Domestic Relations

27 ABA Journal Domestic Relations articles.

Judge discusses negotiating trauma and the law as chief tribal court judge of Yurok Nation

Judge Abby Abinanti was the first tribal woman to be admitted to the State Bar of California. For almost two decades, she served as a judicial officer for the San Francisco Superior Court, and Abinanti has been a Yurok tribal court judge since 1997.

Jan 3, 2023 9:29 AM CST

$7M adultery penalty in postnuptial agreement is valid, appeals court says

A wife’s agreement to stay in a marriage after her husband’s adultery was adequate consideration for a $7 million penalty against him in a postnuptial agreement for any subsequent extramarital romantic relationship, a state appeals court has ruled.

Nov 2, 2022 1:47 PM CDT

Self-defense law doesn’t protect officer who shot at charging dog and injured child, top state court rules

A Kansas law allowing the use of deadly force against an aggressor does not protect people defending themselves who act recklessly and harm a bystander, the state’s top court has ruled.

Aug 3, 2022 9:47 AM CDT

After collaborating with bestselling author, judge discusses new solo book

After several collaborations with bestselling author James Patterson, Judge David Ellis of Illinois, a prolific novelist, decided to go it alone for his latest book, Look Closer.

Jul 27, 2022 8:41 AM CDT

Traci Feit Love continues to deliver pro bono services while negotiating through the trauma and injustices she witnesses

Lawyers have been organizing in large numbers during the last six years to offer pro bono legal services to immigrants, racial minorities and small businesses affected by COVID-19. The new post-Roe landscape is no different.

Jul 25, 2022 11:53 AM CDT

Lawyer gets suspension after posting secret nude photos of his then-wife

A Philadelphia lawyer will be suspended for three years after taking secret nude photos of his then-wife and posting them to the website wifelovers.com without her knowledge.

Jun 28, 2022 3:15 PM CDT

How to negotiate trauma during a lifetime of advocacy for domestic violence survivors

Anyone who’s studied domestic violence law is likely familiar with the woman who pioneered its study in law schools, wrote the textbook Domestic Violence Law and regularly testifies as a domestic violence expert witness. In a practice area most attorneys agree is emotionally draining and personally trying, Nancy K.D. Lemon has shown four decades of staying power.

May 31, 2022 8:25 AM CDT

ACLU lawyers reviewed op-ed that led to Johnny Depp’s defamation claim, its GC testifies

Several lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union reviewed the Washington Post op-ed by actress Amber Heard that led to actor Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit against her, according to testimony by the organization’s general counsel last week.

May 2, 2022 8:44 AM CDT

Judge called staffer a ‘heifer’ and a judge an ‘Uncle Tom,’ according to order removing her from bench

A Birmingham, Alabama, domestic relations judge has been removed from the bench based on findings that she used Facebook aliases to communicate with litigants and “engaged in a pattern of abuse of staff, attorneys and litigants.”

Dec 13, 2021 9:52 AM CST

Legal tech company featured on ‘Shark Tank’ experiences big bump in business

The digital platform HelloPrenup helps couples create prenuptial agreements by filling out in-depth questionnaires and comprehensive financial disclosures instead of having to go to a lawyer.

Dec 7, 2021 1:15 PM CST

2nd Circuit upholds temporary seizure of guns from people taken to mental health facilities

A federal appeals court has upheld a police policy to temporarily seize guns from people transported for a mental health evaluation following a domestic incident.

Nov 10, 2021 12:31 PM CST

Lawyer accused of calling opposing counsel ‘lowlife bottom-feeder’ says term was ‘entirely truthful and accurate’

Updated: A suburban Chicago lawyer has admitted that he called a judge a clown and an opposing lawyer a “lowlife bottom-feeder,” but he said his comments were truthful or constitutionally protected speech.

Sep 8, 2021 12:05 PM CDT

ABA president urges House to help prevent elder abuse

ABA President Patricia Lee Refo is urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass bipartisan legislation to help prevent elder abuse across the country.

Jun 11, 2021 9:35 AM CDT

Judge is accused of forcing staff to take diet pills, using Facebook aliases, warning of the devil

A domestic relations judge in Birmingham, Alabama, has been accused in an ethics complaint of forcing her staff to take diet pills and abusing prescription drugs herself, resulting in paranoid behavior and the belief that the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission is "going to kill her."

May 18, 2021 10:20 AM CDT

Woman is eligible for asylum because domestic abusers persecuted her for feminist opinions, 9th Circuit says

A woman who was persecuted by domestic abusers because of a feminist political opinion is eligible for asylum in the United States, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Apr 6, 2021 2:47 PM CDT

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