I received a call this week from “Tony,” a fictitious name for a man I represented in 1998, when he and his first wife had a 3 year old son together. He has been a generous and involved father to his child from that marriage for the entire 15 years since his divorce. He paidContinue reading “Don’t Take Your Ex’s Word for Everything”
Category Archives: Alimony
Whose divorce is this, anyway?
I had a surprising phone call today with an old friend. He has been in the divorce process for almost a year, and could not see a way to conclude the process and get on with his life. The reason, sadly, is because his wife won’t let him. After all of these years of lettingContinue reading “Whose divorce is this, anyway?”
Getta’ loada’ THIS guy!
I rarely do this, but – you think your ex (or soon-to-be-ex) is a jerk? Getta’ loada’ THIS guy! Mr. and Mrs. “Michaels” were married while Mr. Michaels was finishing his education at a prominent New York law school. Mrs. Michaels worked two jobs so they could afford a decent place to live while herContinue reading “Getta’ loada’ THIS guy!”
Don’t underestimate the value of your in-laws…
What is the value of keeping your in-laws in a divorce? I recently heard a woman make an argument that she should be entitled to increased alimony because she lives closer to her in-laws than to her own parents. Many states use a rubric of factors to determine alimony. Factors may include length of theContinue reading “Don’t underestimate the value of your in-laws…”
What is the goal of a mediated divorce?
In a mediated divorce we are trying to make sure that everyone gets a fair share of all available resources, including the assets and debts, the income, and time with the children. But in a litigated divorce there’s an extra item to distribute: Blame. Unlike everything else on the list, there is usually moreContinue reading “What is the goal of a mediated divorce?”
The Pennsylvania Alimony Chart (Or – Why to Hire a Good Attorney)
Attorney Jones and her client Mr. Bob walk into the conference room at Attorney Jones’ Connecticut law office. They are expecting to take Mrs. Bob’s deposition today; and they have hired a court stenographer to record the proceedings. Mrs. Bob is sitting there, alone, with a manila folder of papers on the table in frontContinue reading “The Pennsylvania Alimony Chart (Or – Why to Hire a Good Attorney)”
When the Divorce Turned Ugly
The minute she found out he has a girlfriend. Here is a phone call I had this week with a new client. We’ll call him Burt. Burt: I need a new lawyer. The one I have been using ruined my divorce. Me: That’s terrible! What happened? Burt: I have no idea. My wife threw meContinue reading “When the Divorce Turned Ugly”
Moore and Kutcher: the breaking of a pre nup
Despite his forays into the twitterverse, apparently Ashton Kutcher forgot to read my tweet (@luvyrdivorce) about Eva Longoria from last spring… when Eva Longoria tried to avoid her own pre-nuptial agreement. To wit: Pre nuptial agreements are frequently used in marriages when the parties want a clean record of who brought what to the marriage and what each party mayContinue reading “Moore and Kutcher: the breaking of a pre nup”
How to avoid creating a murderer
Happy Halloween. Here is the scariest thing I saw today: “Wife shall purchase Life Insurance in the amount of the outstanding mortgage on the marital residence naming Husband as beneficiary.” Gave me chills – like reading the woman’s death warrant. Spooky on Halloween! Not so bad by itself – I agree – but this wasContinue reading “How to avoid creating a murderer”
How Long Should Alimony Last?
Not every divorce is an alimony case – if both people worked full-time and paid the bills equally and have the ability to continue supporting themselves, most states will not assign alimony payments. If one spouse stayed home (or spent the days playing tennis), raised children (or pets), and ran the household (well or poorly),Continue reading “How Long Should Alimony Last?”
Love Your Divorce 