As more and more fathers are awarded primary child custody of their children across the United States, more and more mothers are being ordered to pay child support as a result.  This slow change has been occurring in recent years as society has changed with the higher number of women entering the workforce and more equality emanating from custody decisions in family courts all over the country.  Unfortunately, this reality is also leading to the rise of another problem – mothers failing to pay child support.

For generations, when anyone has heard the terms ‘child support’ or ‘spousal support’, most have thought of husbands and/or fathers paying wives/mothers because the court has ordered them to do so.  However, that perceived norm could be changing over time, and according to a recent survey that asked these types of questions of members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, or the AAML, that norm may be changing more quickly than most would think.

When active members of the military are divorced and they obtain custody of the children from that former marriage, they generally follow the same routine as other parents who are not serving in the armed forces.  However, this type of a situation becomes difficult when that custodial parent is deployed overseas, as has been the case many times in recent years while soldiers were sent to both Iraq and Afghanistan.  Simply put, many of these situations have become untenable for family members who have been left behind.

For many years, the issue of child custody would often become nasty and antagonistic when parents contested it because there were few if any presumptions present in the laws across the United States.  In general, judges making this decision were supposed to place the best interests of the child or children at the top of their decision priority list.  Recently, however, some jurisdictions have been considering and even enacting laws that provide for a presumption of joint custody of children.  Minnesota could be the next state to enact such a measure.

Over the years, non-custodial parents who have been paying child support to the parent with custody of the children have been leery of what that parent may have been doing with those funds.  For the most part, there are no requirements in place that require a custodial parent to provide an accounting of what is done with those payments, but a recent and short-lived bill in Iowa attempted to take a step in that direction, albeit indirectly.

Even though the country generally follows a system of no-fault divorce, which means that someone asking for a divorce does not need to state a specific legal reason for it, there are still many studies done that attempt to categorize the different reasons that divorces come about.  Traditionally, issues such as money and communication problems have almost always been among the leading causes of divorce, but a recent study indicates that a new cause is moving up the list.

As more and more child support payments fall into arrears around the United States, legislatures and law enforcement personnel are continually looking into new options to collect on those past-due amounts.  This appears to be what’s happening in Delaware, as the legislature there is looking into the possibility of providing casinos with data from its child support enforcement agency so that slot machine winnings could be collected in order to be applied towards these delinquencies for those non-custodial parents who are behind on their payments.

When a divorce occurs and the non-custodial parent is ordered to pay child support to the parent with custody of the child or children, many of these situations involve a requirement that the employer of the non-custodial parent deduct those payments from payroll and send them into the system so that the custodial parent can be paid.  However, things can and do go wrong from time to time, and when they do they can lead to legal consequences for several people.

When an economy turns bad and people suffer on both a collective and an individual level, this type of a financial reality can hit home in many different ways.  This includes the system of laws regarding divorce, spousal support and child support.  Several different jurisdictions are beginning to review the guidelines regarding support that have been in place for years if not decades, and New Jersey is the latest jurisdiction that is beginning to think about these sorts of changes.

When a military divorce takes place and the spouses involved in that marriage want to achieve the same results as any other couple that wants to move on with their lives, this process is relatively similar to any civilian divorce.  However, there are some complications that can arise, specifically with regards to retirement benefits earned by the member of the military and how those benefits should be divided with the other spouse.

When a child support order is issued for a non-custodial parent, that order carries as much weight as any other court order that is released.  Therefore, when people fail to remain current with their child support payments, they can face serious legal problems.  This situation only becomes more serious if someone is incarcerated for any period of time and therefore unable to pay child support.  Many inmates walk into an unmanageable sum when they are released and could face more jail time for a failure to make those payments.

Florida has long been in line with just about every other jurisdiction when it comes to the laws regarding spousal support, also known as alimony.  However, the winds of change are starting to blow around the United States with regards to these laws, and Florida is one of the jurisdictions that is considering making adjustments to how the issue of spousal support is handled for couples who obtain a divorce in Florida.

When a member of the military who is married decides to pursue a divorce, the situation resembles most civilian divorces in that the usual issues must be handled properly.  These issues include child custody, child support and visitation if there were children of the marriage as well as spousal support in some cases.  However, military divorces can and have become extremely complicated with regards to property division, particularly when it comes to dividing the military pension that had been earned.  Congress is attempting to deal with this issue with a new bill.

When active members of the military are deployed, their status can affect many different aspects of their lives.  This includes the prospect of child custody if a service member is pursuing a divorce during this time.  As it stands now, courts are supposed to generally decide child custody issues based on the best interests of a child.  If a parent is deployed, that can be a relevant factor in the ultimate decision of child custody.

People use social media Web sites for many different reasons, and some will use them to post their thoughts as they come to them.  Many people are also under the impression that what they post on these Web sites is relatively private, as only connections should be able to see what they write.  However, one man in Ohio recently found out that what you post on a private Facebook profile can come back to haunt you when it comes to issues including child custody and divorce.

Wisconsin has long been basically in line with most other jurisdictions when it comes to child support orders and the duration of those payments by the non-custodial parent.  Generally speaking, non-custodial parents in Wisconsin must continue to make child support payments until that child reaches the age of 18, and in some cases those payments must continue until the child reaches 19 years of age.  However, if a new bill becomes law, that could be changing.

When someone is ordered to pay child support by a court, that order is to be viewed in the same light as any court order.  Therefore, if someone does not follow it such an act could be and often is considered a crime that can lead to serious fines and even jail time.  That is the case in Kentucky as it is just about anywhere else, but recently a 'creative' form of punishment for those who have failed to pay child support has been attempted.

Generally speaking, when a divorce occurs and the non-custodial parent is ordered to pay child support, that child support obligation continues until the child reaches the age of adulthood.  However, there has not usually been a requirement for a parent to pay for a college education.  That could be changing in South Carolina, as the Supreme Court there has recently ruled that a non-custodial father must pay child support to help pay for a child’s college education.

The advancement of science has led to many different and remarkable advances in relatively recent years, and one of these advances has come in the form of in vitro fertilization.  Even a generation ago, this process was hardly seen as commonplace, but these days many children are born to parents who could not have them otherwise.  However, this technique for fertilization has also led to certain legal decisions that relate to the realm of family law.

In recent times, more and more jurisdictions have been considering the possibility of changing laws with regards to child custody.  It has long been the societal norm to assume that the mother would be awarded primary custody of children, but that norm has been changing and it beginning to be reflected in state statutes.  It seems that Minnesota is now the latest jurisdiction set to consider bringing about more balance to its laws that deal with child custody.

When a couple pursues a divorce and the court oversees the dissolution of that marriage, it will often order one spouse to pay spousal support to the other in addition to having the non-custodial parent pay child support.  These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and one case that’s been unfolding in the state has led to new legislation that could ultimately become state law.

