A financial advisor from Plymouth has been sentenced to eight years in jail after stealing 4.5 million from his clients. Stephen Clifford, 58, used the funds from 24 investors to pay for personal items likealimony, credit card bills, mortgage, and his daughter's college tuition. In addition to jail time he has also been ordered to repay the entire amount to his former clients.

Prosecutors for his case followed charges of abuse from his investors that led to their conviction for federal fraud and tax charges. Clifford had also failed to report $2.1 million in investors funds on his tax reports from 2004 to 2006, money that he actually used for personal use. He is also in jail for a state rape conviction.

If a member of your family is affecting your financial statements negatively, it is time to enlist a Riverside family law attorney. Don't attempt to rectify these charges yourself, take legal advice from someone who has helped people just like you by contacting the Law Office of Michael Young today!

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.

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.

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.

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. 

According to TMZ, Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller recently signed a 43 page agreement.  The agreement details what will happen with the couple's assets if/when they divorce.

In the documents, both Mueller and Sheen agree that they will have joint child custody of their two children.  Mueller will have primary custody and Sheen will see his children on the weekends.

Child support is also addressed in the agreement.  Allegedly, Mueller will get $55,000 a month for child support payments.  The documents also specify that the child support for the couple's two children will not be, "less than the child support paid by Charlie to Denise Richards for Sam and Lola."  Additionally, the couple agreed that Brooke will waive her right to spousal support. 

She has agreed, "not to disclose to any media sources personal information relating to Charlie's sexual affairs or alleged drug usage."

If you are going through a divorce in Riverside or a related family law matter, now is the time to contact the Law Office of Michael Young and arrange to speak with a Riverside divorce attorney.

News sources are reporting that rapper Swizz Beats' divorce proceedings will be finalized in upcoming weeks.  Beats is divorcing his wife, Mashonda.  According to reports, the divorce was final weeks ago, but Mashonda is continuing proceedings to obtain missed spousal support and child support payments.

According to court documents, Swizz Beats owes his ex $334,000.  He owes $325,000 from property division and $9,000 in combined alimony and child support payments.  Mashonda issued a statement that said, "I so much wanted both of us to get on with our lives and maintain our respect for one another, but he now shows that his priorities and sense of responsibility are screwed up."

Mashonda's attorney is deeply disturbed by Swizz Beats lack of payments as rumors have circulated that he just bought his new fiancée, Alicia Keys, a seven carat diamond ring. 

If you are having issues obtaining missed child support or spousal support payments in San Bernardino, now is the time to consult with a San Bernardino divorce attorney at the Law Offices of Michael R. Young.  Contact us to schedule your initial consultation!

Here’s an interesting story out of Utah:

The Utah Supreme Court recently ruled that a divorceé has the right to sue her ex-husband for financial reimbursement after she financially supported him through college in exchange for a higher standard of living.

The case that was brought to the high court’s attention involves Gloria and Dallen Ashby, who married in 1997. Gloria claims she gave up a lucrative business opportunity in Utah when she agreed to move to St. Louis with her husband while he attended medical school. Gloria’s job as an interior designer was the couple’s main source of income while Dallen was in medical school. Gloria said she agreed to this arrangement because Dallen promised to support her with the high income he expected to earn with his medical degree.

When the couple divorced a year later, Dallen was a first-year intern, obviously not making the same level of income he will make as an established doctor. Because Gloria was not able to enjoy Dallen’s income as a doctor, she claims he breached his promise to support her. 

The court sided with Gloria, saying the breach was valid and enforceable.

What does this mean for the rest of Utah? It means that any time a person supports their spouse as he or she goes through school, that person has the right to sue their spouse for any money they invested into their spouse during the marriage, but only if they did not have a chance to benefit from the income the spouse earned with his or her degree or education. This money is considered separate from the money awarded for alimony.

If you have found yourself in a similar situation to the Ashby’s, Riverside divorce attorney Michael R. Young can help you try to get back the money you invested into your spouse's education. Interested in learning more? Contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young today to arrange a consultation.

During a divorce one spouse might be ordered to make financial support payments to the other spouse, referred to as alimony or spousal support. There are several different alimony arrangements that can be applied, including:

Temporary Alimony: This type of support is paid while the couple is separated and throughout the divorce, but stops once the divorce has been finalized.

Permanent Alimony: Unlike temporary alimony, permanent alimony is awarded at the conclusion of a divorce, which is to be paid for a length of time specified by the court.  In most cases, permanent alimony is paid indefinitely or until the spouse receiving support remarries or either spouse passes away. It is typically paid in monthly installments or on some type of reoccurring basis. 

Rehabilitative Alimony: This type of alimony is usually only paid for a fixed period of time while the spouse receiving alimony searches for a job or pursues education in order to gain the skills necessary to get a job.

Reimbursement Alimony: When one spouse paid for the other spouse’s higher education or job training, the spouse who received the training or education reimburses the other spouse for full or partial tuition through reimbursement alimony.

Lump-Sum Alimony: Should one spouse decide they do not want any property or joint assets, they can elect to receive a lump-sum payment that is equal to what the value of the property they would have received.

If you have any questions about alimony or how spousal support is paid in California, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young today. Riverside divorce lawyer Michael Young has extensive practice in California divorce law, and can provide you with the experienced representation you need during the divorce proceedings. To schedule a consultation with Mr. Young, please fill out a free case evaluation or simply contact the office by calling (866) 902-5290.

 If you are divorced or legally separated, the judge will have issued a variety of court orders before your divorce or separation was finalized.  This might include a child support order, a child custody order, a visitation order, a spousal support order, etc.  These orders detail each party’s responsibilities under the order.  For example, a child support order will detail which parent is responsible for paying support to the other parent and how much the payments will be.  A child custody order will detail the physical and legal custody arrangement between the parents, as well as the visitation schedule if one parent is awarded sole physical custody.

When one of the parties fails to abide by his or her responsibilities listed in the court order, the other party can seek an enforcement of the order from the court.  If you need help seeking an enforcement of a court order, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office Michael R. Young at your earliest convenience.  As an experienced Riverside family law attorney, I have helped countless clients throughout Riverside, San Bernardino, and the Inland Empire seek an enforcement, and can provide you with the guidance and legal representation you need to increase your chances of success. Many of my clients have found enforcements to be an invaluable tool. As you can imagine, when one party fails to pay child support or spousal support, or fails to follow the terms of the child custody arrangement, it can be very frustrating.  Many of my clients tell me they feel they stuck, like they have no options and there is nothing they can do to get the other party to comply with the order.  By requesting an enforcement, you can get the court involved to ensure the other party complies with their responsibilities listed in the order.

If you are interested in learning more about enforcements, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Michael R. Young today!

After a divorce, an individual who was ordered to pay spousal support can seek to modify the spousal support arrangement under certain circumstances.  Generally, the individual will need to prove there has been a significant change in circumstances that warrants the change. This might include an unexpected job loss, a sudden illness, a medical emergency, etc.  Although the court may not terminate the individual’s obligation to pay spousal support, the judge can reduce the amount of support that is paid to reflect the individual’s new situation.

In addition, there are also cases in which an individual can get his or her spousal support obligations terminated.  For example, if the other spouse gets remarried, the spouse ordered to pay support will no longer be obligated to continue making payments.

On the flip side, the spouse receiving support can ask for a modification as well.  However, in order to successfully modify the order, he or she will need to give the judge a legitimate reason as to why he or she deserves more money.