child support even though DNA tests proved that he could not have been the father.”
Even if a reservist manages to hire a lawyer to file a motion to reduce his child support payments to an affordable level while he is overseas, the child support agency often simply refuses to do so (sadly, this is not surprising given that child support agencies have a financial incentive to artificially inflate child support levels, since they receive federal funds based in part on how much child support they collect).
Nor can soldiers called off to battle just pay the child support in advance, if they have the money, to avoid complications of paying on a monthly basis while abroad. Virginia Delegate Jeff Frederick introduced a bill to allow child support to be paid in advance, but it was killed by the Virginia State Senate’s Courts of Justice committee. Dave Briggman of Prince William County, Virginia, was held in contempt for paying his child support early. When he could not afford to pay the penalty, he was then denied the ability to appeal the penalty based on his argument that he was unable to pay, based on the absurd Catch-22 ground that he had not put up an appeal bond in the amount of the penalty — something he by definition could not afford to do, precisely because he lacked the money to pay the penalty. Under the Virginia Court of Appeals’ decision in Mahoney v. Mahoney, if you want to appeal an excessive child support obligation or sanction based on the fact that it is beyond your means, you must first put up an appeal bond in the full amount you can’t afford.
Virginia has the weirdest case law on alimony in the entire southern United States. In Bristow v. Bristow (1980), the Virginia Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s refusal to award lifetime alimony to a wife who separated from her husband less than a year into their marriage, ruling that the trial judge could not deny alimony without making extensive findings, even after such a brief marriage, even though state law explicitly lists the duration of a marriage as a factor in whether to award alimony. (By contrast, in many states, like California, there is a judicial rule-of-thumb that alimony should not last longer in years than half the length of the marriage).
The Virginia Supreme Court’s “generosity” with other people’s money was selective and discriminatory. That same year, in Counts v. Counts (1980), the state supreme court barred a man from suing his ex-wife for deliberately maiming him, applying the now-defunct doctrine of “interspousal tort immunity,” even though Virginia circuit judges previously allowed ex-wives to sue their husbands for domestic violence under an “intentional tort” exception to that immunity. The state supreme court barred the ex-husband’s suit even though it had earlier (rightly) allowed an ex-wife’s estate to sue the ex-husband who murdered her in Korman v. Carpenter (1975). (In response to public outcry, the legislature eventually abolished marital tort immunity).
Divorce law is of enormous economic importance. Divorce cases outnumber any other category of civil case in state courts (nearly half of the docket of the Virginia Court of Appeals is made up of family-law cases), and redistribute far more money from any other category of case. And decisions by divorce courts on how to set alimony and child support payments can be potent disincentives to setting up a small business.
Virginia courts routinely do things that are economically inefficient and unfair, like allowing awards of permanent alimony even after very short marriages (Bristow v. Bristow, 1980), then allowing child support or alimony levels to be reset based on upward changes on the paying spouse’s income (Conway v. Conway, 1990), but not downward changes (Antonelli v. Antonelli, 1991), and allowing child and spousal support levels to be set based not on what the paying spouse actually makes (which would be an easy mechanical calculation that would not require any lawyer time or attorneys’ fees to compute), but rather based on higher, hypothetical (and sometimes arbitrary) estimates of what the paying spouse could make (”imputed income”), as in the cases of Cochran v. Cochran (1992), Antonelli v. Antonelli (1991), and Auman v. Auman (1995).
Setting support levels based on hypothetical rather than actual income results in lots of argument between opposing lawyers about what the hypothetical income should be, generating work for lawyers at the expense of the paying spouse. Similarly, allowing permanent alimony based on very short marriages results in lots of demands for such alimony by wives, and lots of arguments by their lawyers, even though such demands are often rejected anyway by the courts (see, e.g., Bruemmer v. Bruemmer).
Virginia’s divorce laws are an impediment to small business creation by divorced people, who comprise more than a million Virginia residents. As prominent family lawyer Richard Crouch once noted, Virginia courts employ a “heads-I-win, tails-you-lose” approach to people who try to start small businesses.
If you leave a steady salaried job in order to try to set up a small business, and it succeeds, increasing your income, you will have your child support payments increased over their prior levels (and perhaps your alimony payments as well). (Conway v. Conway, 1990).
But if the business fails (as most small businesses do), resulting in your income falling below its prior levels, the courts will force you to pay alimony and child support as if you were still making the higher income you made at your prior job, rather than at the income you currently make (Antonelli v. Antonelli, 1991).