Generally speaking, there are a limited number of people who can legally engage in child visitation after his or her parents have been divorced or after a child has been placed in foster care.  Those people who are generally eligible for child visitation include the parents of the child absent certain circumstances and grandparents.  However, one lawmaker in Nebraska is attempting to expand the number of people who can legally visit a child.

When spouses who have a high net worth decide to pursue a divorce, their cases can often be difficult for one spouse who may not have access to immediate funds needed to pay for the costs of the discovery and litigation.  As a result, there are high asset divorce cases that can result in a division of property that favors the spouse who controls the finances of that marital estate.  That reality may be changing with the emergence of a new type of business.

Generally speaking, when people are involved in a high asset divorce case, they need to be extremely thorough when it comes to making sure that all of the assets that could be part of the marital estate are included in the case.  This is easier said than done in many instances because there are some parties who will attempt to hide assets in order to avoid having to potentially split them up as part of the property division aspect of the case.

When parents decide to pursue a divorce and the issue of child custody is contested, there are many different types of evidence regarding the lifestyles of the parents that can be deemed relevant when it comes to deciding on custody based on the best interests of the child.  According to many different cases across the country, the issue of one parent having a smoking habit is becoming a factor in the decisions made by courts regarding child custody.

Generally speaking, some jurisdictions have long held child support matters to a standard loosely known as 'paternity by estoppel' which basically means that if a man has been acting as a child’s father and he and the child’s mother ultimately obtain a divorce, that man can still be held liable for child support payments even if he was not the biological father.  However, a recent decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has potentially altered that general approach.

For many years now, the cultural norms in the United States have been changing in many respects, and more and more children are being born to parents who are not married.  The United States Census has been tracking this statistic for decades, and the agency recently released updated statistics regarding the number of children born to a single mother.  For the first time, that percentage has risen above 50 percent.

When parents of a child or children obtain a divorce and one parent is awarded primary custody of that child or those children, it tends to set in motion a series of orders from the court that oversaw the divorce regarding where the children will live and how the overall arrangement will work.  One of the common issues that arises after these orders are issued concerns the desire of the custodial parent to move away from the non-custodial parent.  Utah is now considering a law that deals with that scenario.

In the majority of jurisdictions in the United States, parents who are not granted primary custody of their children after a divorce are required to pay child support to the custodial parent until that child reaches a pre-set age or is otherwise emancipated and considered an adult.  However, there are a few states that require parents to pay child support for college-aged children, and Maryland is the next state that will consider enacting such a law.

As most people tend to understand, failing to pay child support obligations that are ordered by a court can lead to serious legal and financial problems.  Different entities have been taking different and creative steps in an attempt to collect on the billions in unpaid child support across the United States, and the federal government has now taken a step that will open the door to a new kind of collection – the garnishment of Social Security checks.

When people decide to bring about an end to their marriage and to pursue a divorce, there are many steps that need to be taken in order for this process to be completed properly.  One of those steps involves property division, and this issue can quickly become antagonistic and nasty for anyone who attempts to separate into two what was once one.  It seems that this is particularly so when it comes to health insurance.

In recent years, people all over the world have begun to depend on their smart phones for just about every aspect of their lives.  These include handling finances, handling communications and handling calendars.  According to a recent survey of divorce lawyers from around the United States, people pursuing a divorce are also depending on smart phones with increasing regularity as sources of evidence when divorces are litigated.

We have seen many different efforts made across the United States with regards to finding parents who are not remaining current on their child support payments, and many of these techniques involve aggressive collection efforts, the potential for jail time and even some new programs designed to help those who are behind.  However, it seems that Australia is also dealing proactively with parents who are not current with their child support obligations, and at least one effort is creating controversy.

The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction And Enforcement Act is a statute that 49 states have enacted, and it basically states that the jurisdiction over such matters as child custody shall remain with the child’s home state.  A child’s home state is basically defined as the jurisdiction where the child lived with a parent for at least six consecutive months prior to the commencement of a family law action.  Recently, a judge in New York went against the tenets of this law, and her decision was upheld by the New York Court of Appeals.

For many years, the child support system that has been commonly followed around the United States involved taking aggressive steps to collect on past-due child support, to threaten criminal penalties on parents who did not make their payments on time and to even incarcerate some of the worst offenders.  However, it seems that some governmental agencies are beginning to take a wider array of steps in order to collect this past-due support, and that includes New York City.

The city has recently announced that it collected a record $731 million in past-due child support during the calendar year of 2011.  There were several steps that were taken in order to bring in this enormous amount, including wage garnishments, collection letters and providing the opportunity for parents who owed child support but did not have jobs to obtain job training and help finding jobs.  These steps all led to a higher number of payments.

In addition to the collection efforts and the jobs help program, the city also offered a program that allowed the parents to mediate their situations in an effort to negotiate a fair and equitable level of payments based on the income being generated by the non-custodial parents.  The city remains hopeful that this multifaceted approach will continue to bring about positive results both for custodial parents and for those who may need some help making these payments.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

Clearly, parents who face the obligation of child support need to be sure to take steps to keep those payments current so that they can avoid encountering serious problems as a result.  One of the biggest mistakes that a non-custodial parent will make is to simply stop making payments in hope that a solution will present itself.

If you are dealing with a child support order and you’re either already dealing with or about to encounter problems with that order, you need to be proactive to make sure that you avoid more serious problems.  Seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

New York has always been much like other jurisdictions when it came time to decide such issues as spousal and child support as part of divorce cases.  Basically, judges handling divorce cases were given a wide degree of latitude when it came to setting an amount of child support and spousal support to be paid on a temporary basis while a divorce case was still being litigated.  Based on a recent decision made by the Court of Appeals in New York, that latitude no longer exists.

Specifically, a new law that was enacted in 2010 that strictly laid out the formula to be used when calculating different forms of support is now to be the formula used by all trial judges in the state.  This formula basically involves calculating payments based on income levels of up to $500,000 per year and also requires that what used to be additional expenses such as healthcare and mortgage payments be included in this formulaic amount.

This decision is expected to provide much in the way of guidance and clarity for divorce courts going forward, as there has been much confusion in terms of support orders with respect to this new statute until this decision was made.  Therefore, advocates of this law will now feel reassured that support decisions will not largely be determined by the history of judges overseeing these cases.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

California is a state that also has a formula in place when it comes to child support, but there is still some latitude present for judges when it comes to child support and spousal support.  Fathers and husbands who encounter problems with regards to support orders, however, should still be proactive if they encounter a change in circumstances and need to have their support orders modified.

If you are facing potential problems with your child support obligations or any other orders that deal with a divorce, you need to seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of husbands and fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

Most people understand that if a parent is ordered to pay child support and if that parent does not remain current on those payments, that parent can face serious legal consequences.  In many cases, a parent who is not making timely child support payments can face penalties, interest and even jail time if the non-payment continues for long enough.  However, it seems that Rhode Island is considering putting even tougher variables in place when it comes to the non-payment of child support.

Marriage has always been seen as a social institution that knew no bounds in terms of age, income level, education level or any other form of measurement.  However, a recent study has revealed that the demographics regarding those who choose to get married in the United States has been changing in recent years, and the conclusion of this study is that those who have a higher level of income are more likely to marry.

