For many years, fathers have argued for more parity in custody arrangements. But instead of making their case to a judge, they are now helping promote bills that would alter state laws pertaining to custody arrangements. As recently reported by the Wall Street Journal, 20 states are currently considering legislation regarding shared parenting. The proposals call for judges to “maximize”…
Divorced parents may worry that their former spouses speak badly about them to their children, but when do a few negative comments cross the line and become psychologically damaging to a child and destroy the parent-child relationship? Parental Alienation Syndrome, or PAS, occurs when a parent actively tries to distort a child’s perception of the other parent so that they…
A major source of stress on a marriage often occurs when one partner falls prey to a serious illness. Although many marriages can and do weather the storm of sickness, a new study indicates that the likelihood of divorce increases substantially after illness, particularly if the wife is afflicted. Researchers studied divorce rates among couples where one spouse was diagnosed…
A child’s preference for living with a parent can affect custody decisions in many states, including New York. However, while most judges will consider a stated preference, they are still obligated to rule in a way that protects a child’s best interest. Judges have a great deal of leeway when they make custody decisions. Among the factors they may consider…
Although all couples experience stressors to their marriages, those living abroad as expatriates (commonly called “expats”) often find these difficulties are amplified when living a new culture, far from friends, family and their previous support systems. According to a new study on expat marriages, the so-called “trailing” spouses of expat workers often feel isolated and without an identity in their…
Long Island attorney urges people to divorce before they cheat. Ashley Madison, the dating website that helps married people commit adultery, has been hit by hackers. “Ashley Madison” has millions of customers who have provided their credit card and personal information to the site in the hopes of linking up with other customers for casual, anonymous affairs. It caters to…
For years, Facebook has been used as a way to connect people, but recently it became the vehicle to sever the bonds of marriage. While admittedly a nontraditional approach, a Brooklyn judge recently approved the use of Facebook to serve divorce summons. The summons was sent via a private message from a 26-year-old nurse’s Facebook account to the defendant who…
What used to be a rare occurrence is now quite common: children frequently travel to international and exotic locales. But what if you are divorced and your ex-spouse who wants to take your child beyond U.S. borders? While such trips may not present a risk to many divorced couples, other individuals may worry that once a child is on foreign…
With all of the necessary tasks to accomplish when getting a divorce, managing one’s money — and taking care of financial details expressly related to a settlement — may sometimes end up on the backburner. Unfortunately, the consequences of this approach can add to the difficulties involved in divorce proceedings. To help ensure your money is well managed before and…
Maintaining one’s privacy is not just a problem that affects divorcing celebrities — it may also be problematic for other high-profile people, including professionals and wealthy individuals. When the details of divorce proceedings are publicly released, it can often damage the reputation and work lives of the parties involved for years to come, not to mention the impact on any…