Many states embrace change in alimony laws

On behalf of Edwards & Associates posted in Divorce on Friday, August 26, 2011

Americans tend to have a general idea about the rate of divorce in the country, but new information gathered by the recent Census allows Americans to view divorce with a new light. According to the new Census information men and women in the South and West have higher divorce rates than men and women in other areas of the country.

According to the latest information, the general divorce rate among men and women in the United States is comparable. Divorces became final for 9.2 of every 1,000 men in the United States, and divorces became final for 9.7 of every 1,000 women. As divorces were broken down according to region the rates began to differ.

Divorces occurred at a higher rate in the South and West. In the South divorces became finalized for men at a rate of 10.2 for every 1,000 and for women at a rate of 11.1 per 1,000. Divorce rates seem to be connected to the rate of marriages in a given region. According to a family demographer at the Census Bureau, divorce rates in the South tend to be higher because marriages rates are also higher in the South. The Northeast had the lowest rate of divorces, but the rate of marriage is also lower in the region.

The report entitled, "Marital Events of Americans: 2009" is the first report to review and analyze marriage, divorce and widowhood among Americans ages 15 and older. The information used in the study was gathered from the 2009 American Community Survey. Prior studies on divorce and marriage in the United States were based on information collected from marriage and divorce certificates filed at the state level.

Source: Reuters, "More untie the knot in South, Northeast divorces least: Census," Molly O'Tolle, Aug. 25, 2011

Grigorieva to drop charges against Mel Gibson

On behalf of Edwards & Associates posted in Custody on Friday, May 20, 2011

As Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva fight their child custody battle, ugly personal conversations and events have been made public. Early in the case, Grigorieva pursued domestic violence charges against Gibson. However, Grigorieva has recently decided to drop these accusations. The couple's problems have not been much of a secret. As with many cases in the public eye, private conversations and interactions have been made public through the media.

Grigorieva says she dropped the accusations to show that she is able to be a good co-parent to the child, as the couple is currently working on a co-parenting plan. To show good faith, she is also looking to have the restraining order against Gibson lifted, so the two can once again have contact.

Gibson never admitted to the domestic violence charges, but did enter a "no contest" plea to one battery charge from last year. He will be undergoing 52 weeks of anger management counseling, and the plea allowed him to avoid admitting guilt.

Even though many things have been leaked, most of the details of the case and the sheriff's investigational findings into the couple's relationship have been tightly sealed. Attorneys on both sides state that they do not wish to make this personal information public because of the affect doing so might have on the couple's young daughter as they continue the custody battle. Because of this tight secrecy, many rumors about the couple have surfaced, and no one is sure whether Grigorieva plans to pursue a civil suit against Gibson once the custody arrangement has been determined.

The child custody dispute between Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva demonstrates how difficult child custody issues can be to resolve. Thankfully, not every child custody case is as high profile or as public as their case is. Nevertheless, every child custody dispute is important. Every child custody case presents its own unique issues and requires its own unique solutions. If you have questions about a child custody issue, an experienced family law attorney can help.

Source: CNN, "Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend drops domestic violence accusations," Alan Duke, 5/5/2011