On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Child Support on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
In the latest development in a long-running child support dispute, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault was asked why he failed to promptly accept paternity of his son, whose mother is supermodel Linda Evangelista. Pinault claimed he was distracted by the birth of a second child he fathered with actress Salma Hayek, to whom he is currently married. In Maryland, an unmarried father's paternity must be established before he is obligated to pay child support.
Evangelista has requested that Pinault provide her with $46,000 each month in child support, a proposal that Pinault sees as "unreasonable." Evangelista argues that the billionaire should provide financial resources allowing the boy to receive the same level of support as his other daughter. Pinault claimed that Evangelista first requested child support from him in 2007, but that he rejected the proposal. He said that he made a counter-offer, but Evangelista never accepted or rejected it. She then sued Pinault for child support in 2010.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
While divorce is often stressful for separating couples in Maryland and elsewhere, it can be even more difficult for children. Children whose parents are undergoing divorce can feel confused, angry, guilty and depressed, making it important for parents to make the right decisions when telling their children about an ensuing divorce.
The founder of the Child-Centered Divorce Network says that divorcing parents should frequently remind their children that they are not to blame for the divorce. This is especially important in cases where a couple is fighting over child custody, as the child may perceive him or herself as the reason for the entire divorce. But she also recommends that parents avoid revealing too many details about the divorce to their children. While some parents do so in effort to bond with their children, she says too much information can "create a burden" that can leave a child even more confused.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Child Support on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Maryland Senate recently voted 25-21 in support of a bill that would suspend child support obligations for prison inmates. While the bill's critics question its implications, its sponsors say it will make sure convicts are able to make child support payments upon their release from prison.
The bill's sponsor argues that the bill is designed to prevent inmates from amassing large child support bills while they serve prison sentences without access to the funds. The senator claimed that this often makes inmates less likely to make payments after getting out of prison and can make it more difficult for them to find employment.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
According to data published by the National Center for State Courts, about one in four children with divorced or separated parents live in a different city than their noncustodial parents. In fact, approximately 75 percent of divorced mothers relocate at least once within four years of their separation, meaning that nearly 10 million children are unable to regularly interact directly with one of their parents.
As a solution, a number of states have implemented virtual visitation systems, which give noncustodial parents the right to interact with their children through electronic means, such as webcam chat, text messages, email and social media services. Maryland is not one of the six states to have implemented virtual visitation, but there have been bills introduced in 22 states.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Divorce on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
In an update on a subject previously covered by this blog, Maryland's Court of Appeals heard a case involving a lesbian couple seeking a divorce in the state. The women were married in a state that allows same-sex marriage, but filed for divorce in Maryland in 2010. A judge denied the request because Maryland does not currently recognize same-sex marriage, so the couple's marriage is not valid under state law.
The case could set a precedent in the way Maryland handles divorces between same-sex couples, but its implications could be obsolete soon, as Maryland is set to start allowing same-sex marriages in January 2013 under a recently passed law. Unless opponents of the law are successful in reversing it by referendum, the law will make same-sex divorces and marriages officially legal in Maryland.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Divorce on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
A pair of divorce mediators who are also mother and daughter recently held an expo designed to help single individuals deal with the struggles of divorce. They say the idea for a divorce expo came to them after attending a similar event in France. Although such expos have appeared in the United States in the past, they are typically more prominent in Europe.
Critics say the expo is unnecessary and may even be harmful. A representative for a Maryland group known as Marriage Savers argued that a divorce expo is laughable. She said what the community needs are better ways to help couples restore marriages. The group works with churches in various locations to slow the rate of divorce.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Divorce on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The Maryland Court of Appeals will hear the case of a same-sex couple that has requested a no-contest divorce. Courts in the state have thus far refused to grant the women a divorce.
The couple was wed in a nearby jurisdiction that recognizes same-sex marriage. After two years of marriage, the women say their relationship had become irretrievably broken. However, because Maryland does not recognize same-sex marriage, a judge ruled that the couple could not divorce in the state. Same-sex marriage was recently signed into law in Maryland, but it won't take effect until 2013.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Divorce on Friday, March 30, 2012
According to a new government study, couples in Maryland and across the country who live together before getting married do not necessarily face the increased chance of divorce they once had. The lead researcher behind the study explained that cohabitation before marriage is no longer the important factor in predicting divorces as it once was.
The research, which was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that nearly half of first marriages end in divorce before lasting 20 years. While 60 percent of couples in Maryland and across the U.S. live together before betting married today, only 10 percent of couples did so in the late 1960s. The CDC surveyed 22,000 American men and women between the ages of 15 and 44, around 40 percent of whom were married. The survey was conducted between 2006 and 2010.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Divorce on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
In a recent development in a divorce saga that this blog has previously reported on, a number of protesters and activists have called upon the chairman of the United States House Ways and Means Committee to push his employee to grant his wife a "get," also known as a Jewish divorce. The 35-year-old tax specialist has been targeted by activists since refusing to grant his wife a get following their divorce in 2010. Until he does so, Jewish law forbids the woman from uncovering her hair, having more children or remarrying.
In 2011, approximately 200 demonstrators gathered in the man's Maryland neighborhood to voice their support for the woman and call upon her husband to finally give her what she needs to resume life in the Jewish community. The demonstrators carried signs and chanted in support of the woman, who will remain an "aguna" -- a chained woman -- until she receives a proper Jewish divorce.
On behalf of Green & Weinstein, PC posted in Divorce on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Critics and supporters of same-sex marriage legislation in Maryland and elsewhere have long argued over the consequences of such laws on divorce, with some fearing it could raise divorce rates. According to data from the National Vital Statistics System at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, states that currently allow same-sex marriage generally see lower divorce rates.
Six states currently grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Maryland recently passed a law allowing same-sex marriage, but this legislation has yet to take effect. In 2010, the two states with the nation's lowest divorce rates, 2.4 per 1000 residents and 2.5 per 1000 residents, both allowed same-sex marriage.
