Family Law

Judge Blasts Actress for ‘Callous’ YouTube Video, Upholds Prenup

A New York judge has blasted a British actress for ranting against her husband in a YouTube video and upheld her prenuptial agreement that limited her divorce settlement to $750,000. Judge Harold Beeler gave actress Tricia Walsh Smith a month to leave the swank New York apartment she had shared…

Jul 22, 2008 12:48 PM CDT

Mom Accused of Munchausen’s Seeks Free Transcript in Custody Appeal

An Ohio woman accused of seeking unnecessary medical treatment of her son is seeking free transcripts for a temporary custody appeal. Angie Cox of Findlay says she and her husband, Chris, have spent more than $30,000 so far on their case and cannot afford another $15,000 to $20,000 to get…

Jul 21, 2008 5:26 PM CDT

Same-Sex Partner Can’t Sue in Mass. Med-Mal Case

A Massachusetts woman in a same-sex relationship who married her partner as soon as it was possible to do so in the state cannot act as a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case concerning a time before the two were legally wed, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has decided.…

Jul 11, 2008 7:52 PM CDT

Sudden Settlement Ends Lurid Trial in Christie Brinkley Divorce

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley, 54, and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Peter Cook, 49, suddenly reached a settlement of their ongoing divorce trial this morning after an all-night negotiating session. The 6:15 a.m. pact calls for Brinkley to get custody of their children, and to pay Cook, an architect, a $2.1 million settlement,…

Jul 10, 2008 7:54 PM CDT

Divorce Deli Offers Menu of Marriage Dissolution Options

Rather than fighting a trend toward more individual involvement in their own legal matters, a Florida matrimonial lawyer is joining it. For those seeking an end to their marriages on a low-budget basis, Steven Miller of Plantation offers an a la carte menu of legal services and self-help options on…

Jul 10, 2008 5:26 PM CDT

Mom Asks Judge to Restrict Visitation for Satanist Ex-Husband

A mother is asking an Indiana judge to force her Satanist ex-husband to drop off her three children at her Christian church on Sunday mornings. Kristie Meyer says her former spouse’s religious beliefs expose their children to embarrassment and confusion, and his visitation time should be restricted, the Chicago Tribune…

Jul 9, 2008 3:31 PM CDT

Advice Those Divorcing Celebrities Should Have Followed

A Catholic priest who counsels engaged couples says divorcing celebrities should have known that falling deeply in love does not necessarily mean the marriage will work. The latest celebrity divorce involves famed New York Yankees third baseman Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez, whose wife Cynthia Rodriguez filed for divorce earlier this week.…

Jul 9, 2008 12:12 PM CDT

Are Lawyers Becoming ‘Luxury Goods’?

Lawyers increasingly are becoming like luxury goods to many would-be clients, an expensive article that they can’t afford or don’t want to make a priority. And that is bad news for the profession as well as for the public, says a recent article in the National (PDF), a magazine published…

Jul 7, 2008 8:42 PM CDT

As A-Rod’s Wife Files for Divorce, He Retains Shaq’s Attorney

Updated: Cynthia Rodriguez, the wife of famed New York Yankees third baseman Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez filed for divorce in Florida today, alleging infidelity and emotional abandonment of his family. But her soon-to-be ex-husband has lost no time in retaining a high-profile Miami divorce attorney. Ira Elegant, who also represents basketball…

Jul 7, 2008 6:26 PM CDT

Mom Charged After Son’s ‘Highly Curable’ Cancer Goes Untreated

A 36-year-old mother has been charged with child endangerment for allegedly failing to see that her 8-year-old son got follow-up treatment for his “highly curable” cancer. The boy, who is autistic, is now back in the hospital with a recurrence of his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is not expected to survive,…

Jul 2, 2008 5:44 PM CDT

Former Big-Firm Lawyer, Now Jobless, Still on the Hook for Alimony

A Massachusetts appeals court has affirmed an order requiring a former big law firm lawyer to pay his ex-wife more than $700 a week in alimony even though he is now unemployed. The lawyer had been a former U.S. Supreme Court law clerk and went on to work as an…

Jul 1, 2008 1:35 PM CDT

What Should a Judge Do When Child Custody and Immigration Rules Clash?

If Carlos Alvarado is deported to Mexico, he loses the ability to see his 10-year-old son on a regular basis. Plus, in all likelihood, he won’t be able to pay his court-ordered $276 monthly child support to the boy’s mother, a legal permanent resident from Belize. But immigration courts generally…

Jun 30, 2008 5:06 PM CDT

Who’s the Victim? Spurned Wife or Hubby Trashed on YouTube?

Did Tricia Walsh Smith have a right to say what she thought about her soon-to-be-ex-husband? That is the question a New York court must decide, in a divorce trial between the 49-year-old British actress and her husband, Philip Smith, 74, a publicity-shy theater owner, reports Reuters. Tricia Smith didn’t hold…

Jun 26, 2008 10:38 PM CDT

Attorney for Sect Teen Refuses to Testify in Texas Grand Jury Hearing

A Texas grand jury apparently investigating alleged sexual abuse of girls by a polygamous religious sect reportedly tried to call an attorney for one 16-year-old, Natalie Malonis, to testify yesterday. But Malonis refused, citing attorney-client privilege, which led to an interruption in the San Angelo grand jury hearing as Judge…

Jun 26, 2008 6:06 PM CDT

Madonna Consults Top UK Lawyer re Possible Divorce

The seven-year itch has apparently struck pop singer Madonna, who is reportedly consulting with a top United Kingdom matrimonial lawyer for legal advice about a possible divorce from her husband of seven years, Guy Ritchie, 39. Attorney Fiona Shackleton, 52, who successfully represented ex-Beatle Paul McCartney in his divorce from…

Jun 26, 2008 4:31 PM CDT