LawyersUSA

Fighting over Mom and Dad

A growing trend of custody battles involving adult children fighting over where theri parents should live and who should control their finances has fostered a new preemptive tool: elder mediation.

Across the U.S., family lawyers and estate planners are turning to mediators – and sometimes serving as mediators themselves – to resolve family disputes involving elderly parents.

Marriage amendment trumps same-sex domestic partner benefits

A state marriage amendment bars public employers from providing benefits to same-sex domestic partners of their employees, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled in dismissing a petition for declaratory judgment.

Unregistered domestic partner still has rights

A gay man who believed his domestic partnership was properly registered under state law retains his rights, even if the registration never actually took place, the California Court of Appeal has ruled.

Breaking up is even harder to do

Under the best of circumstances, divorce proceedings rarely are completely pleasant or smooth-sailing for a couple and their lawyers.

But in an uncertain economy and shaky housing market, divorce is becoming increasingly complicated.

$550,000 in emotionally charged bigamy case

From a legal perspective, it was a straightforward case of deceit and misrepresentation.

But from any other perspective, Weerasinghe Turner v. Viveiros was anything but straightforward, as the Sri Lankan plaintiff charged her American husband with bigamy and stealing her virginity. 

Father awarded $3M for interference with custody

A father was entitled to damages for the intentional interference with his custody and visitation rights by his ex-wife and her mother, Maryland’s highest court has ruled in affirming a $3 million jury award.