Family Law

Lawyer’s $52K Alimony Tab Lifted, Despite Contract Cross-Out

A New York judge has ruled a Long Island divorce lawyer does not have to pay $52,000 a year in maintenance because his estranged wife is living with another man, despite the lawyer’s assurance that he wouldn’t enforce the cohabitation clause in the maintenance agreement. The New York Law Journal…

Oct 30, 2008 11:38 AM CDT

No New Trial for Christensen, Celebrity Lawyer Convicted in Wiretap Case

A prominent Los Angeles lawyer convicted of conspiring with a private investigator to conduct illegal wiretaps in a celebrity divorce case has been denied a new trial. Terry Christensen, the former managing partner of the law firm now known as Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs & Shapiro, had sought a new…

Oct 28, 2008 10:31 PM CDT

Too-Cozy Home Situation Helps Defeat N.J. Palimony Claim

Cohabitation isn’t an absolute requirement for palimony. But a promise of lifetime support is. So a living arrangement that puts the romantic couple in the same home as the man’s elderly—and wealthy—wife isn’t a positive fact for the party seeking palimony, according to a New Jersey appeals court written opinion…

Oct 28, 2008 7:20 PM CDT

Some Lawyers Ante Up $25K in Gay Marriage Fray, as Law Prof Stars in Ads

A Pepperdine University law professor is taking to the airwaves to back a California constitutional amendment to bar gay marriage in the state, while other lawyers on both sides of the debate are contributing as much as $25,000 to committees battling over the issue. Professor Richard Peterson appears in TV…

Oct 28, 2008 3:26 PM CDT

Father’s Rights Law Firm Adds Three New Offices

Business at Cordell & Cordell, a divorce firm that focuses on father’s rights, is growing. The firm, which boasts a clientele of 98 percent men, is adding three new offices, the National Law Journal (sub. req.) reports. Cordell previously had 15 offices in 10 Midwestern and Southern states. “We were…

Oct 21, 2008 8:51 PM CDT

Divorcing Lawyer Denied Interim Attorney Fees Because of $200K Salary

A New York judge has cited a New York lawyer’s $200,000 salary as a reason to deny him interim attorney fees during divorce proceedings. The lawyer is a tax associate at a major New York law firm identified as C.K., the New York Law Journal reports. His wife is a…

Oct 21, 2008 12:14 PM CDT

Famous NY Lawyer Sues Investment Firm for ‘Chopped Liver’ Advice

New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder has sued his investment firm, saying it lured him to invest in a risky hedge fund that lost $200,000 of his money. The suit seeks $5 million in damages from AllianceBernstein, the New York Post reports. Felder maintains he stressed he wanted to remain…

Oct 21, 2008 12:02 PM CDT

Biggest-Bucks Divorce in UK History? Madonna and Guy Ritchie Split

It’s apparently all over between Madonna and Guy Ritchie, who have reportedly separated in a split that is likely to cost the material girl big bucks. Depending on whether the divorce case goes forward in the United Kingdom or the United States, the British film director can expect as much…

Oct 15, 2008 11:29 PM CDT

Did Ohio Divorce Lawyer Fight Too Hard to Win Cases?

A prominent Ohio divorce lawyer is facing legal ethics charges for allegedly fighting too hard to win cases. In a four-count complaint filed with a state commission that oversees lawyer grievances, attorney Vincent Stafford is accused of harassing clients’ husbands, lying to a judge and violating court orders, among other…

Oct 15, 2008 6:32 PM CDT

Divorce American-Style Works Better, Says UK Judge

A fledgling idea in the United Kingdom five years ago, American-style collaborative divorce works better than the traditional, often acrimonious, court battle, a senior United Kingdom family judge says. Speaking at a legal conference, Mr Justice Coleridge of the High Court said there are now some 1,250 lawyers in the…

Oct 15, 2008 4:32 PM CDT

Conn. Supreme Court Finds Gays Have a Constitutional Right to Marry

Connecticut has become the third state to allow gay marriages with a state supreme court ruling today finding a right to marry. The 4-3 decision (PDF) was based on equal protection provisions of the state constitution, report the Associated Press and the Boston Globe. The majority found that the state’s…

Oct 10, 2008 4:31 PM CDT

After a Breakup, Ring Disputes Sometimes Land in Court

A law professor who has written on the subject of court disputes over engagement rings has found that her expertise has made her a popular expert over who gets to keep the diamond. “I probably get an e-mail every two or three weeks asking for my advice on this question,”…

Oct 7, 2008 3:08 PM CDT

New Legal Frontier: Defining the Rights of Frozen Human Embryos

Thanks to today’s reproductive technology, the interrelated questions of when life begins and who has the right to make decisions about someone else’s body and children are becoming increasingly complex. The latest wrinkle: Whether frozen embryos belong to the couple (usually married) who asked a medical clinic to fertilize their…

Oct 6, 2008 6:20 PM CDT

Discovering Eldorado

In a massive clash between church and state, a band of Texas lawyers learns that individual stories still count

Oct 1, 2008 9:00 PM CDT

Timeline: The FLDS Case

Note: See also, “Discovering Eldorado” and the related photo essay. ####March 29 A call comes in to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, from someone claiming to be a victim of physical and sexual abuse at the Yearning for Zion Ranch. The caller says her name is Sarah…

Oct 1, 2008 8:55 PM CDT