Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog

Singer Seal and his German model wife, Heidi Klum, have decided to separate after seven years of marriage. The couple, known for renewing their vows annually, have three children together, and were considered one of the more solid celebrity couplings.

News of their separation broke Sunday following rampant reports that Klum would file for divorce from Seal. In a joint statement, the couple said, "While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate.

Continue reading "Seal and Heidi Klum to Separate" »

On Friday, Vanessa Bryant, wife of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, filed for divorce from the NBA star in Orange County, California. Citing irreconcilable differences, the filing comes 10 years after they married.

It's also eight years after Bryant was accused and charged with the rape of a 19-year-old hotel worker. Bryant, who admitted to having sex with the girl, denied assaulting her and never faced trial because the girl refused to testify. Following the accusation, Vanessa famously stayed by Bryant's side and was reportedly gifted with an 8-carat, $4 million diamond ring for supporting him.

Continue reading "NBA Star Facing Divorce Proceedings" »

An attorney for Laura Walsh, ex-wife of Tea Party darling and first-term US Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), says the congressman is behind more than $100,000 in child-support payments. Ms. Walsh, who has returned to court numerous times since filing for divorce in 2002, argues Rep. Walsh has failed to meet his court-ordered child-support obligations, at times paying half of the ordered amount or nothing at all. Her ex-husband claimed he had no money and was unable to make payments as ordered.

She first became suspicious last year when Rep. Walsh made a $35,000 contribution to his own congressional campaign, contradicting his claims he was broke. Her attorney filed the Motion for Contempt and sought an Order to Show Cause. Cook County Circuit Judge Raul Vega agreed to issue show cause order, which will force Rep. Walsh to prove he doesn't owe the money or face being held in contempt.

Continue reading "Tea Party Favorite Delinquent with Child-Support Payments" »

William Flowers, who divorced his ex-wife, Lacey, in 2004, has lost his battle for primary custody of his 14-year-old son and 9-year-old twin daughters, arguing the Texas judge ruled against him because he's homophobic. Now Flowers, who married his husband, Jim Evans, in Connecticut last year, plans to appeal the decision and says it prevents them from having a normal family life.

And they're not the only people opposed to the decision. Loud protests were witnessed on the steps of Houston's civil courthouse last week when Judge Charley Prine of the 309th Court signed the child possession order. In the order, Prine wrote Flowers could never leave his kids without anyone they are not related to "by blood or adoption" without Ms. Flowers' consent.

Continue reading "Texas Gay Couple to Challenge Judge's Custody Ruling " »

A Pennsylvania divorced dad of two boys has been ruled by a Bucks County judge to close down his blog criticizing his ex-wife and their on-going custody battles. Family Court Judge Diane Gibbons last month ordered Anthony Morelli, 42, to shut down thepsychoexwife.com, a blog he began in 2007, saying, "This is about children. You may say anything you would like to say. You may publish it. You may put it on a billboard. But you will not have your children, because that is abusive."

In response, Morelli has hired an attorney to appeal the ruling, arguing the decision violates his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. "In my view, the judge crossed the legal line, from determining custody to controlling [his] behavior. My client's actions are protected by the First Amendment," attorney Kevin Handy said. Morelli said he started the site not to "bash" his ex-wife, but the inflammatory style is to attract other people with similar problems. He claims about 200,000 people visited the site each month.

Continue reading "Man to Fight Order to Shut Down Blog About Ex" »

In what sounds like a scene from his television series, Homicide: Life on the Street, actor Daniel Baldwin--brother of Alec Baldwin--filed for divorce from his wife of four years because, as his divorce complaint alleges, she threatened to kill him. Joanne, according to Daniel, came into their bedroom one night earlier this month and informed him she'd watched a documentary on women who kill their husbands.

Baldwin says she then declared, "Now I know how to do it, I understand why they did it. You have been warned." Their daughter heard the remark and asked, "Is mommy going to kill us?" Joanne then punched him in the head, hit him in the face with a phone, slapped him, and pulled a knife on him. After obtaining a temporary restraining order, Baldwin said, "Due to recent events in our home and for the safety of my children and myself, I have made this decision."

Continue reading "Television Star Files for Divorce, Says Wife Attacked Him" »

The second man to walk on the moon and Dancing with the Stars alum, Buzz Aldrin, is separating from his wife, Lois Driggs Cannon after 23 years of marriage. He and Driggs Cannon, his third wife, married on Valentine's Day, 1988. In his Los Angeles County divorce filing, Aldrin blames "irreconcilable differences" for their marriage's failure. He filed just two days after the couple separated.

Continue reading "Astronaut Divorcing" »

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" »

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" »

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a new bill that would ban parents from "conducting a dating or sexual relationship" within their home until their divorces are final. The bill's sponsor, Robert Leclair, who reportedly went through a contentious divorce himself and is the former president of the disbanded Fathers United for Equal Justice, argues the bill is intended to prevent domestic violence and shield children until the parents have resolved their divorce.

Critics of the bill argue that it takes away parents' rights and could be unconstitutional.

Continue reading "Bill Seeks to Ban Divorcing Parents From Engaging in Sex at Home" »