Recent Blog Posts in 2010

In the state of North Carolina, Lindy Faison, the wife of North Carolina representative Bill Faison, has filed a complaint with the Orange County Civil Superior Court. Her complaint was filed to address issues relating to post separation support, alimony and property division.

In her complaint, Lindy states that her husband abandoned the marital home and left her without any funds. She also says that she was left with the responsibility of taking care of 30 horses that her husband bred.

Bill Faison is a Democrat serving his third term. He has not returned any phone calls or e-mails requesting comments on his legal situation. However, it has been revealed that he is running for reelection on November 2^nd.

Lindy has also asserted that she and her husband had a good marriage and the beginning, but after having four children in five years her husband "complained and ridiculed the Plaintiff for being exhausted physically after taking care of four young children and thirty horses all day long."  She also states that her husband had an affair with a waitress at a Chinese restaurant in 2002. 

At this time, she is asking for an award for post separation support, unequal distribution of marital and divisible property in her favor as well as alimony.

If you need assistance with family legal matters, contact the Law Office of Michael Young to discuss your case with a Riverside family lawyer.

This week in Los Angeles, one of the richest men in the United States has been cleared of the need to pay his adult children retroactive child support payments following a lengthy legal battle.

Donald Bren, a wealthy property developer that has an estimated net worth of $12 billion, is ranked in Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest Americans.  His children, 22-year-old Christie Bren and 18-year-old David Bren were seeking retroactive child support totaling $400,000 each month.

They argued in court that the payment Bren made to their mother, Jennifer McKay Gold, were well below what they would have been awarded had the case been settled in family court.  During proceedings, 78 year old Bren was described as being an absent father who was never there for the children.

It took the jury three hours to decide that Bren did not need to pay his children any more than the $9 million here ready paid in child support plus his commitment to pay for their education until the age of 25.

Going through a child support battle of your own?  Contact our law office to discuss your case with a Riverside family law attorney.

In the state of California, it has been reported that after it nine years of marriage, rockstar Slash has filed for divorce from his wife Perla Ferrar.  The announcement was made Monday of this week.

Sources say a divorce petition was filed in Los Angeles court and seek the termination of marriage based upon the irreconcilable differences.

Slash, who is the former lead guitarist for Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, is asking for joint physical and legal custody of the couple's two sons, eight-year-old London Emilio and six-year-old Cash Anthony. 

45-year-old Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson, lists the date of separation as July 15, 2010.  He married his wife in October 2001 and this is his second marriage.

If you are going through a divorce in Riverside, contact our law office to speak with a Riverside divorce attorney who can help you get through your legal proceedings.

In King County, local prosecutors are saying that a woman faked her pregnancy in order to get child support payments.  31-year-old Carmen L. Johnsen managed to get $3,500 in child support payments from a man who believed he was the father of her "unborn" child.

 Johnsen was charged with theft, perjury in the first degree and forgery.  She even printed a fake death notice and claim that she had miscarried. 

In December 2008, Johnsen told the man she was pregnant with his baby. The next month, she took two pregnancy tests, which were both negative.  Even though she knew she wasn't pregnant, she told the man that she had a history of miscarriages and would need to be on bed rest. Believing that she was pregnant with his child, the man gave her five checks worth $700 each from February 2009 to June 2009.

When the man discovered that she was not pregnant, he went to police.  It is also said that Johnsen tried to pressure the man into paying half of her medical bills which totaled over $9,000.

If you are dealing with a child support matter in Riverside and would like professional legal representation, contact our law firm and speak with a Riverside family lawyer now.

This week, it was revealed that actress Hilary Duff and her soon-to-be husband, Mike Comrie, signed a prenuptial agreement prior to their wedding.

The New York Post reported that the couple made sure to legally protect their property before they got married in Santa Barbara.

An unnamed source said, "It was a totally amicable agreement.  They love each other very much and knew this was just a technicality."

Hilary Duff has made her fortune starring in the Lizzie McGuire series for Disney and Comrie is the heir to a large estate in Canada and has wealth from his career as an ice hockey player.

If you are thinking about creating a nuptial agreement, whether prenuptial or postnuptial, it is always a wise idea to get a Riverside family lawyer involved.  Contact the Law Offices of Michael R. Young today to discuss you are an optional agreement needs with a knowledgeable family law attorney.