When it comes to issues regarding child custody, courts all over the United States tend to make these decisions based on what is believed to be the best interests of the child.  This also tends to hold true when a man discovers that he may not be the biological father of a child borne by his wife or significant other after he has believed for years that he was the father and supporting that child.

As is the case with just about every county around the United States, Lucas County in Ohio suffers from the problem of many fathers not remaining current with their child support obligations.  Collectively, parents owe approximately $350 million in back child support payments, and fathers between the ages of 18 and 24 owe more than $4 million.  Rather than expend funds to enforce these obligations criminally, the county is starting a pilot program that involves different ideas.

In recent months, different jurisdictions have been taking a look at their laws that deal with such issues as child support and child custody, and some have taken steps to change the presumptions that deal with these situations.  Nebraska appears to be the latest jurisdiction to do so, as a bill has been introduced in the state legislature that would place a presumption of joint custody into this decision that’s made by the courts.

Utah is like many other jurisdictions when it comes to issues regarding child custody in that many people, particularly fathers, feel that there is an unwritten bias towards mothers when these disputes arise and a decision on primary custody must be made.  As a result of a tragedy that occurred last year, an addendum to the existing child custody is being offered in the legislature that would explicitly outlaw this perceived bias by judges.

South Dakota has been working on potential changes to its existing child custody laws for over a year now, and the latest effort to do so has taken a positive step recently in that a new version of a revised child custody law has made it through committee in the legislature.  This bill, if it becomes law, would ultimately allow for more discretion for judges in terms of deciding joint physical and joint legal custody.

When a divorce is complete and one parent is awarded primary custody of any children of the marriage, the non-custodial parent is often ordered to pay child support.  When those payments begin, there can be confusing issues that arise when a non-custodial parent offers gifts or other forms of financial help to the child or children.  One such case recently made it all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court, which answered the question in that state.

Specifically, a father who had been paying child support for seven years after a divorce was finalized stopped making payments for what he claims were justifiable reasons.  Since those payments stopped, he had sent his child cash and gift cards for different occasions, and he wanted those gifts to count towards his child support obligations.  The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, stated that these types of gifts did not constitute child support payments and that they should not be counted as such.

As stated above, there are different types of gifts and different types of financial help that a non-custodial parent can provide for a child, and many questions can arise as to whether this type of help would constitute child support payments.  One thing that should also be gleaned from this case is that stopping child support payments, even for what is believed to be a justifiable reason, is not an advisable step to take.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

While child support orders are a regular issuance by family courts in California, that does not mean that circumstances do not substantially change in the future.  People who encounter these changed circumstances do have rights that could include the modification of child support payments, but this effort needs to be made in a proper manner so that the parent paying support does not encounter legal trouble.

If you are in this type of a position and you need legal help, seek the assistance of San Diego child support lawyers who have been working with fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When a divorce occurs and a court awards custody of the children to one or both parents jointly, along with the best interests of the child is the notion that such a child should continue to enjoy full relationships with both parents.  That belief is strong and the protection of parental rights around the United States is equally strong in most cases.  However, a bill being considered in Washington State right now could substantially impact some basic parental rights.

The number of people who have decided to live together in recent years but not get married has been increasing, and as a result of this increase several different entities have been studying this phenomenon.  While most believe that there could be almost any reason in place for a couple to decide to simply cohabitate, a recent survey that took a close look at the issue led to a somewhat surprising conclusion.

Over the past 50 years or so, many jurisdictions around the United States began to reform their divorce laws and standards and specifically went to what is now known as a 'no-fault' divorce system, which is sometimes referred to as unilateral divorce.  This system allows one spouse to initiate a divorce without the consent of the other and does not require specific grounds for a divorce to be granted.

As society continues to evolve and change in terms of its family dynamics, the number of people in a household who work and with other particulars, there are changes that are being considered in a legal sense that would reflect this evolvement.  One of those changes is being considered currently in Minnesota, where a bill currently making its way through the legislature would change the way that child custody is handled in the state.

For generations, when people got divorced in Israel and there were children of the marriage, courts have generally awarded custody to the mothers of these children unless circumstances were present that swayed the court to award primary custody to the father.  However, years of debate have been raging on a committee that was charged with reviewing this presumption, and it recently recommended that courts should instead presume that joint custody would be the better result in these cases.

Today, Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman announced that he would adopt this recommendation that was made by the Schnit Committee, named after the head of the group, despite the fact that many people on the committee and others in the area have decried this recommendation as faulty in its logic.  Therefore, courts will begin to assume that young children, defined as those up to the age of six, will live under a norm of joint custody.

One of the main reasons that this decision was made was because of so much research that was used to support this committee position that indicated that children of divorce are generally better off having substantial relationships with both parents.  However, that did not stop one committee member from resigning and others from publicly excoriating this decision.  At this point, the norm has been put into effect and decisions should begin to change overall as more child custody cases come to court.

San Diego Child Custody Cases

Even though no such specific law has been adopted in California or anywhere else in the United States, courts are beginning to move away from the presumption that the mother should be awarded primary custody of the children of a divorce when this issue is disputed.  More and more fathers are winning primary custody based on the specific merits of the cases they present, but these cases should be presented by experienced professionals.

If you are facing this difficult battle, you need to seek the help of San Diego child custody lawyers who have been fighting for fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

One of the most difficult situations that can arise with regards to child custody issues involves scenarios where a non-custodial parent takes a child across international borders and prevents the custodial parent from regaining access to that child.  One of the relatively few countries that has not endorsed a 1980 Hague Convention treaty that deals with these situations is Japan, and estimates indicate that hundreds of American children are currently living there with non-custodial parents in violation of domestic court orders.

For some time, the international community has been applying pressure to the Japanese government to sign the treaty and to become the last of what is considered to be the 'G8' countries to begin to take part in the international cooperation that is currently in place with not only the rest of the G8, but also with 87 countries around the world.

In what everyone considers a positive step, the Japanese government has announced that it could put forth a bill in March that would allow Japan to join the other countries on this treaty.  If that occurs, non-custodial parents who are hiding with children in Japan could be subject to the same steps and remedies as those hiding in other countries, and thereby bring about the possibility that these children could be returned to their custodial parents in accordance with the court orders that were issued in the United States.

San Diego Child Custody Lawyers

Clearly, if this bill becomes law in Japan, it would open up an entirely new world of possibilities for parents whose children have been kidnapped and hidden in that country.  As of now, there is little if anything that can be done for parents who are suffering through this experience, and those in this position could take action as soon as the bill is passed.

If you are dealing with any type of child custody issue, whether it’s in the United States or abroad, you need to seek the help of San Diego child custody lawyers who have been fighting for fathers and husbands for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When parents of a child are not awarded custody in a divorce case, they almost always are ordered to pay child support until that child or those children reach the statutory age or advancement limit.  Generally speaking, child support payments and enforcement are state law matters, and those who fail to remain current on these payments can face serious legal problems.  However, there are certain situations where the federal government can get involved, and that effort took a big step forward recently.