As Crouch notes, “So much for encouraging small business. The wage-slave working stiff is shackled forever to salaried employment with big business, which he leaves at his peril.” Virginia gets a undeservedly generous rating from some business groups for how its courts treat businesses, but those ratings really only take into account how big business fares in tort lawsuits, and in reality, it’s Virginia’s fair-minded juries — not state judges — who make Virginia relatively "pro-business" in that respect I have often used gender-specific words such as “father” and “husband” to describe those who pay alimony and child support in my above discussion, even though state laws do not prevent judges from giving a father custody of the children or awarding support to the father. I do that because, in practice, it is usually the husband and father who pays them, and the law is not applied in a gender-neutral fashion, as Virginia attorney Richard Crouch observed in a 1992 article in Family Law News. (For example, the Virginia Court of Appeals denied alimony to a father even though his ex-wife made five times what he did, and he was the caregiver for the couple’s children, and instead ordered him to pay his ex-wife 40 percent of his meager disability pension, in Asgari v. Asgari [2000]. It is hard to imagine a similarly-situated ex-wife not receiving alimony for at least a few years. For example, in Calvin v. Calvin [1999], the appeals court awarded a wife alimony despite describing her as adulterous, "vindictive and cruel"). As Crouch notes, in Virginia family law, “sex is the difference that makes a difference.”
Defenders of these rulings sometimes claim that they are needed to offset imaginary financial advantages enjoyed by non-custodial parents or men. Those claims are based on ignorance. Arizona State University’s Sanford Braver conducted his own study in the late 1980s, using better methodology, and found that ex-husbands do no better than ex-wives following a divorce, as he recounts in Divorce Dads (1998). Indeed, his study probably understates divorced husbands’ losses as a result of a divorce nationally, since it was conducted in Arizona, which has lower than average child-support collections (as the U.S. Supreme Court observed in Blessing v. Freestone (1998)) , and since it was conducted before increases in child support resulting from Congress’s passage of the 1988 Family Support Act, which prompted state legislatures to substantially increase state child support guidelines, awards, and enforcement.
Similarly, in 2000, a Virginia study (the JLARC study) erroneously claimed Virginia’s child support guidelines were too low only because it compared apples and oranges. It compared just one part of the state’s child support guidelines (the “basic” schedule, excluding statutory add-ons for health insurance and day care expenses) to ALL child-rearing costs, making the guidelines appear artificially low. It also treated as child-care expenses housing and other expenses shared by the custodial parent, for which the custodial parent could seek alimony — potentially resulting in the custodial parent getting paid twice for the same expenses, first in alimony, then in child support. If these errors had been remedied, the study would have found Virginia’s child support levels to be too high.
Perhaps as a result of the unfounded belief that men generally suffer less than women after a divorce, states periodically rewrite their divorce laws to make life harder for breadwinner spouses. For example, Texas, which once forbade alimony as against public policy, now permits it under certain circumstances. North Carolina, which required a showing of fault by the breadwinner spouse to impose spousal support until the mid-1990s, no longer does. And as Richard Crouch notes, courts apply child and spousal support in a gender-biased fashion.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Divorce bid setback
Augusta GA Divorce Lawyer - Divorce bid setback
By BASMA MOHAMMED,
A BAHRAINI mother-of-four has been told she must launch her divorce proceedings from scratch, three years after beginning a legal battle to separate from her husband.
The GDN reported last month that Amal Juma Abdulla had been told her case was cancelled after she refused to accept child support of BD100 a month from her estranged husband.
She also refused to accept a clause that would have seen her pay him a one-off amount of BD500.
However, she claims the Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry has now told her to file a new case if she still wants to get her marriage annulled.
The 33-year-old housewife said she was now considering giving up altogether.
"It's very frustrating," she said.
"I have been coming and going to court for the past three years fighting for my right to get a divorce.
"Now they are asking me to waste more years of my life and do this all over again."
Ms Abdulla had been seeking a divorce through the country's Sharia Court system, in which judges deliver judgements based on their individual interpretation of Islam.
Women's rights campaigners have long called for a Family Law to be adopted, meaning domestic disputes would be decided based on pre-approved criteria.
They argue this would bring an end to alleged discrimination against women in the Sharia Court, claiming judgements often favour men, drag on and can leave women homeless or without any form of child support - even when they are granted custody.
The GDN reported at the beginning of the year that Bahraini husbands were allegedly extorting money out of wives who filed for divorce, but who didn't have money to feed their families.
Several women claimed to have been driven to poverty by the current justice system.
Ms Abd-ulla is one of those who have campaigned for the law, which was finally app-roved for Bahrain's Sunni community by MPs and the Shura Council earlier this month.
However, she is no closer to re-solving her case because a similar law for the Shi'ite community was vetoed by religious leaders and MPs - with some arguing it should first be approved by top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani in Iraq.
"I don't know what to do," she told the GDN.
"I wish the Shi'ite Family Law could be passed soon so maybe my case could be solved at last."
Ms Abdulla is also embroiled in a court dispute with her husband over ownership of their house, which is registered in her name.
