Legal News Articles - Family Law

Sacramento, CA: Divorce in California is a community affair. No, it's not that the entire community gets involved [although there are those who will tell you otherwise]. Rather, it's that aspect of Family Law in California that dictates whether your divorce will be governed by community property or equitable distribution. Divorce lawyers will guide you through this, of course—but here's the skinny that may save you your shirt…

Tampa Bay, FL: A former professional baseball player has appeared in court in Florida after failing to pay child support, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

Birmingham, AL: A recent audit by the Social Security Administration's inspector general indicates that managers at the main state office that evaluates Social Security disability claims repeatedly pressured medical consultants to approve more cases for benefits.

San Francisco, CA: Three years after her death, Anna Nicole Smith's inheritance lawsuit may finally have come to an end, as a federal appellate court panel recently ruled that Smith's estate is not entitled to any of the $1.6 billion left behind by the former Playboy model's late husband, J. Howard Marshall.

Charleston, WV: Deadbeat parents owe millions in support payments to children in West Virginia, and attorney Charles "Rusty" Webb is doing his level best to make sure they pay up. He recently filed a legal malpractice class action lawsuit against the State Bureau of Child Support Enforcement, alleging that it is negligent in its duty to aggressively pursue parents who ignore court orders to make child support payments.

Middletown, OH: A recent ruling in Middletown may go a long way towards lowering the rates of throat cancer in children as the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals has upheld a previous decision to forbid smoking around a child - a ruling that could greatly shape future child custody laws.

Fairfax, VA: The law works in mysterious ways sometimes, as does family law. A recent spousal support claim tested the child custody laws and law in general in a way that might leave one at a loss to understand the outcome. Either way it makes for interesting reading.

Nashville, TN: The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that a lesbian mother can gain custody of her 14-year-old daughter while having a live-in partner.

Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles attorney Ben Berkley says if you're thinking about getting married again, best to "kick the tires and take a look under the hood" before you tie the knot. "The sad truth is 70 percent of marriages end in divorce, and the second marriages are often shorter than the first," says Berkley.

Wernersville, PA: The ongoing revelations with regard to the separation of the infamous Jon and Kate, of Jon & Kate Plus 8 fame is once again a stark reminder that divorce is happening all around us. If you haven't gone through a divorce, someone you know has been touched by family law. Your kids have friends who have to schedule visits with Daddy every other weekend.