Family Law

Lawyer arguing on behalf of gay marriage ban in SCOTUS takes leave from his firm

A partner at Warner Norcross & Judd is taking a leave of absence from his firm to defend Michigan’s ban on gay marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court. The partner, John Bursch, was Michigan’s solicitor general from 2011 to 2013. Warner Norcross granted the leave to Bursch after refusing to…

Apr 9, 2015 6:58 AM CDT

Doctor is accused of vandalizing grave to upset lawyer

A suburban Chicago doctor is accused of targeting the lawyer representing his ex-wife in divorce proceedings by vandalizing the grave of the lawyer’s daughter. Robert Bonzani of Mokena, Illinois, is accused of spray painting the tombstone of the lawyer’s daughter, who died in a 2002 hiking accident in Utah at…

Apr 7, 2015 7:54 AM CDT

Lawyer can use client’s Facebook account to serve husband with divorce summons, judge says

A New York lawyer can use a client’s Facebook account to serve her elusive husband with a divorce summons, a judge has ruled. “This transmittal shall be repeated by plaintiff’s attorney to defendant once a week for three consecutive weeks or until acknowledged,” wrote Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper.…

Apr 6, 2015 8:40 AM CDT

Parent culpability not necessary for child removal, says California appellate court

Although a California woman did many things to try and protect her teenage daughter, she was still an unfit mother because her actions were unsuccessful, a California appellate court found in an opinion published Thursday. The California 2nd District Court of Appeal, based in Los Angeles, upheld a juvenile court…

Apr 3, 2015 10:22 AM CDT

You should get married, judge reportedly tells woman involved in alleged domestic violence situation

Marriage could bring a lighter sentence for a Pennsylvania mother of four, who pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment after reportedly threatening to set her boyfriend–now husband–on fire. Judge Joseph Williams III, who sits in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, noted that things were “getting kind of…

Apr 2, 2015 11:54 AM CDT

SCOTUS to review a handful of cases on the rights of same-sex couples

When the U.S. Supreme Court convenes April 28 to weigh issues over the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, expect the counsels' tables to be a little crowded.

The justices agreed to hear cases from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, some of which are made up of multiple plaintiffs represented by a variety of gay-rights organizations and private attorneys. Then there are the states, which have their own attorneys and solicitors general or, in one case, private lawyers presenting their cases.

Apr 1, 2015 6:09 AM CDT

Experts debate line between spanking and abuse

Seventy-seven percent of Americans agree that it’s sometimes necessary to discipline their children with corporal punishment—but where does spanking end and abuse begin? That was the question at “Disciplining One’s Kids: What’s ‘Reasonable’ Under the Law?” held at the ABA Midyear Meeting. The answer is complicated in the United States.…

Apr 1, 2015 1:10 AM CDT

Man pleads guilty to setting fire at lawyer’s home

A man in Idaho Falls, Idaho, has pleaded guilty to first-degree arson for setting a fire at the home of a lawyer who represented his ex-wife in the couple’s divorce. Melvin Savage pleaded guilty on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports, citing information from the Post Register (sub. req.). Police say…

Mar 26, 2015 11:32 AM CDT

As a growing number of states enact ‘rehoming’ laws, Facebook reportedly disables adoption page

Responding to news of parents placing children they find difficult to deal with in the care of strangers they identify as potential caretakers via the Internet, a growing number of lawmakers are enacting legislation to curtail the controversial practice. Meanwhile, Facebook has disabled an “Adoption Through Disruption” page being used…

Mar 23, 2015 11:00 AM CDT

Alabama probate judge cites differing decisions on gay marriage, opposes federal class-action bid

An Alabama probate judge faces differing court decisions after a federal judge on Monday refused to stay a February order requiring him to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples who challenged the state’s ban on gay marriage. U.S. District Judge Callie Granade said in her Monday order (PDF) that Judge…

Mar 18, 2015 8:08 AM CDT

Lawyer is accused in additional courthouse bomb threats

A Cleveland lawyer accused of making bomb threats in July 2012 to employees at the Cuyahoga County courthouse has now been charged with making bomb threats at two other Ohio courthouses. A new indictment accuses lawyer Gregory Moore, 41, with making bomb threats for the Geauga County Courthouse in January…

Mar 17, 2015 8:51 AM CDT

14-year-old arrested after dad finds murder contract that the youth allegedly wrote

A 14-year-old Florida youth has been arrested after allegedly entering into a murder contract with a friend and then leaving the document in his room, where his father found it. Port St. Lucie police say the agreement between the unidentified teen and a friend said the friend was to get…

Mar 9, 2015 3:55 PM CDT

Lawmaker sponsors bill to allow foster parents to carry a concealed handgun, if they have a permit

Is it a good idea for a foster parent with a concealed-carry permit to be allowed to have a loaded gun on his or her person? Currently, the Nevada Department of Child and Family Services says the answer to that question is no. The agency’s regulations require guns and ammunition…

Mar 9, 2015 12:20 PM CDT

ABA backs constitutional right to gay marriage in SCOTUS brief

The ABA has filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause requires states to grant marriage licenses to gay couples. The brief was filed in two of the four consolidated gay-marriage cases pending before the Supreme Court, according to a…

Mar 5, 2015 7:55 AM CST

‘Radical reform’ to state law would allow couples to divorce outside court, if approved

Two Minnesota lawmakers have drafted legislation that would offer a new alternative to traditional divorce to those who want it. The Cooperative Private Divorce proposal, which family therapists helped them write, would offer couples a chance to essentially create their own divorce terms, outside the family court system, reports the…

Mar 4, 2015 4:00 PM CST