A Sharia Court has already ruled in her favour once, but her husband has since launched an appeal.
The house was bought for the family by a VIP after the GDN revealed they were forced to sleep rough two years ago.
Their old home had become dangerously dilapidated, forcing Ms Abdulla, her husband and their four children to sleep in a tent on wasteland off Budaiya Highway.
That case has been adjourned until June 10 to summon witnesses for cross-examination.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
By BASMA MOHAMMED,
A BAHRAINI mother-of-four has been told she must launch her divorce proceedings from scratch, three years after beginning a legal battle to separate from her husband.
The GDN reported last month that Amal Juma Abdulla had been told her case was cancelled after she refused to accept child support of BD100 a month from her estranged husband.
She also refused to accept a clause that would have seen her pay him a one-off amount of BD500.
However, she claims the Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry has now told her to file a new case if she still wants to get her marriage annulled.
The 33-year-old housewife said she was now considering giving up altogether.
"It's very frustrating," she said.
"I have been coming and going to court for the past three years fighting for my right to get a divorce.
"Now they are asking me to waste more years of my life and do this all over again."
Ms Abdulla had been seeking a divorce through the country's Sharia Court system, in which judges deliver judgements based on their individual interpretation of Islam.
Women's rights campaigners have long called for a Family Law to be adopted, meaning domestic disputes would be decided based on pre-approved criteria.
They argue this would bring an end to alleged discrimination against women in the Sharia Court, claiming judgements often favour men, drag on and can leave women homeless or without any form of child support - even when they are granted custody.
The GDN reported at the beginning of the year that Bahraini husbands were allegedly extorting money out of wives who filed for divorce, but who didn't have money to feed their families.
Several women claimed to have been driven to poverty by the current justice system.
Ms Abd-ulla is one of those who have campaigned for the law, which was finally app-roved for Bahrain's Sunni community by MPs and the Shura Council earlier this month.
However, she is no closer to re-solving her case because a similar law for the Shi'ite community was vetoed by religious leaders and MPs - with some arguing it should first be approved by top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani in Iraq.
"I don't know what to do," she told the GDN.
"I wish the Shi'ite Family Law could be passed soon so maybe my case could be solved at last."
Ms Abdulla is also embroiled in a court dispute with her husband over ownership of their house, which is registered in her name.
A Sharia Court has already ruled in her favour once, but her husband has since launched an appeal.
The house was bought for the family by a VIP after the GDN revealed they were forced to sleep rough two years ago.
Their old home had become dangerously dilapidated, forcing Ms Abdulla, her husband and their four children to sleep in a tent on wasteland off Budaiya Highway.
That case has been adjourned until June 10 to summon witnesses for cross-examination.
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Katie Price Divorce: Feeling Drained After Peter Andre Split
Augusta GA Divorce Attorney - Katie Price Divorce: Feeling Drained After Peter Andre Split
By Sophie Eager
Katie Price has revealed that she's "feeling drained" since her marriage split with hubby Peter Andre. The 31-year-old glamor model recently made her first public appearance since it was first announced that she and husband Peter Andre, 36, were separating after three-and-a-half years of marriage.
Katie appeared on the catwalk at the Clothes Show Live in London and said backstage: "I am very, very tired." She added: "This has been a very difficult time and I feel drained. This last week, in particular, has been very hard. I haven't felt this low in ages."
Her mom Amy, 56, accompanied her to the show and said: "Katie will get through this, but it's been a very, very difficult time for her." Amy also said that she and her daughter are not impressed with the way that Peter has been handling the split in the press. She said: "Everything that has been written about Katie has been so one-sided, it's not fair. "The way [Pete] has behaved during all of this has been really wrong."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
By Sophie Eager
Katie Price has revealed that she's "feeling drained" since her marriage split with hubby Peter Andre. The 31-year-old glamor model recently made her first public appearance since it was first announced that she and husband Peter Andre, 36, were separating after three-and-a-half years of marriage.
Katie appeared on the catwalk at the Clothes Show Live in London and said backstage: "I am very, very tired." She added: "This has been a very difficult time and I feel drained. This last week, in particular, has been very hard. I haven't felt this low in ages."
Her mom Amy, 56, accompanied her to the show and said: "Katie will get through this, but it's been a very, very difficult time for her." Amy also said that she and her daughter are not impressed with the way that Peter has been handling the split in the press. She said: "Everything that has been written about Katie has been so one-sided, it's not fair. "The way [Pete] has behaved during all of this has been really wrong."
Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is an Augusta GA divorce lawyer & Georgia Military Divorce Lawyer Augusta Georgia domestic mediator. She is an Augusta military divorce lawyer, GA child custody attorney , and Augusta Georgia child support attorney. She offers mediation for divorce, child custody, and child support.
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