This is a fun little story out of Canada, where a woman is having all sorts of trouble getting the judge to believe that her husband has got some questionable sources of income. She has made claims that the guy hasn't reported all of his income, but the judge isn't buying it. The guy definitely sounds suspicious, though. He's into some sort of real estate dealings and owns a hip-hop clothing store. And his estranged wife says he moves in gambling circles and wanted the judge to restrict him from taking the couple's two children to certain places.

Lots of talk, but apparently no proof. The woman was granted 55 percent of the family assets, but the judge issued a joint custody ruling despite the fact that the guy at least looks a little shady. He reportedly secured a $500,000 loan without any registered security. Something tells me that doesn't happen unless you know certain kinds of people, if you catch my drift.

You would think that appearances are everything when it comes to a judge making a custody ruling in a divorce trial. Maybe the guy used some of that half million to buy himself some really talented lawyers.

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As long as Britney Spears and Kevin Federline keep talking, or having court dates to settle their custody problems, or having meltdowns that land one of them in the psych ward, people are going to keep writing about them.

But K-Fed says that's OK. Why? People want to know what happens to the tabloid family of the year because it makes others "feel normal." I guess there's something to be said for that. Britney and K-Fed are hardly the first parents to have a dramatic divorce and custody battle. So to that extent, a lot of people can relate to them.

The problem is most people can't relate to the attempt to maintain one's stardom while a marriage is falling apart and kids' futures are hanging in the balance. Most divorcing mothers don't go staggering around on stage in their underwear, and most divorcing fathers aren't plotting their comeback and starring in Super Bowl TV commercials. And that's because most divorcing parents immerse themselves in the tasks at hand — both the legal ones and the day-to-day ones, like going to work and keeping a roof over their heads.

Hey K-Fed, maybe looking at other people's divorce and custody battles should make YOU feel normal.

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Here's one of those medical study stories that you're not sure whether to believe. But if there's any credence to it, this one is pretty scary.

Researchers in Sweden say that babies of separated parents are three times more likely to develop diabetes. The theory is that children — even babies — pick up on the stress their parents are feeling and it causes them to becomes stressed, themselves. And that, in turn, leads to auto-immunity, a condition where the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells.

I only saw a brief mention of this and didn't see much else in the way of support for the theory. But if there's anything to this study, it's something worth looking into. Here in the U.S., we have increasing rates of childhood obesity and diabetes, and I don't remember hearing anyone link up these problems with our sky-high divorce rate. Is there a correlation? Maybe there are some more researchers out there willing to check it out.

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The news just keeps getting worse for pop princess Britney Spears. After Britney's apparent meltdown on Thursday, a court has granted K-Fed sole custody of their children and suspended Britney's visitation rights. Reportedly, the situation will be re-evaluated in a couple weeks. Meanwhile, word came late Friday that she had been put into a psych ward at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. It's the wing of the hospital where they monitor suicidal patients.

It seems Britney couldn't handle the trauma of handing the kids back over to K-Fed as part of their previous custody arrangement. She ended up being taken to the hospital, and there have been rumors flying that the incident may have been the result of drug use, but a police spokesperson quoted in a published report said there was no evidence of that.

It's easy to poke fun at every new twist in the Britney/K-Fed saga. But let's be honest: Lots of people have to deal with the trauma of handing kids over to the ex for a few days. All of Britney's fame and money can't make her immune to such painful situations. And her inability to keep things on an even keel in her life is obviously making things even more difficult for her. If she wants to have custody of her kids, she needs to find a way to hold it together and act like a parent. Just like anyone else.

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How many times have you heard the tired cliché: "Divorce is always hardest on children." Hell, I'm embarrassed to say I think I've actually written that phrase on this site. Well, it turns out that it may be a little bit easier on the kids than we all think.

A new study done by Canada's University of Alberta suggests that divorce doesn't adversely impact parenting behavior. The conventional wisdom, of course, is that as you go through the strains of a divorce, it takes a toll on you, and in turn, you invariably make life more difficult for your kids. But researchers in Canada didn't find evidence of that. They say parenting practices of divorcing people remained consistent and weren't all that different from parents who weren't going through a divorce.

It's an interesting study, to be sure, and it gives divorcing parents reason for a little optimism. But I think it's also important to realize that it's not just your behavior that has a bearing on how your kids navigate a divorce. True, you're behavior goes a long way. Your kids are going to take their cues from you. But even if you're handling things well and staying on an even keel with your children, it doesn't necessarily mean they're able to do the same. The report I saw on this study almost leaves you thinking, "hey, I guess divorce isn't that tough on kids," since it doesn't mention the fact that kids may still have emotional difficulties regardless of your behavior.

It's good to know that there are many people who can "keep it together" through a divorce and find a way to maintain some sense of normal parenting. But every divorcing parent still needs to pay really close attention to their kids.

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Most of the time when you think about the way a divorce impacts kids, you think about young children who aren't emotionally mature enough to deal with what's happening. Well, it's not just younger kids who have that problem. College students whose parents get divorced may be able to handle things on the surface. But it's a strain on their emotions nonetheless.