The Office of the Inspector General, better known by many as the OIG, has recently launched a Web site designed to provide information regarding parents who are wanted for a failure to pay child support.  The Web site provides an opportunity for people to provide information regarding the whereabouts of those wanted for this reason.  According to reports, at least five parents have already been captured because of the information contained on this new Web site.

As stated above, child support enforcement is generally a state law matter, but the federal government can get involved when certain conditions are present.  These conditions include when a parent fails to pay child support for more than one year or when parents owe at least $5,000 in past-due child support and the children live in a different state.  This new Web site is expected to increase the ability of those involved to deal with this problem.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

Clearly, there are many situations where a non-custodial parent either encounters problems with the ability to pay child support or when the amount of child support being paid should change for whatever reason.  However, parents in this position should not simply stop making payments.  Instead, they should seek the help of experienced professionals to handle this issue in a legal and proactive manner.

If you are facing problems with regards to these payments, seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of husbands and fathers for many years.  Contact the Men’s Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When people of a high net worth become involved in a litigated high asset divorce case, there is much to lose for each side.  In addition, paying the costs of litigation in these cases can be difficult for those spouses who may not have access to the assets that are included in a marital estate.  Therefore, many people in this position need to secure financing to pay litigation costs.

Anyone who has been through a divorce understands the enormous amount of stress that must be endured before this difficult process is complete.  In fact, several researchers and other professionals have been reviewing and studying the effects of a divorce as they relate to people and their emotional, physical and financial health.  Many of these studies have revealed that there is a tangible effect that divorce can have on parties to these cases.

However, based on a recent study, it also seems possible that there could be neurological effects on a person who goes through a difficult divorce.  Researchers performing a study at Yale University have recently revealed results of a study that showed that people going through difficult life events such as a hotly-contested divorce or other highly stressful situations can see the gray matter in their brains shrink.  This shrinkage took place in the area of the brain that governed emotion.  The results are likely to prompt additional study with regards to this topic.

Clearly, the results of this study are sure to make waves in the medical, psychological and perhaps even the legal communities.  Physical harm to a brain is something that must be tracked and watched carefully for many reasons, and people who are going through a difficult divorce have now been seen to be at risk for this form of harm.

San Diego Divorce Lawyers

People who face the end of their marriages already face enough difficulties that can lead them to hesitate in taking that first step.  This additional information is not a reason in itself to prevent someone who is involved in an unhappy marriage from bringing about an end to what could be a dysfunctional cycle.  It should only reinforce the need to find the proper type of help in moving through this process.

If you are facing the end of your marriage, you need to seek the help of San Diego divorce lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of husbands and fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

For generations, the typical family unit in the United States consisted of a husband who went to work every day and generated the income and a wife who stayed at home to take care of the household and to care for the children.  As a result of this past norm, women tended to suffer immensely in terms of their drop in income after a divorce was completed.  However, according to a recent survey, societal changes in general have led to much less of a substantial drop in income for women after a divorce.

Specifically, Pew Research recently completed a survey that compared the percentage of men and women who suffered at least a 25 percent drop in income after a divorce in the 1970’s to the percentage of men and women who suffer the same level of drop-off now.  In the 1970’s, 63 percent of women endured a drop-off of at least 25 percent of their income after a divorce compared to only 30 percent of men.  However, the number of women experiencing this level of drop-off in the present day has plummeted to 49 percent, while the number of men experiencing this level of a decline has risen to 47 percent.

This survey reflects the massive changes in terms of society overall during that time.  More and more women have entered the workforce since the 1970’s, and more and more families have needed to generate two incomes in order to make ends meet.  As a result, women tend to suffer less and men more in terms of income loss as a result of a divorce.

San Diego Divorce Lawyers

When a couple decides to end their marriage, one of the issues that always arises is that which concerns support.  Both spousal support and child support can be contested issues, and several factors including the respective incomes of the parties involved are supposed to be considered when finalizing the dissolution of the marriage.

If you are facing the end of your marriage and you need help handling this process, seek the help of San Diego divorce lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers and husbands for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When parents of a child or children complete a divorce and one parent is awarded primary custody of the child or children, the non-custodial parent is generally ordered to pay child support on a monthly basis to the custodial parent.  In most jurisdictions, child support obligations end when the youngest child reaches a certain age or is otherwise emancipated.  Indiana is considering a bill that, if passed, would lower the age at which child support obligations end.

When the calendar turns to a new year, it’s typical for several new laws to take effect and to begin having a substantial effect on different types of legal matters.  Divorce is certainly a type of legal matter that is subject to legal changes from time to time, and 2012 will usher in a change in the way that divorce cases can be managed in such a way that it could alter the landscape of how contested issues such as child custody and child visitation are handled.

Beginning this year, a change in the laws that deal with divorce in California will allow children to testify regarding the issues of child custody and child visitation.  Specifically, the child’s age and capacity to reason must be sufficient such that his or her testimony will be relevant.  In addition, a child who is 14 years old or older may address the court directly.  To date, the ability of children to take part in these proceedings was limited.

Even though children will now be able to address a court in this manner, the situation will still be closely controlled and managed by the court.  However, many expect this change to add a substantial degree of complication to these proceedings, as it could give rise to a temptation by one parent or both to manipulate the children into testifying in a certain way.  The overriding standard to be used by California courts in deciding these issues remains the best interests of the child or children involved.

San Diego Child Custody Lawyers

Clearly, any father who faces a contested child custody or child support issue faces a difficult challenge for many reasons.  Fathers who are in this position need to take immediate action to make sure that they are doing everything possible to build a strong case.  This undertaking should occur with the help of experienced professionals.

If you are facing this legal battle, you need to seek the help of San Diego child custody lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers and husbands for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

While many statistics that deal with members of the military remain largely generalized to include all members of the armed forces, there are certain types of developments that are studied and tracked more closely so that those who oversee military operations can deal with trends as they arise.  One of those developments is that which involves the military divorce rate, and recent statistics have shown that the Air Force is the arm of the military that has the highest rate of marriages ending.

While there are differences in terms of the specifics of how different jurisdictions will take action against parents who are failing to pay child support, one commonality is that eventually, parents who are seriously delinquent with their payments can face jail time as a result.  However, there could be problems arising with this enforcement in Georgia, where a judge has recently allowed thousands of parents to join a child support class action lawsuit that deals with the issue of child support attorney representation.

Specifically, the judge in the Atlanta area has allowed thousands of parents to join an existing legal action that has been filed against the state by five parents who had been ordered to jail because of the failure to make child support payments.  At the heart of the issue is that these parents claim that they were not provided with legal representation even though they were facing incarceration with a negative result.  This failure to provide representation, according to the plaintiffs, violated their Constitutional rights.