Recently, lawyers representing Michael Douglas and his former wife have battled it out in a courtroom over the earnings from the actor's forthcoming film, a sequel to Wall Street.

Diandra Douglas was granted a share of proceeds from the actor's work while they were together according to their divorce settlement in 2000.  Now, she is looking to get earnings from the new film because Douglas reprises his role of Gordon Gekko from the original 1987 film.

The lawyers representing Douglas' ex-wife say the divorce agreement gives her the right to share proceeds from spinoffs related to the work the actor engaged in during their marriage.  However, Douglas' legal team think that "enough is enough".

At this time, a New York judge has not set a date for a ruling in the case and the actor and his former wife did not appear in court.  Last week, Douglas told the media that he is being treated for a tumor in his throat.

Are you willing through a problematic divorce in Riverside? If so, contact our law office and speak with a Riverside divorce attorney today.

News sources report that a pregnant woman was told that she must take a paternity test in order to prove that her deceased boyfriend is in fact the father of her baby. If the woman does not submit to DNA testing, she will not be entitled to her deceased boyfriend's military pension.

According to The South Yorkshire Star, Tiffant Lound is still grieving the devastating loss of her childhood sweetheart, trooper James Leverett. Love or it was a member of the Royal Dragoon Guards and was 20 years of age when his Viking vehicle was hit by a Taliban IED in Helmand province.  Just weeks after his death, his pregnant girlfriend has been told that she needs to take a paternity test to prove that he is the father of her child.

She also said that she was disturbed by the news and would not hesitate to take the DNA test or do whatever she could for her child.

Do you have questions about paternity testing in California? If so, contact our legal team and discuss your concerns with a Riverside family law attorney.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the billionaire grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty won a crucial victory in his ongoing divorce battle. A judge ruled that Peter Getty will only have to pay his estranged wife $83,000 a month. The new spousal support order is 1/6 of what she was previously asking for.

In 2000, Jacqueline married Peter Getty.  Recently, Jacqueline submitted papers which stated she would need $535,201 a month in spousal support in order to enjoy and maintain her current lifestyle. 

Additionally, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge declined to grant Jacqueline an order of protection. Jacqueline was seeking an order of protection because she claimed Peter was a violent drug addict and that he had once broke her arm.

Peter is the heir to his father Gordon Getty's $2 billion fortune.

If you need assistance with a spousal support related matter, contact the Law offices of Michael Young to speak with a Riverside family law attorney.

This week in Albany, New York, Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas announced that the last state in the United States will finally allow people to divorce without establishing that someone is to blame. This means that in the state of New York, spouses will have the option of a no-fault divorce.

In June, the state Senate signed the "no fault divorce" bill. Over the weekend, Gov. David Paterson signed the bill into law. Despite the new legislature, some opponents including the roaming Catholic church believes that the no-fault bill will increase the divorce rate.

In less than 60 days, spouses in the state of New York will be able to terminate their marriages by simply agreeing that they want to divorce. Other grounds for divorce will remain including adultery, cruel and inhuman treatment and abandonment. The new law is expected to take effect in mid-October and will modify it to divorce actions that are currently in the pipeline.

Are you going through a divorce in Riverside? If so, contact our law firm and discuss your divorce proceedings with a Riverside divorce lawyer.

A child custody decision is being left in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.  According to Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney David Dye, the case has an unusual twist.  He told OneNewsNow that the fight over the child occurred after, "a mom and a dad had a baby [and] subsequently divorced. Both parties got remarried, and then unfortunately mom died. But even more unfortunately, mom's new husband was given custody of their child."

In a typical child custody case, the precedent would grant the biological father primary custody.  However, the state refused Eric Harner as parental guardian even though his past actions and behavior were perfectly fine and should not have interfered with the custody decision.

Dye says, "Historically, the courts have found a compelling interest to interfere with the parent-child relationship if the parent is unfit or abuses the child, or the child is in danger or something like that."  He said that in this case, this has not happened and he finds it mind-boggling.

At this time, they are appealing the court's decision and arguing that the state should not deny custodial privileges to a fit parent without establishing a reason for denial, which Pennsylvania allegedly did. Dye says that his client is devastated and his last hope is the Supreme Court.

If you feel your father's rights were violated during a custody case, contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young and speak with a Riverside family law attorney.

