Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog

Last month, Marie Claire published a story on "manimony" -- what it terms the divorce payouts many of Hollywood's highest-paid female stars end up paying in support and lump-sum payments to their exes when they divorce.

A few of the highlights: Sandra Bullock quickly filed for divorce from Jesse James last year, and he refused spousal support, which he wasn't entitled to in Texas, where they divorced; when Madonna and director Guy Ritchie separated in 2008, she gave him almost one-fifth of her estimated net worth of $500 million for a divorce; comedian Roseanne Barr ignored the advice of her attorney in 1990 when she decided against a pre-nup with Tom Arnold, leading her to shelling out a reported $50 million after their 1994 divorce.

Continue reading "Magazine Looks at Cost of Divorce for Hollywood's Women" »

New research in the June issue of the American Sociological Review suggests young children of divorce are more likely to not only experience anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem and sadness, but also to have long-lasting effects. Specifically, the study suggests children's interpersonal skills and math test scores are negatively impacted by divorce.

Although they don't seem to "experience detrimental setbacks in the pre-divorce period," according to study author Hyun Sik Kim, "there is no sign that children of divorce catch up with this counterparts, either."

Continue reading "Divorce Impacts Kids' Math Scores, Friendships" »

During a routine child custody exchange, 25-year-old Christopher Erdman allegedly shot and killed Sharon Lawrence, the mother of his children. Erdman has been charged with murder for shooting 25-year-old Lawrence four times in a Milton, Georgia parking lot near a bank branch.

Police say their two children, who witnessed the shooting, were taken by Erdman to a family member's home before he took Lawrence to the hospital, where authorities arrested him. Relatives say the couple used to live together.

Continue reading "Woman Killed During Custody Exchange" »

A Swedish study just released suggests a person's commute time increases the chances the person will separate or divorce by 40%. The results indicate a long commute is tougher on women and than men and is usually highest during the first few years of a commute.

New Yorkers seemed to have escaped the phenomenon, which is relatively new to Swedes: New Yorkers have the longest average commute in the US, but they also have one of the lowest divorce rates, suggesting other factors affect the deterioration of a marriage.

Continue reading "Long Commutes Lead to Divorce?" »

According to a new report released by the US Census Bureau, more Americans are waiting longer to get married, with many living together and others just getting choosier. In 2009, about 47% of women aged 25-29 have never married, almost double the 26% reported in 1986. The "most noticeable changes in marital patterns" is in the increase in the age of couples at their first marriage.

The youngest brides were most likely to be Hispanic, with only about 35% aged 25-29 reporting never marrying; black women were the least likely to marry between 25-29, with less than 30% reporting marrying.

Continue reading "US Couples Waiting Longer to Marry" »

In a decision that overturned a lower court's ruling, Massachusetts' Court of Appeals ruled earlier this week that a retired Air Force officer's pension should be treated as a marital asset, rather than as income in cases of divorce. In his ruling, the judge ruled that retired USAF Lt. Col. Michael S. Casey's after-tax pension of $867 per week should be treated as income in his divorce from his wife of 17 years, Deanne E. Casey.

In their decision, the Appeals Court noted that the US Supreme Court leaves states to decide whether to treat pensions as income or a marital asset. The justices Ms. Casey, a nurse, sacrificed her career for her then-husband, who spent much of his career as a NATO staffer in Europe.

Continue reading "Massachusetts Appeals Court Says Military Pension is Marital" »

On Wednesday, a Broward County, Florida was sentenced to three years' probation for holding a steak knife to her husband's throat as she demanded he sign divorce papers and the deed to their house. In the May 2009 confrontation, 53-year-old Tamara Strulovici, who pleaded no contest to aggravated assault after prosecutors dropped an attempted murder charge, approached her husband from behind before putting the knife to his throat. She eventually sliced the fingers of his left hand.

Through a Russian interpreter, Strulovici indicated that she was "not sure" whether she and her husband, James Little, are still married. "I heard the rumors that he did apply for a divorce, [but] I don't do that because I don't have any money."

Continue reading "Florida Woman Sentenced for Demanding Divorce with Knife" »

Last month, Missouri lawmakers unanimously passed what is the first major overhaul of domestic violence laws in the state in four decades. Changes to the bill, which the House passed 138-0, and the Senate voted 33-0, followed most recommendations of the domestic violence task force, specially created by the attorney general's office.

Included among the bill's changes are that people seeking protection orders will no longer be charged filing fees, and judges will be able to customize terms of an order according to the situation.

Continue reading "Missouri Overhauls Domestic Violence Laws" »