Since this action was filed, thousands of other people have asked to join the action for the same reason, as people can be jailed in Georgia for what constitutes a violation of a court order.  While not every state prevents the right of people to have legal representation, Georgia is one and this challenge is expected to move high in the court system before being ultimately decided.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

While it will be interesting to see how this legal issue turns out, one thing that applies to every parent who is ordered to pay child support is that serious problems can arise if those payments are not made in a timely manner.  Therefore, when people face the possibility of being unable to make these payments, they need to act in a proactive manner in order to minimize the chance of facing serious legal consequences.

If you are facing problems with regards to child support, you need to obtain the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

For many years, sociologists and other researchers have watched as the average age of the people who have decided to get married for the first time has risen.  Many felt that this was because of realities in the lives of young people including their desire to obtain higher levels of education and to establish themselves professionally before settling down on the domestic front.  However, the results of recent studies have revealed that there could be other reasons for this advancing in the average age of brides and grooms.

Specifically, research that was done by the journal Family Relations states that more and more young people are reluctant to get married for fear of encountering the possibility of a divorce.  In addition, a study that was completed by researchers at Cornell University and the University of Central Oklahoma concluded that there is increasing belief in the United States that marriage is nothing more than a 'piece of paper' that can be undone.

While it appears that these two conclusions are in opposition to each other, the fact remains that people’s attitudes towards marriage is changing as a whole.  Almost half of the households in the United States currently are unmarried, and this trend has been moving upward for many years now as fewer people are getting married, more people are getting divorced and more people decide that they simply want to live together.

San Diego Divorce Lawyers

While society’s attitude towards marriage may be changing, one thing that remains a constant is that if someone is encountering the possibility of their marriage ending, that person needs to take action to make sure that his legal rights are properly protected and enforced.  As such, someone who understands his rights and options is likely to emerge from a divorce in a better position than someone who does not.

If you are contemplating the end of your marriage, you need to seek the help of San Diego divorce lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers and husbands for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

We very rarely track individual divorce cases on this Web site, but there are some that come to light that are worthy of mention based on some of the issues that they highlight.  The latest example of this is the divorce involving Mel Gibson and his wife of 31 years, which was finally finished on Friday after years of legal wrangling and negotiations.  In short, this high asset divorce is one that will be seen by many as the most expensive in the history of celebrity marriages.

Specifically, Mel Gibson will have to split the marital estate with his wife, which is worth an estimated $850 million.  Therefore, Mr. Gibson will need to pay his former wife $425 million in order to adhere to the terms of the settlement.  In addition to this original payout, Mr. Gibson will also have to pay his former wife half of his residual income that he receives for the rest of his life.  Residual income is generally that which is generated by the payment of royalties and the like.

While this enormous payout will make headlines, what is not known specifically is whether there was a prenuptial agreement in place between the spouses.  Most believe there was not, and most believe that this settlement heavily favors Mr. Gibson’s former wife.  What this case should tell anyone who is of a high net worth is that it is always advisable to have the terms of a potential divorce worked out ahead of time.

San Diego High Asset Divorce Lawyers

If you are of a high net worth and you’re unsure of how your rights and options stack up in the event of a divorce, you owe it to yourself to take basic steps to ensure that you are handling the possibility of this situation arising as well as you can.  That should be done with the help of an experienced professional who has helped clients through these matters in the past.

If you are facing the end of your marriage, you need to seek the help of San Diego high asset divorce lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of husbands and fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

Most people understand that when they are ordered to pay child support by a court, that order carries the same weight as any other court order.  Therefore, a failure to remain current on child support payments can lead to serious additional problems including the adding of interest to the unpaid portions until the account is brought up to date.  However, that does not prevent people from being surprised because of computer problems, which is occurring right now in Contra Costa County.

According to several reports, the county is still working to update its files from an outdated computer system, and this problem dates back well more than a decade.  Unfortunately for many people, their past-due child support statements have not included the interest that was adding up more and more based in part on the amount of time that the account was delinquent.  Some people received terrible surprises, including one man who received an interest bill of more than $50,000.00.

Unfortunately, compounding interest is just one of the many problems that can arise when people cannot remain current with their child support obligations.  In addition to this type of situation, someone who is in this position can face additional sanctions and even an arrest in certain scenarios.  However, many people are not happy with the surprise they have recently received in the mail in that part of the state.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

Clearly, anyone who has a problem or foresees a problem with continuing to pay their current child support payments should not let the situation get worse before doing something about it.  Being proactive in this sense can save much in terms of time, money and stress.  There are cases where child support payments can be modified based on circumstances.

If you face this situation, you need to seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When soldiers who have served in the military decide to retire, they have health benefits available to them that they can use for their health care.  This coverage can extend to both the soldier and to his or her spouse.  While this seems to be a relatively straightforward notion, the situation can become complicated if the military serviceman or servicewoman decides to obtain a divorce.

Specifically, the Former Spouses' Protection Act deals with retirement health benefits for military personnel, and a recent case in Alaska led to a ruling that these assets should be valued as marital assets when it came time to divide the marital estate.  The case dealt with a military serviceman who retired and then sought a divorce.  The former husband disputed this ruling and it wound up in the state’s highest court as a result.

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the trial court was correct in ruling that this health benefit asset could be classified as a marital asset and therefore be subject to division, although the case was remanded to the lower court because the high court did not agree with the value that was assigned to that health benefit.  That value had been set at more than $125,000.  Basically, Alaska has ruled that judges have discretion on ruling on whether or not this type of an asset is part of the marital estate.

San Diego Military Divorce Lawyers

When military personnel decide that it’s time to pursue a divorce, the situation is governed by several different federal laws, many of which are ruled upon and applied by state court judges.  This can lead to complicated situations and difficult decisions for many to accept, and that’s only one of many reasons for those in this position to seek the appropriate type of help.

If you are in the military and you’re considering the possibility of a divorce, you need to seek the help of San Diego military divorce lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of those who have served our country for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

For many years, the military divorce rate has been much lower than that of the general population, and there are many reasons for that reality.  In recent years, the military divorce rate has been seen as plateauing by many experts who track these sorts of statistics.  These statistics are tracked because many military officials feel that distractions such as divorce or other problems at home can lead to problems regarding performance for soldiers, especially those who are deployed in a combat zone.

For centuries, most people likely have thought that they understood what constituted a parent by legal definition.  Basically, a parent was someone who had a biological connection to a child or who had legally and formally adopted a child.  Being a parent of a child, clearly, gives rise to several different legal responsibilities and duties.  In a new twist, courts around California have recently been expanding who can be seen as a parent in the legal sense beyond the biological and adoption connections.

Specifically, one case in particular tends to support this point.  Two women were a couple and one of the women provided financial support for her partner’s child.  When the couple broke up, the woman who had been providing support was deemed to be a ‘parent’ in the legal sense and thereby assigned the responsibilities of any non-custodial parent, including support obligations.  This ruling was made even though the woman never adopted the child or married the child’s mother.