In Chicago, it is reported that a man broke both of his legs while jumping from a third floor apartment window in an attempt to avoid police.  Allegedly, 35 year old Ronald McIntyre was not making child support payments, which is why officers came to his apartment.

Officers from the Cook County Sheriff's department say that McIntyre owes $5,979 in court ordered child support payments, making him very delinquent.

Authorities say that they were trying to take McIntyre into custody when they were let into the building by a woman who said she did not know where he was. A child then pointed to a window in the back of the building and when officers looked, they say that McIntyre had jumped and was splayed on the ground.

Despite having suffered two broken legs, McIntyre tried to crawl away.  He currently has more than 80 criminal convictions on his record.

Are you owed child support or have you fallen behind on your payments?  Now is the time to consult with a Riverside family law attorney who can help.  Contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young today.

Just weeks after filing for divorce, Kelsey Grammer announced that he is "deeply in love" with another woman.  This past weekend, the former Frasier star was spotted holding hands with a young blonde, who sources claim is named Kate.

According to a source that is a friend of Kelsey, the actor is, "pushing for a quickie divorce because things are moving quickly with his new girlfriend. There is speculation that she is pregnant, but he wants to finalize the divorce before making any announcement."

After 13 years of marriage, Camille Donatucci Grammer filed for divorce just five weeks ago.  At the time of the divorce filing, Kelsey said that he was not seeing anyone, tweeting, "Certainly, the time will come when I do see another woman."  However, this past weekend he was repeatedly photographed with the new woman holding hands. 

Going through a difficult divorce in Riverside?  Contact our law office to discuss your options with a Riverside divorce attorney!

In Florida, officers throughout the state were looking for a little girl who was missing.  Last week Friday, they reported that the girl was home sage with her mother, just a day after she had been taken by her father.

The judge presiding over the father's case said that Chance Barfield would not be allowed to bond out of jail as he stands accused of taking the 6 year old.

Police report that Barfield attacked his ex-girlfriend and then grabbed his daughter, taking her to Volusia County.  Following the incident, police said they had a list of warrants in Barfield's name for child abuse and domestic violence.  He is expected to charged with interfering with child custody, aggravated battery, trespassing and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

If you are having difficulties with child custody or visitation in Riverside, contact our law office and schedule a consultation with a Riverside family lawyer.

In Los Angeles, an attorney with the National Coalition For Men (NCFM) reported that on July 28^th, the California Supreme Court declined to review a Court of Appeal decision which forced a homeless man by the name of Hari Wilburn to pay tens of thousands of dollars in child support.  Even though DNA testing excludes Wilburn as being the father of the child and he never acted as the father, the motion was declined.

On August 17^th, a probate court in San Diego will hear the mother's request to intercept Wilburn's inheritance, which he received from his deceased mother.  The mother wants the money to fulfill Wilbur's child support order.

Wilburn received representation from the NCFM, which is a non-profit organization that addresses how sex discrimination affects both men and boys.  In 2005, the NCFM helped chance California law in order to protect men from dales paternity claims.

Involved in a complicated child support matter?  Contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young and discuss your case with a Riverside family law attorney.

Recently, data published from a new study revealed that families of adolescents and adults who have autism are more likely to go through divorce.  The study asserts that parents of grown children who have autism are more prone toward divorce and is the first to track marital history of parents who have grown, autistic children.

During the study, the relationship outcomes of 391 couples were compared by the National Survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS). The goal was to document the rate and timing of divorce of parents who have autistic children. 

The results indicated that the divorce rate for parents of children with autism is similar to the divorce rate of children without disabilities until children reach 8 years of age.  After that, the divorce rate goes down for parents of children with disabilities, but remains high for parents with autistic children.

Going through a difficult divorce in Riverside?  If so, contact our law office to discuss your situation with a Riverside divorce lawyer.

After spouses go through a divorce and they have children to worry about, dating can introduce a new set of problems.  Often times, divorced parents will wonder how their children will react to their dating and if their children will be upset.  If you are dating post-divorce, consider following some of these tips when dealing with your kids:

§  Know that your kids do not have to meet everyone that you go out on a date with.  Instead of introducing your children to every romantic prospect, only introduce people that you plan to have a long-term relationship with.

