Family Law

MySpace Case: Judge Says ‘Friend Request’ Can Violate Protective Order

Sending a MySpace “friend request” to a person who holds a protective order against you requiring no contact is a violation of the order. Hence, a municipal judge in Staten Island, N.Y., has declined to dismiss a criminal contempt case against a 16-year-old. She allegedly made the Internet communication, in…

Feb 15, 2008 7:34 PM CST

Radio Station Prize: Free Divorce Lawyer in Feb. 14 Contest

In honor of Valentine’s Day, a radio station in Charleston, W. Va., is running a contest that offers a free divorce lawyer to an unhappy spouse. The contest ends at 4 p.m. on Feb. 14, and the winner’s name is to be drawn at 5 p.m. the same day. The…

Feb 13, 2008 10:48 PM CST

Judges Increasingly Asked to Weigh Religion in Custody Battles

Child custody disputes involving religion are increasing, creating quandaries for judges who don’t want to favor one faith over another. Ronald William Nelson, chair of the ABA Family Law Section’s Custody Committee, told the New York Times the increase correlates with a hike in contentious custody battles. Parents involved in…

Feb 13, 2008 6:45 PM CST

New Matrimonial Tactic: Hire Hot PD to Test Spouse’s Loyalty

Business is reportedly brisk at private detective agencies in Britain that are offering a popular new service. For those who doubt a spouse’s adherence to his or her marriage vows, an attractive private detective can be hired to test the loved one’s loyalty by flirting with the suspect in public…

Feb 13, 2008 5:22 PM CST

Australia to Apologize to Aborigines, But No Compensation is Planned

Australia’s prime minister plans to apologize tomorrow to the country’s indigenous minority residents for decades of historic mistreatment, including the removal of aboriginal children from their family homes to be raised elsewhere until as recently as the 1960s. The apology, which has been requested for years, includes repeated use of…

Feb 12, 2008 11:22 PM CST

Archbishop Ignites U.K. Firestorm With Support of Islamic Religious Law

Updated: The Archbishop of Canterbury is front-page news throughout the United Kingdom today, facing a firestorm of criticism even from his own bishops following his reported call for Britain, at least to some extent, to recognize Islamic religious law based on the Koran. Now, however, Dr. Rowan Williams is saying…

Feb 8, 2008 4:46 PM CST

New Bridezilla Tactic: Require a Bridesmaid Contract?

Think you’ve heard it all about bad behavior by soon-to-be brides planning their big day? Think again. One in five women who participated in a recent magazine survey said she would like to require her bridesmaids to sign the wedding-day equivalent of a prenuptial agreement, reports the Daily Mail. Asked…

Feb 4, 2008 9:10 PM CST

For Mail-Order Brides, Happily Ever After

Layli Miller-Muro isn’t down on love. She doesn’t hate men, and she doesn’t want to prevent them from following their hearts—even to other countries.

Feb 1, 2008 4:32 PM CST

Author Put Dad in Prison for Child Abuse, But Still Loves Him

A British author who says she was sexually abused by her father since age 8 has written a book about the experience—and the strong emotional bond she still has with both of her parents, as an adult, despite their failure to protect her as she was growing up. After she…

Jan 23, 2008 5:35 PM CST

N.J. Supreme Court Considers Palimony for Longtime Mistress

The longtime mistress of a New York City ophthalmologist is contending their relationship—which never involved cohabitation—makes her eligible for palimony. New Jersey has allowed actions for palimony by those cohabiting with a partner in long-term relationships. The plaintiff in the new case, Helen Devaney, resided in a New Jersey apartment…

Jan 23, 2008 4:05 PM CST

Citizen-Launched Kan. Grand Juries Pursue Abortion & Porn Cases

An almost-forgotten law in Kansas that allows citizens to convene grand juries reportedly has become a tool for local conservatives to use to force prosecutors to pursue abortion and pornography cases. A citizen petition drive, for instance, impaneled a grand jury earlier this month to investigate Dr. George Tiller, who…

Jan 18, 2008 6:29 PM CST

Eddie Murphy, Wife Split After 2 Weeks, But Don’t Need Divorce

Comedian Eddie Murphy, 46, and his wife of two weeks, film producer Tracey Edmonds, 40, have decided to call it quits. However, they don’t need a divorce. Because they were married Jan. 1 on a private island near Bora Bora, and U.S. law requires a wedding on American soil to…

Jan 17, 2008 4:37 PM CST

Prominent Lawyer’s Steamy Affair Heats Up Legal Ethics Controversy

Newly publicized details of a prominent Canadian lawyer’s alleged steamy affair with a client are prompting renewed questions about whether an existing legal ethics rule concerning conflicts of interest is specific and stringent enough—as written, and as applied. George Hunter was sued in November along with his well-known law firm…

Jan 15, 2008 10:58 PM CST

Miami Court Worker Charged in Quickie Divorce Scam

A 16-year employee of the Miami-Dade clerk of courts office has been charged with using her now-former job to scam couples seeking quickie divorces. Olga Avila allegedly charged couples she met through the courts’ Self Help program $670, of which $364 represented filing fees she paid. Authorities say she filled…

Jan 15, 2008 5:11 PM CST

LGBT Legal Clinic to Open in Md.?

Lawyers in Baltimore are organizing a fledgling legal clinic for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered clients. If it gets off the ground, it reportedly will be the first LGBT clinic in the state of Maryland and one of the few in the country. Individuals working with the FreeState Law Project…

Jan 15, 2008 1:33 AM CST