The woman appealed this decision, but the higher court upheld the decision and held that any adult who basically acts as a parent thereby takes on the legal responsibilities of a biological or adoptive parent.  Experts feel that this decision and those that have fallen in line with it will lead to potentially significant changes in the way couples who have children from previous relationships deal with the day to day realities of caring for these children.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

Clearly, there are many different ways that someone can be found liable for child support payments, and what is known is that when an order for the payment of child support is issued, it must be taken seriously and followed properly in order for the person who must pay this support to avoid additional legal trouble.

If you are facing a potential issue with regards to child support, you need to be proactive in handling it so that you can also avoid problems.  Seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been helping fathers through these situations for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

Given the specifics of the political discourse of the current day, fiscal responsibility is something that has taken on great value for voters and legislators alike, or at least that’s what’s being talked about as much as any other issue.  As such, a bill in Illinois is attempting to take this issue a step further by proposing to ban anyone from an election ballot who owes more than $10,000 in child support.

The bill was introduced recently and comes on the heels of news regarding a federal legislator from Illinois who spent months hammering on different officials and administrations for a lack of fiscal responsibility only to be found out that he himself owed more than $100,000 in back child support.  This is only one example cited by those who proposed this bill in the state legislature.  If it passes, it would not affect the candidates for the 2012 election, but would take effect after that.

The situation described above is just another example of where and how someone who is not remaining current on his or her child support could ultimately pay a steep price in one way or another for not doing so.  Not only would such a bill, if it became law, cost someone the opportunity to run for office, but it would also serve as a public embarrassment to anyone who would fall under its jurisdiction.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

What this situation should tell anyone who is having problems with child support is that failing to take proactive steps to fix such a problem can and will only lead to additional problems which could also be worse in nature.  There are circumstances where reasonable adjustments can be made to child support payments, but it’s up to the person who owes this support to take the necessary steps to bring about these changes.

If you are facing the possibility of having problems with support, seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been helping fathers through these difficulties for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

Almost since the modern system of divorce around the world has been in place that basically left judges to decide on the primary custody of children, there have been visitation arrangements made where the non-custodial parent gets at least a portion of the overnight stays with those children of the marriage.  However, a recent study in Australia concludes that this system of having children who are two years old and younger staying with non-custodial parents overnight can be harmful for them.

Specifically, this study that was partially funded by the government stated that when small children regularly spend nights away from their primary caregiver, they can encounter high amounts of stress with regards to the unfamiliarity of their surroundings and the disconnect that forms between the child and the custodial parent.  On a long-term basis, this can lead to what have been described as serious problems for that child.

While this study that was partially funded by the Australian government does not carry any actual legal weight with that country’s divorce system, it is likely going to influence the decisions of many judges when it comes to custody and when it comes to the general visitation guidelines that are ordered as part of the divorce cases that are completed there.  As would be expected, many groups and individuals are challenging these findings out of concern for the non-custodial parents and the potential for a less bonded relationship between those children and those non-custodial parents.

San Diego Child Custody Lawyers

While the results of this study have clearly made waves in the legal community in Australia, there is no sign that these findings will carry any significant weight with the American legal community and the divorce and child custody laws that are currently in place.  However, that does not mean that fathers who face a child custody battle should not take as many steps as possible to prepare for this legal situation.

If you are facing the possibility of a divorce and you’re concerned about the potential result, you need to seek the help of San Diego child custody lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When divorce cases that involve the custody of children go before a court, a judge will decide on the custody of the children, the visitation rights of the non-custodial parent and the child support that must be paid by that non-custodial parent.  Unfortunately, not all non-custodial parents make their child support payments in a timely fashion, and when they don’t they can encounter serious legal problems as a result.  That legal trouble does not disappear with the passage of time, as one man in Wisconsin found out recently.

Anyone who paid any attention to the news over the weekend saw that the last of the active combat troops in Iraq left the country and began their journey to a new place.  Some of those soldiers will be moving to other combat zones such as Afghanistan, but many of them will be returning home to their families.  While many people have every reason to celebrate this development, there are officials out there who are preparing for certain developments, and one of them is an anticipated rise in the military divorce rate.

Officials are preparing for this possibility because of the difficulties that many soldiers experience when they return to domestic life after one or even several deployments into hostile and actively combative areas.  These adjustments can be extremely difficult and many soldiers as well as spouses who have remained in the United States for long periods of time can change as the time away has continued to increase.  IN addition there will be soldiers who are suffering from such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder who will struggle with many different aspects of life.

As a result of the anticipation of this rise in military divorces, officials are making sure that several services for active military members and veterans are available that include family counseling and other forms of help designed to make the transition back into domestic life as smooth as possible.  Unfortunately, these added services will not be enough for some to anticipate a rise from the 30,000 military divorces that occurred during the last fiscal year.

San Diego Military Divorce Lawyers

Clearly, anyone who has been serving our country in a combat zone or anywhere else has faced a difficult challenge in recent years, and the courage of our military heroes should always be acknowledged and appreciated.  There are many ways to express these thoughts and feelings, and one of them is providing help to those who need it in terms of their family lives.

If you are facing the possibility of ending your marriage and you’re involved with the military, you need the help of San Diego military divorce lawyers who understand what it likes to serve actively and to handle these difficult situations.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

For generations, men who have gone through divorces with their wives and who have had children of the marriage have entered into this difficult process under the negative assumption that if the custody issue was contested, the mother would almost always be awarded primary custody of those children.  Unfortunately, many of those men in the past were correct, as statistics showed that the vast majority of women involved in divorces with children were awarded primary custody.

However, recent statistics that have been released indicate that this norm may be changing.  According to a statistical analysis that was recently done in the United States, an estimated 50 percent of fathers who have sought primary custody of their children when this issue was contested have been awarded that custody.  This would represent a large shift in the overall likelihood of fathers being awarded custody of children after their marriages end.

There are several different theories already in existence when it comes to why this estimate exists.  One prominent theory is that the most recent laws in different states that deal with child custody are specifically gender neutral.  In addition, with more and more women leaving the home to work, that ‘traditional’ bond between mother and child is not as prevalent as it used to be.

San Diego Child Custody Lawyers

What this statistical estimate should tell any father who is facing the end of his marriage is that he should not simply assume that he has no chance to retain the custody of his children.  He should at least learn more about the laws that apply to his particular situation before forming any opinion regarding how this process may play out.

If you are facing the end of your marriage and you’re concerned about the ability to raise and see your children every day, you need to seek the help of San Diego child custody lawyers who have been fighting for the legal rights of fathers successfully for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

Louisiana is a state with a unique economy, and one of the mainstays of that economy is the casino industry.  People from all over the world travel to the state to gamble, and that includes non-custodial parents who happen to owe back child support.  Based on that reality, the state government there has been monitoring a pilot program that allows it to intercept winnings earned by patrons who are found to owe child support to the custodial parents of their children.

People who fall behind on their child support payments understand all too well that once they fall behind, it can be extremely difficult to catch up to those payments and to eliminate their delinquent status.  As such, many non-custodial parents simply give up or lose hope that they will ever be able to get their feet back on the ground.  All of this occurs while the custodial parent and the child or children suffer.