§  Know that your kids may not accept the fact that you are dating right away.  It can take time for kids to adapt to new situations.

§  When you introduce someone new to your children, know that they may act out.  This is normal and should be expected.

§  Be sure to talk with your kids about their feelings and concerns.  This will help you address their worries and also provide them with comfort.

If you are going through a divorce, now is the time to contact the Law Offices of Michael R. Young and discuss your situation with a Riverside divorce attorney.

Many people in the state of California choose to adopt children, whether through step-parent adoption or open adoptions.  If you are thinking about adopting a child, there are a few things you should consider before you make a firm commitment:

1)       Make sure that you know what it means to be an adoptive parent.  When you adopt a child, you become responsible for that child and must provide for his/her physical, financial and emotional needs on a daily basis.  This means that you have to make a serious commitment.

2)      Sometimes, people choose to adopt due to infertility issues.  When this is the case, people must come to peace with the emotions surrounding their fertility issues and also know that after adoption, some feelings may resurface and will need to be dealt with accordingly.

3)      Be sure it is the right time to add to your family.   Sometimes, it is better to wait before adopting.  For example, if you are experiencing economic hardships, it may be better to wait to adopt.

Considering adoption?  If so, hire a Riverside family lawyer that can provide legal assistance and insight. Contact the Law Offices of Michael R. Young now!

Recently, reality television star Spencer Pratt was asked if Heidi Montag is talking to him.  He told news sources that Montag will not speak with him because she believes that he is "loco".

Pratt, who is 23 years old, openly admits that his ex will not speak with him because she feels he is crazy.  The former Hills star told X17 online that Montag, "doesn't talk to me… because I'm loco."

Earlier this year, Montag chose to end her relationship with Pratt by filing for legal separation.  Pratt told news sources that their separation could be attributed to their differing perspectives on fame. 

For the past few weeks, 26 year old Montage has been keeping a low profile.  The couple got married in 2008.

If you are going through a legal separation Riverside, now is the time to obtain the services of a Riverside family law attorney at the Law Offices of Michael R. Young.  Contact us now!

Eileen Buckley was once married to a man that did not work, even though he possessed a master's of business administration degree from MIT.  Buckley claims it is a degree that she helped finance and said, "I figured out he worked seven years out of the 28 we were married."  In January 2009, Buckley divorced her husband who claimed to be a stay-at-home dad.  Yet, Buckley asserts that even before the couple's son was born, her husband was unemployed.

Once their divorce was final, her husband got half of their marital assets, including their home.  She was also ordered to pay her husband monthly spousal support of $2,000.  Interestingly, the couple's son is autistic and Buckley has full financial responsibility.

She told a news reporter, "The thing that really angers me is that I have a disabled child and the money I pay my former husband could be used for Danny."  She also says that she will have to take out loans to finance her child's college and feels the situation is quite unfair.

Brain Sullivan, her former husband, agrees that their arrangement is not fair.  In fact, he says, "I think she should be paying me more… I was a stay-at-home dad with a son that has autism."

For the time being, it appears the couple will continue to battle it out.

Does this situation sound familiar?  If so, now is the time to get help from a Riverside family lawyer by contacting the Law Office of Michael R. Young.

This week, a Houston man was placed under arrest and charged with interference with child custody after he took his 8 year old son from the Huntsville area without permission.

32 year old Todd Jackson was arrested by Houston police after it was discovered that he had taken his non-custodial son.  Last Monday, police received reports around 4:30 PM that an 8 year old child was missing from a residence located at the 200 block of Avenue M.

Detectives set in motion an investigation to find the missing person.  They received information that the child may have been taken by his father, who currently has limited visitation with his son.  

Family members managed to call the 8 year old boy on a cell phone.  The police officers were then able to find the boy by tracking the phone's signal to a Houston neighborhood.  Once police found the location, they said they were able to speak directly with Jackson and convince him to visit his mother's home in Houston.  After Jackson arrived at his mother's home, he was arrested and the child was returned to his mother.

Need assistance with a child custody or visitation matter?  Contact our law office and get immediate help from a Riverside family law attorney.

In California, a man by the name of John Marcotte is on a mission to ban divorce.  This month, Marcotte reached his goal of getting approval from the secretary of state's office and will now start the process of collecting signatures to get his measure on California voters' ballots.  He needs 700,000 signatures to make it onto the June 2012 ballot.

