Independence Days
Posted to Relevant News by Linda Lee on Wed, 07/02/2008 - 4:07pm
Two shocking divorces in Yemen have drawn attention to the plight of child brides. The first case involved a 10-year old wife, Nujood Ali, shown, who walked into a courthouse in April and demanded a divorce. In May another girl, 9, ran to a hospital in Jibla, and told the staff her husband had been beating and abusing her.
The 10-year-old girl, Nujood, The New York Times reported over the weekend, is barely 4 feet tall. Her father, a beggar, married her off to a 30 year old man, he said, for her own good. He wanted to protect her, one of his 16 children, from abduction and forced marriage to someone else, as had happened with her two older sisters.
Her father’s argument was that it’s better if I force her to get married than if someone else forces her to get married.
During Nujood’s time with her husband, she said, he beat her and forced himself on her. She took a taxi to the courthouse in Sana, the capital, her first trip ever alone, and once there found both a lawyer and a kindly judge. When she appeared before him in court, he asked her if she wanted a separation from her husband or a permanent divorce. To see what she answered, in front of her father and her husband, go here.
International Planned Parenthood reports that pregnancies are the leading cause of death for girls between 15 and 19 worldwide. Those below the age of 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women over 20. The problem exists in Yemen, where the typical age of marriage for girls is 12 to 14. According to a 2005 Unicef report, 60 percent of girls 15 to 19 in Niger are married. In Mali, 39 percent of girls are married by age 15. In Ethiopia 50 percent of girls are married by age 15.
read more »
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiLesson of Christie Brinkley Divorce
He or She Who Has More Money Will Have Prenuptial Challenged
Posted to House Bloggers by Jill Brooke on Wed, 07/02/2008 - 1:14pm
It really isn't a surprise that architect Peter Cook was seen having a manicure this week. His claws were being sharpened for his divorce trial with model Christie Brinkley. Mr. Cook, who was the architect of his marriage's demise by having an affair with an 18 year old, apparently didn't fully realize how much he would lose, especially custody rights, as a result of his wandering weenie. Life with Brinkley included beautiful children, beautiful homes, a glamorous social life, boats, first-class plane rides and the access his wife's success provided.
And then poof, it was all gone when she threw him out. And naturally, he missed it.
Having been married three times before marrying Peter Cook, Christie Brinkley obviously insisted on a pre-nup. Like many well-heeled people, she thought her lawyers had written a solid agreement.
She married a Frenchman in the 70s and divorced him in 1981. With musician Billy Joel, the divorce was dissolved amicably and both maintained their own incomes and self-respect. Then came developer Rick Taubman, whom she reportedly paid $1 million for freedom and sole custody of their son, Jack Paris, now 13. Having been financially burned by her relationship with Taubman, Brinkley understandably was insistent that the pre-nup with Cook would be ironclad.
“Unfortunately the word ironclad is a bit of a myth,” says divorce lawyer Clifford M. Solomon, partner of Solomon Tanenbaum in Westchester. “Anyone can challenge a pre-nup. And it has worked in some cases. Someone will challenge that the person didn't reveal income or assets in the pre-nup and then the agreement is revisited to their advantage.”
read more »
Talking Money With Your Honey
Making Sure You Are Financially Compatible
Posted to Resource Articles by Manisha Thakor on Mon, 05/19/2008 - 12:00pm
What's the first thing your girlfriends ask you when you meet that someone special, especially after going through a divorce? They typically ask you if you are emotionally compatible, spiritually compatible, or and/or physically compatible. But do they ever ask you if you are financially compatible? Probably not. This is incredibly ironic given that time and again money is cited as #1 cause of fights, #1 cause of divorce, and top source of general life stress. The reality is dealing with the subject right front can prevent a mountain of heartache down the road.
When you think your new relationship is heading to the next level (so not on date two but when discussing moving in or marriage) it's time to "get financially naked" with each other. Our point is that if you are willing to take your clothes off with someone in one way you should be willing to take your clothes off with them financially as well. Specifically we recommend exchanging a list of what you own, what you owe and your credit scores.