When a national economy takes a precipitous downturn as the American economy has in recent years, every dollar becomes much more critical towards survival and financial health.  When people are unemployed, those dollars become scarce, and this affects innumerable financial obligations.  According to data recently released by the United States Census Bureau, one of the common types of financial obligations that’s growing in amount nationwide is child support.

People have generally known for years that when a child grows up in a single-parent home, he or she faces challenges and difficulties that those children with both parents present do not tend to face.  However, researchers continue to study this issue in an attempt to identify problems before they arise so that steps can be taken to minimize the harm endured by children in this situation.  A recent study was conducted with this in mind, and it yielded at least one rather surprising result.

For many years, the military divorce rate has been much lower than that of the general public, and that’s likely the case for many reasons.  However, during the early part of the 21^st Century when two wars began and soldiers began to deploy around the world in enormous numbers, the military divorce rate climbed for the first time in almost a generation.

For decades, people have long assumed that when child custody becomes an issue between the parents of children that the mother enjoys a tremendous advantage.  While there is some truth to the fact that more mothers tend to win custody of their children when the issue is contested, recent data released by the United States Census Bureau indicates that the number of single dads raising children in the United States is growing enormously.

When people decide that it’s time to end their marriage and move on in life without his or her partner, it often gives rise to challenges that the people involved did not foresee.  This is true both for the person who initiates the divorce and the person who is on the receiving end of this troubling decision.  As a result of the problems that arise, several different professionals have compiled some ideas for both parties to a divorce.

When people make the bad decision to drink and drive, they put everyone who may have to deal with them during the course of this conduct in danger.  Tragically, many people are killed as a result of drunk drivers, and to date these situations have left the children of parents who are killed because of this crime without many options.  Recently, a state legislator in Washington has announced the idea of a new bill that would deal with this issue.

Specifically, this legislator is working with a DUI Task Force in order to put together a proposal that would require people convicted of a fatal drunk driving offense to pay child support to the children of victims who were killed because of their actions.  The group is hoping to fine-tune these proposals before the next state legislative session in an attempt to formally propose this legislation in an attempt to pass it into law.

At this point, the option available for children who lose parents to drunk drivers is to have an adult and/or guardian file wrongful death lawsuits against the drunk driver who killed a parent.  While this is an option for some people, the reality is that such laws do not cover every situation.  It’s the belief of those in favor of this idea that imposing child support requirements would provide for some basic necessities even after the convicted defendant is released from prison.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

Clearly, children who lose parents to drunk drivers face a lifetime of struggle and loss, and to date the issue of child support has rarely ventured outside the realm of family law issues.  Whether this idea ever becomes a law remains to be seen, but if it does it’s sure to be met with stiff legal challenges by different entities.

Anyone who currently faces any issues relating to child support needs to take immediate action for their own reasons, mostly to avoid facing serious legal consequences.  If this includes you, the best step to take is to seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When people get divorced and there are children of the marriage, there are two different kinds of support that can be ordered to be paid by the non-custodial parent.  These forms of support are child support and spousal support, and a failure to remain current on those payments can lead to serious legal consequences.  Unfortunately, confusion and conflicting stories can also lead to a legal mess for both parties if the problems are allowed to worsen.

When people owe child support to the custodial parents of their children, they can face serious consequences and a relentless effort by enforcement agencies if they fail to make those payments in a timely fashion.  One of the remedies available for collection of those child support payments is garnishment of wages, but there are times when special bonuses and the like may be paid to workers, and these payments may slip through the cracks when it comes to this past-due child support.

A story recently broke with regards to this issue as it relates to workers at General Motors.  The company recently struck a deal with the United Auto Workers that provided bonus payments to the employees of the company.  Unfortunately, some sort of error occurred whereby no money was deducted from these bonus payments to be applied towards the past-due child support owed by many of them.

As a result, the Friends of the Court, also known as the FOC, which is the collection agency in Michigan, went to the homes of these workers to ask for voluntary child support payments.  This was not required, as the agency could have taken more penal action against those who failed to make timely payments.  However, the agency decided to start with this step before moving forward with additional collection efforts.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

Clearly, anyone who owes past-due child support generally understands that these past-due obligations will not simply disappear.  Instead, interest and penalties will generally add up and criminal penalties could become possible for those who do not make these payments.  Therefore, anyone who may not be able to continue with these payments needs to take proactive steps to keep themselves out of trouble.

If you are facing the possibility of being unable to make child support payments or you need to work towards having those payments adjusted for some reason, you need to seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been helping fathers through these issues for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

One thing that men tend to understand if they have a child or children with a spouse or domestic partner and they split up is that if he does not win primary custody of the children, he will need to pay child support.  This is the law in every jurisdiction in the United States, and even though some fathers fail to keep those child support payments current, few if any of them can claim that they do not understand this reality.

However, according to a recently filed lawsuit in Texas, one man claims that while he understands the reality of child support, he did not know that he was actually a father until he was sued for those payments by a former girlfriend.  He alleges that his former girlfriend took a used condom to a fertility clinic and became pregnant with twins, and since they split up not long after that day, he had no idea that she was pregnant.  He was suddenly on the hook for child support payments for children he never knew he had and did not want.

This is the general idea of the allegations made in the man’s lawsuit that was filed against the fertility clinic, and he also claims that he was never contacted nor gave permission to the clinic to perform such a procedure with his sperm.  He is suing the clinic for negligence and seeks damages for emotional distress and for the financial obligations he has incurred.

San Diego Child Support Lawyers

While the situation described above is obviously rare, it is not impossible.  No one knows yet whether the father’s allegations are true, but there are situations where a father may not be liable for child support.  In those situations where a father is not sure whether he would be liable for these payments, he should seek the advice of an experienced professional before agreeing to them.

If you face a potential issue that relates to child support, you need to act immediately to make sure that your legal rights are protected.  Seek the help of San Diego child support lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

When people face the prospect of a divorce and then face the possibility of fighting over child custody, the situation can quickly devolve into an exercise of prolonged nastiness and antagonism.  In recent years, one of the emerging issues regarding these battles has related to social media sites such as Facebook.  A recent California child custody case should provide anyone facing a child custody fight how not to use social media sites in an attempt to gain a legal advantage.

Specifically, a recent California child custody dispute involved a woman who was taking care of the two young children as she went through a divorce.  The husband then proceeded to create a fake Facebook account and struck up an email relationship with the wife.  Through emails, he encouraged her to send him videos of her dancing in a sexual manner, and the wife used their 8-year-old daughter as a videographer.  The husband then used these videos as evidence towards his assertion that he should obtain custody of the children.

However, the court that was overseeing this case was just as unhappy about the fact that the father had set up a fake Facebook account and allowed his daughter to film sexually suggestive videos as it was about the fact that the mother was performing these videos in front of the child.  As a result, the couple’s son remained with the mother, but the daughter was given to a different party with the parents retaining visitation rights.