According to his website, Marcotte is proposing the 2010 California Marriage Protection Act because, "Prop 8 did not go far enough in protecting traditional marriage."

Marcotte's new ballot would make it illegal for couples to get divorced in the state of California.  He says that the way to protect traditional marriage is to keep straight couples from getting divorced, not prohibiting same-sex marriage.

In the recent past, nearly 26,000 people have "liked' Marcotte's Facebook page, which is devoted to his new measure.  His website has also pulled in numerous comments.

His proposal would amend California's constitution and eliminate the ability of married couple to obtain a divorce, but would allow couples to seek annulments.

Going through a divorce in Riverside?  If so, contact us to discuss your situation with a Riverside divorce attorney.

After independent spouses have been making spousal support payments for some time, they often wonder if they can get their "permanent" payments modified.  The truth is, in some cases, people can get their payments modified or even terminated.  The only exception to this is when there is a written or in-court oral agreement where parties have stated that spousal support cannot be modified at any time.

In California, the court retains continuing spousal support jurisdiction and has the ability to modify or terminate alimony at a later time.  If independent spouses can prove to the court that there has been a material change of circumstance, the court may agree to change their payments. 

Generally, the court will consider the following when presented with a modification request:

§  reducing the amount of the support if the dependent spouse can be self-supporting

§  modification based upon the ability to pay spousal support

§  reducing spousal support due to obligations

§  modifying support due to remarriage, cohabitation or retirement

If you would like to learn more about spousal support modification or termination, contact our legal team to speak with a Riverside family law attorney today. 

It has been announced that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed for divorce from his wife, Mary Kennedy.  Kennedy filed his divorce petition three days before his wife was arrested for driving under the influence.

According to reports, Kennedy filed his legal paperwork on May 12^th with the Westchester County Clerk's Office.  The next day, police were dispatched to Kennedy's home amidst complaints of a "domestic incident".  When police arrived at the home, Kennedy accused his wife of being drunk.

Two days later, Mary Kennedy was arrested for mounting a curbside outside of a school.  Police had her take a breath test and her result was .11%.  The legal blood alcohol concentration is 0.08%.

Kennedy is the son of assassinated presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy.  He is refusing to comment on the situation between him and his wife at this time.

If you are going through a tough divorce in Riverside, now is the time to contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young and consult with a Riverside divorce lawyer.

If you are a step parent and have plans to partake in a step-parent adoption, there are a few things you must do in order to move forward with your legal matter. First, you must obtain a consent agreement from your spouse.  You must also obtain a consent agreement from the child's other parent. 

Once you have obtained consent from the other parent, he or she will be legally giving up his or her rights and responsibilities.  For example, if the non-custodial parent was making child support payments, he or she will no longer have to make such payments once you obtain the consent agreement from him or her.

In each state, the way to obtain consent is different.  In some states, the noncustodial parent can simply give a written statement and in other states, the non-custodial parent will have to appear before a judge or file court paperwork.  Some states even require that a non-custodial parent receive counseling prior to agreeing to give up his or her parental rights. 

Due to the complexity and possible complications surrounding step-parent adoption, it is always a wise idea for people to hire a Riverside family lawyer that can provide legal assistance and insight.  If you are in need of a family law attorney, contact the Law Offices of Michael R. Young now!

In Los Angeles, it is reported that singer Melissa Etheridge just filed for divorce.  Etheridge, who was part of a same-sex marriage, filed her divorce petition against Tammy Lyn Michaels.  Now, Michaels is telling people that she was "blindsided" by the filing.

According to reports, 49 year old Etheridge filed a Petitoon for Dissolution of a Domestic Partnership in Los Angeles County Superior Court.  In her petition, Etheridge cited irreconcilable differences and she has requested that the court deny awarding Michaels spousal support.

Michaels took to her blog to lash out at Etheridge.  She wrote, "i'm raising the kids / doing what i can / second set of yours / could you stop blind sighting me? / unless it's another art form you're working on? / have a good concert."

In September 2003, Etheridge and Michaels married.  Following their marriage, they had twins together.  In April 2010, the couple announced their plans to separate.

Going through a difficult divorce in Riverside?  If so, get the help you need by working with a Riverside divorce attorney.  Contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young now!