Light some candles, put on some soothing music and talk about how money was (or wasn't!) talked about as you were growing up. This is also a great time to talk about your life and financial priorities. This conversation will likely be awkward at first, but over the long run you'll be amazed at how it can really bring you closer. If you're not sure how to bring the subject up, say you read about it on First Wives World!
read more »
Equal Opportunity Alimony
Women Who Face The Prospect Of Paying Alimony
Posted to Resource Articles by Lili Vasileff on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 12:00pm
Almost one in three married women makes more money than their spouses do. This economic statistic is certainly a factor why women increasingly are paying alimony.
However, in our society, women seem surprised to have to pay alimony even if they earn more.
This is because it is a fairly recent phenomenon in our legal courts. Secondly, for many women who are breadwinners (in a failed marriage), it’s not as if they ever expected to out earn their husbands, or do all of the heavy lifting in the family, or end up giving him spending money as you would do with a child. Women often feel cheated by the legal system because it is possible that they have to reward a sit at home bum.
The wife’s sense of being the victim is intensified when children are involved. Women share disproportionately the burden of money making, household chores, and child rearing. This is usually compounded by the lack of gratitude, appreciation, and emotional support a breadwinner is typically afforded by the household.
I have assisted many divorcing women who face the prospect of paying alimony. Our financial strategy is predicated upon her entire contribution to the family, including her spouse. Most importantly, they realize they are not an anomaly. They are freed of social stigma and part of a trend that is growing in ranks.
Being denied access to your own phone and television might constitute grounds for a lawsuit for some. But when Florida resident Donna Campbell discovered that her husband had done so in order to keep an even bigger offense under wraps — he and 16 other coworkers won the lottery, and he had no intention of sharing — she knew it was time for divorce court.
Click here for more.
Europe Limits "Divorce Shopping"
Posted to Relevant News by Maureen Dempsey on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 12:34pm
The European Economic Union has instituted a temporary measure to limit "divorce shopping," where spouses "battle for the most favorable settlement in different EU courts," explains The Earth Times — most of which involves the speed of processing. Sweden finalizes in six months, while Ireland requires a four-year separation period. Up until 2006, neither party was required to even set foot in Guam to legally split. (Now one party must spend a whopping seven days in the tropical country.)
Click here for more.
As a handful of states legalize same-sex marriage, gay couples will inevitably marry in one state and reside in another. Divorce is another inevitable. The Wall Street Journal June 10, 2008 asks: When the state of residence doesn't recognize a couple's union in the first place, how can the couple dissolve it? Bring the issue of child custody into the mix, and you've got a mess: contradictory state rulings, questionable parental rights, two people who both want to be "Dad" — or "Mom." Such is the case for Lisa Miller (right) and Janet Jenkins, as The New York Times recently reported on their battle for six-year-old Isabella.
UK web site Holy Moly has reported that Madonna met with divorce lawyer Nicholas Mostyn, Queen's Counsel. Not ringing a bell? Mostyn, nicknamed Mr. Payout, most recently assisted Paul McCartney retain the majority of his savings from Heather Mills' grip. If it's all true, Mostyn might have a bigger battle on his hands this time around: Apparently, Madonna and Guy Ritchie do not have a prenup. Could prove to be a groundbreaking case for manimony.
For more click here.
Bill Murray’s Wife Seeks Divorce
Posted to Relevant News by Maureen Dempsey on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 11:57pm
Jennifer Butler has filed for divorce from husband Bill Murray after more than a year of separation. The two have been married for 10 years and have four children.
Unfortunately, Butler's divorce petition detailed Murray's "adultery, addiction to marijuana and alcohol, abusive behavior, physical abuse, sexual addictions, and frequent abandonment."
Aside from a storied acting career, Murray is co-owner of the Charleston Riverdogs, a South Carolina minor league baseball team — although is official title on the team's web site is "Director of Fun." I don't know...from the aforementioned allegations, he doesn't sound like too much fun to me.
Seriously, though, it must be tough be married to these full-throttle, ad-lib kind of guys like Murray or Robin Williams (also in the midst of a divorce). Maybe the show never stops — and they never stop.
Click here for more.