San Diego Child Custody Lawyers

The case discussed above should highlight to anyone that when a person is faced with the possibility of not having his children in the home every day, the mind can go to strange places and a father can do strange things.  However, this type of conduct is never advisable as it could ultimately harm not only the father’s legal position but also the child or children involved.

If you are facing this issue and you want to be sure to give yourself the best chance to maximize your position, you need to seek the help of San Diego child custody lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of fathers for many years.  Contact the Men's Legal Center today to schedule an initial consultation.

We posted last month about the largely overlooked problem regarding the lack of enforcement and cooperation in Japan with child custody orders.  These orders are largely ignored in Japan and at the time of that writing there were 321 cases of child custody abductions.  While nothing has yet been completely finalized, that number could be reduced by one before Christmas Day as a court in Wisconsin has helped to oversee a case that would return a child to the United States after her mother abducted her and hid in Japan.

Most people understand that delinquent child support payments are a problem in just about every jurisdiction in the United States.  According to several reports, in California alone, parents are waiting for more than $1 billion in late past-due child support.  There are several different ways in which people can attempt to collect on these past-due payments, and one county in Ohio has recently made news for collection millions of dollars in past-due payments.

Many of us who have either been through a divorce or know someone who has gone through this difficult process has seen or heard rants and complaints posted online at social media sites such as Facebook.  Many of us are also aware that people going through a divorce may sign up for online dating sites such as eHarmony.com or Match.com.  These may seem like relatively normal steps to take in today's online world, but a judge in Connecticut could have recently set a precedent that would greatly impact those who make these decisions while going through a divorce.

When people either complete a divorce after being married or they separate after having children together, one of the most volatile situations that can arise occurs when the parents must meet in order to exchange the children in accordance with the child custody and visitation provision that governs these arrangements.  As most people would surmise, these situations can easily lead to terrible confrontations and in some cases even violence.

When married parents of a child pursue a divorce, one of the most difficult issues to handle during this process is that of child custody.  Emotions run high and turmoil can erupt when this issue comes about, and those parents who are active military members and who are either deployed or about to be deployed can be at a disadvantage in certain situations.  However, legislators in Illinois have taken steps to pass a law that would aid military parents in child custody cases.

Most people understand that money and finances are two subjects that can most often lead to marital disagreements.  In fact, these issues are among the leading causes of divorce in the United States.  As a result, many different researchers and entities have been studying this issue in an attempt to find out why certain couples who have money disagreements tend to face the possibility of their marriages ending more than others.

For two generations, the majority of the jurisdictions in the United States have had a no-fault divorce system in place that does not require those who wish to end their marriages to state and prove grounds for the legal dissolution of those marriages.  During that same timeframe, the divorce rate across the United States has risen precipitously.  Some in different levels of government are beginning to attribute those two occurrences as being linked to each other, and there have been rumblings in different places about whether or not the no-fault divorce system should be reviewed and perhaps repealed.

When people study the issue of divorce, they tend to look at this phenomenon from every different angle possible.  The reason for so much study of divorce is because researchers from all over the world are attempting to identify patterns or some sort of answer as to why they occur and perhaps how they can be avoided.  Recently, another new study was published that looked at the divorce rates for people with varying degrees of education.

When people think of child custody and visitation issues, most immediately envision a situation where the parents of a child or children go to battle in court over which parent will basically exercise control over the children when it comes to common and day-to-day decisions.  However, there has also been another custody and visitation issue simmering around the country, and that involves the issue of grandparent visitation.  This controversy could ultimately come to a head if the United States Supreme Court decides to hear a case that deals with this issue.

When a divorce case is ongoing and the issue of child custody is being contested by the parents, the situation can quickly grow nasty and become extremely damaging for those children.  For this reason, courts around the country have recognized and in many cases appointed what is known as a guardian ad litem to represent the best interests of the children when it comes to child custody and child neglect cases.

In recent years, China has moved in a direction that has many people wondering just how much like the United States this mysterious country will wind up being in terms of culture, economy and several other aspects of life.  In fact, much like the United States over the past few generations, the divorce rate in China has exploded in recent years, leading to a bit of legal mayhem in the absence of clear laws and standards.

As the issue of obesity in children in the United States continues to gain attention as the rate of childhood obesity continues to rise, obesity is beginning to penetrate several aspects of life, and many of these entries are unfortunate.  One area where childhood obesity is beginning to become more prevalent concerns child custody battles.  Family law attorneys and family court judges were recently surveyed and agreed with the notion that this issue is being used as evidence.

When married couples decide to start a business together, they tend to experience the excitement that comes with the opening of any business.  However, those who are in this position should be prepared to make some difficult choices and to deal with some challenging subject matter before the business opens its doors.  Specifically, married couples who are starting a business together should make plans for what will occur should the couple ever decide to pursue a divorce.

One of the most obvious fears encountered by people who are contemplating a divorce is the cost involved if the case is litigated or otherwise drawn out.  Clearly, no one can deny that there have been many examples of people’s assets being all but exhausted during this difficult and sometimes expensive process, and one company has responded to these fears by offering divorce insurance coverage that’s marketed as helping you cover your costs should you decide to end your marriage.

When people attempt to curb the high divorce rate in the country, they tend to look to several options for action.  When governmental entities take up the same cause, it usually takes on the form of proposed legislation.  That’s what the legislature in Michigan is apparently attempting to do by introducing a bill that would lengthen the amount of time between the issuance of a marriage license and the actual ceremony that would be performed in the state.

Statistics have shown that currently, the total delinquent amount of child support owed in California is approximately $1 billion.  When parents fall behind and fail to pay their child support obligations, they can face serious penalties, compounded interest and can even be charged with a crime in many situations.  Most people tend to understand that taking these enforcement steps often does nothing to make the payment of child support more likely, particularly if a non-custodial parent does not have the income or funds to make these payments.

When people decide that it's time to end their marriage for whatever reasons they believe are important, they often proceed to file the documentation necessary to get this process started.  Doing so in many situations is wise, as it takes time to complete a California divorce and the faster it gets started the sooner it's finished.  However, a recent study has revealed that many people who are going through a divorce would give thought to reconciliation, and this has prompted action from an interest group.

When people decide to attempt to negotiate a settlement in order to avoid a fully litigated divorce, they clearly have many issues to resolve that must be properly handled before that marriage can be legally dissolved. Generally, the financial aspects of a negotiated divorce settlement are extremely complicated, and most of the problems that have arisen over time have involved the decision regarding which spouse kept the marital house and how that debt would be handled.

When people of a high net worth decide that they want to end their marriage and the documents that tend to govern their relationship are either unclear or nonexistent, it can lead to years of nasty and costly litigation. Unfortunately, many of these situations also tend to play out in public, much to the chagrin of those involved and other family members. Unfortunately, a prolonged divorce battle between Frank and Jamie McCourt has also led to stress for fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it appears that at least the divorce aspect of this complicated situation may finally be coming to an end.