Posted on June 10, 2014 in Divorce

The University of Missouri recently published research results on how Twitter and social media can be hazardous to the health of our personal relationships. And while social networks have revolutionized how we build and maintain our relationships, researcher Russell Clayton, a doctoral student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, claims that active Twitter users are more likely to experience conflict in the romance department.

According to an article recapping Clayton's findings published by the MU News, Clayton's research indicates that active Twitter users may find themselves outside the door looking in, as excessive Twitter use can lead to emotional and/or physical cheating or even divorce.

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 Posted on June 05, 2014 in Divorce

A new study published by the University of Illinois confirms that couples who equally share responsibility for the household chores have a better chance of staying together and avoiding divorce court.

The study, recently conducted with over 220 couples participating, concluded that wives who choose to equally divide the daily household chores are significantly happier, especially when their husbands are totally agreeable. If the husband falls behind in his duties or flat out refuses to cooperate, the wives' happiness sharply plummets. Hence the saying, “a happy wife, a happy life!”

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 Posted on June 03, 2014 in Divorce

Even the most civil of divorces can quickly turn acrimonious. A couple starts out the process with the goal of quickly coming to a settlement agreement in order to both be able to move forward with their lives. But issues such as child custody and support issues, property division, and financial asset division can overshadow that goal of a quick and friendly divorce. And then the couple is faced with long, drawn out divorce negotiations, which typically include oral depositions taken during this process.

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 Posted on May 29, 2014 in Child Custody and Support

An increasing number of judges are recognizing the dangers to children exposed to secondhand smoke and are factoring in a parent’s smoking when deciding custody issues.

It is well-documented that smoking is bad for your health. Multiple studies have also proven that second-hand smoke is bad for the health of people who are exposed to a smoker’s cigarette smoking. Second-hand smoke has been labeled as a Class A carcinogen. There are more than 40 substances that are known to cause cancer. Second-hand smoke also contains substances that can damage and others human organs and tissues.

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 Posted on May 27, 2014 in Divorce

A new study revealed that, in older couples, the divorce rate increases when the wife becomes seriously ill; however, not when the husband becomes ill.

The study was done by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Michigan. Researchers pulled 2,717 marriages from the Health and Retirement Study. The data they pulled was from 1992 to 2010. The study examined how illness impacted marriages over the course of time.

In each of the marriages, gender played an extensive role in whether or not the couple was able to maintain the marriage while dealing with the spouse’s health crisis. During the study period, 31 percent of the couples divorced. In 15 percent of those divorcing couples, the wife had become seriously ill. However, more husbands in the study faced serious illness, such as heart problems, cancer, stroke, or lung disease, than wives. And by the end of the survey period, 41 percent of the couples became widowed while 47 percent faced a new serious health issue.

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 Posted on May 22, 2014 in Divorce

There are several items to negotiate during a divorce and because of this, it is easy to overlook issues that can later turn out to be essential ones. Many divorcing couples with young children do not consider the issue of college expenses and tuition because it seems years away. However, with each passing year, high school graduation dates move closer to reality.

Regardless of the age of your children, make sure you discuss how college expenses will be divided and shared between both you and your ex, and that it is specifically spelled out in the divorce agreement. Otherwise, one parent could end up footing the majority, if not all, of the expense. And it is not just tuition that needs to be agreed on. Remember to also include other expenses such as fees, books, supplies, housing, transportation, and any other expenses incurred by college students.

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 Posted on May 21, 2014 in Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

Come this November, voters in Colorado could be voting on a ballot initiative that would require mandatory pre-marriage education classes for couples wanting to get married. Those getting married for the first time would be required to complete 10 hours of marriage education classes. For people who are planning their second marriage, 20 hours of marriage education is required. And for those making their third trip to the altar, 30 hours of class time would be required.

The pull to initiate premarital counseling was started by Kids Against Divorce, with Colorado being the first targeted. However, the group has plans to present similar bills throughout several states. And although there are currently no states that require pre-marriage education, some couples do choose to attend premarital counseling sessions before they wed.

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 Posted on May 14, 2014 in Divorce

One of the more difficult aspects of divorce is balancing the emotional with the need to stay rational and focused for the “business” side of the divorce. It is especially difficult if you are hoping to reconcile with your spouse before the divorce actually happens. Even if you are the one who wants the divorce, it can still be emotionally painful at times. No matter the situation or how you feel about the breakup of your marriage, there are steps you should take to financially protect yourself, especially when determining how the marital estate will be divided.

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 Posted on May 12, 2014 in Divorce

When discussing divorce property settlements, most people think of items such as the family home, vacation properties, bank accounts, and other financial accounts. However, several other items are also part of a marital estate that do not typically come to mind, including interspousal gifts.

A Florida woman recently learned how a cemetery plot, given to her by a family member, became part of the marital estate due to the legal rules that apply to interspousal gifts.

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 Posted on May 07, 2014 in Divorce

According to the Institute for College Access and Success, people who graduated with bachelor degrees in 2012 left college with an average of $29,400 in student loans. Those graduates who earned more advanced degrees had even greater student loan debt. And for young couples who marry today, that means double the student loan debt when both spouses bring their educational debt into the marriage.

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