I read a piece in the student newspaper from California State University-Chico that really shed some light on the subject. And it's a poignant subject for this time of year as college students get ready to come home for the holidays. A lot of them have two homes to go to. Balancing time with both parents can be a struggle, particularly if the divorce happened while the student was away at school.

One student quoted in the piece talked about making a trip home while her father was moving out of the house because she wanted to see his bags packed so the divorce would become real to her. She didn't want to come home for the holidays and find her father completely gone from the house. It lessened the blow for her to see it while it was happening.

Of course, all of the same rules about parenting through a divorce still apply to college kids. You can't expect them to take sides. And I think you have to be realistic about how much time they have for you and your ex. Remember what it was like to be in college. You're starting out your life, making your own decisions, budgeting your own time. And with your family split up, it becomes a bigger challenge. It takes patience and understanding on all sides.

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Thumbs up to Gannett News Service for a nice, long, comprehensive point-by-point breakdown of all the financial matters you need to think about when you go through a divorce.

With the number of divorces there are in the United States, every media outlet in the country could do this story once a month and it still probably wouldn't be enough. There are so many things to remember, and considering it's the worst time in your life, you're bound to overlook some of them.

Long story short, getting divorced is like getting ready to buy a house. Just make off that you're about to go through a loan application. Take stock of all your assets. One tip that jumped out at me was to think about assets that might not typically be on the top of your head, like frequent flyer miles and store reward club memberships. These things may seem insignificant in the grand scheme, but they should be considered and divided up nonetheless.

Another thing lots of people forget is the need to update wills and change beneficiary information. This one is particularly easy to overlook because for at a lot of us, that involves an appointment with a lawyer or financial advisor — and that's just one more thing you have to make time for.

One expert Gannett talked to says one of the key mistakes people make is trying to hold on to their house at all costs. You may get the house, but that means you also get the mortgage and property taxes and upkeep of the house all to yourself. Can you afford that? If you're staying in the house for the benefit of your kids, so they won't have to move and change schools, you should be entitled to more spousal support so you can afford everything you need.

There's lots more in this article — it's a must-read if you're going through a divorce.

What? Yeah, that was my reaction too.

As a rule, I can't stand celebrity news. I've got enough of my own problems, thank you very much. But the idea is that all of these situations give people a really crystal clear picture of what not to do during a divorce when there are children to consider. And I guess there's some merit to the idea that these stories give us a glimpse into the family court process.

Britney and K-Fed had to go to a class to learn how to co-parent through their breakup. In fact, that's a useful thing, and it's not just for celebrities. According to the piece I read, such classes are offered in about half the counties in the country. The piece goes on to outline some of the basics of how to get your kids through a divorce -- stuff we've written about here before, but it's always worth a reminder:

A Bill Of Rights For Kids: Required Reading For Divorcing Parents

You're Divorcing Your Ex, Not Your Kids

So maybe there is something useful to come out of all the celebrity divorce stories. But I still get sick of hearing about them.

You’ll find no shortage of people who say that it’s too easy to get a divorce here in the U.S. And it’s probably true that there are couples who are quick to call it quits without giving it a whole lot of thought. The alternative to easy access to divorce, however, is frightening. I’m not sure I realized just how frightening until I read a news report about the state of divorce in Ireland.

As we’ve written here before, divorce has only been legal in Ireland for 10 years. To say they’re still getting the hang of it would be a massive understatement. The biggest problem is that the courts are overburdened with divorce cases — so much so that many couples don’t get proper hearings. Court dates can be delayed for months, even in cases that involve the welfare of children. It’s apparently common for there to be no transcripts of proceedings, and many couples don’t get written documentation of judges’ decisions.

It gets worse. Irish law requires couples to be separated for four years before a divorce can be finalized. Ireland, of course, is predominantly Catholic, and it’s obvious the nation’s religious base is doing everything it can to keep couples from breaking up. But when the process is so difficult it sends the message that the nation would rather have you be married and miserable than create a civilized, compassionate system that will assist you in navigating one of the most difficult periods of your life. And that stinks.

You’ve got a wonderfully picturesque landscape, Ireland. But your divorce system makes you look like a landfill.

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James McGreevy, the former New Jersey governor, revealed his homosexuality in 2004, and the couple split shortly thereafter. And now, as they are on the verge of what undoubtedly would be a circus divorce trial, the judge seems to be trying desperately to get them to settle their differences in a less public manner. When the judge says "I'm no longer hopeful" about a case, it's usually a bad sign.

The apparent impasse doesn't come from a lack of effort. The two sides spent hours behind closed doors on Monday, trying to work out financial matters and details involving the McGreevys' 5-year-old daughter. For such a complicated situation, the sticking points in this case are pretty similar to what you'd expect in any divorce involving young children — support payments, visitation — the usual.

"If I've said this once, I've said it a thousand times — please, please think of her," said Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy, asking the couple what they thought would happen when the little girl learns to use Google. According to this article, the judge has set a trial date for May, but is imploring the couple to reach a settlement before then.

You have to hand it to the judge for essentially begging the McGreevys to get things worked out and spare their daughter and themselves the spectacle of a trial. Of course, both James and Dina have already written books about their experience, so a lot of this stuff is out there anyway.