Family & Divorce

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Many married couples file joint tax returns to take advantage of certain benefits offered by this filing status. This may result in the unfortunate and unintended consequence of one spouse being held responsible for the underreporting of income by the other spouse. Even when there is a divorce decree stating that one spouse will be solely responsible for any amounts due on prior tax returns, the IRS may withhold a tax refund of the other…
baby carrier
Recently Daniel Craig was ridiculed for carrying his weeks-old infant daughter in a papoose tied around his neck.  The negative comments, brought about by British Today star Piers Morgan, included the sentiment that by taking this action, Mr. Craig had been “emasculated.”  Perhaps Mr. Morgan believes the “tender years doctrine” still has a place in today’s society?…
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Phone applications come and go. Here are three apps we are loving right now that can help you deal with your debt. Our current favorites are Wunderlist, Credit Sesame, and Mint. Best of all, all three apps are free! Wunderlist Wunderlist is one of my new favorite apps. I earned a bachelor’s degree in list making. Wunderlist is great for dealing with debt because you can utilize it to list all of your credit card…
Just before Christmas last year, Congress passed and the President signed a major tax reform package that contained a surprising wrinkle.  It abandoned a decades long provision that permitted payors of alimony or spousal support to deduct their payments from income and required recipients to report the payments and pay tax on them. The effective date of this change was/is December 31, 2018.  Orders and Agreements in effect on that date maintain the old tax…
Interesting article in the Dallas Morning News today about efforts to prevent folks convicted of domestic violence or abuse from gun ownership. Under federal law, anyone found to have committed family violence (aka domestic abuse), whether in a criminal proceeding or by way of a civil protective order, is prohibited from purchasing a gun. The identity of the person should be reported to the National Crime Information Center, which is the registry used for gun…
Last week, I blogged about whether you should settle your retirement alimony case and the ingredients that might go into that decision. To be honest, this “why you should or should not settle” question is only the beginning of what you might be facing when you decide it is time to retire and terminate your alimony obligations. There is, of course, also the “where/when/how” of all of it. And that’s quite a nebulous concept if…
Prenups and Business
Owners and founders of closely held businesses often involve married couples. Therefore, a consideration that all owners of these businesses should consider is the need for premarital agreements or “prenups,” which come in all shapes and sizes under U.S. law. A well drafted premarital agreement will take into account the particular needs and interests of the parties it is intended to protect. For business owners considering a prenup, there are a few areas of concern…
support-shelter
Domestic violence plagues far too many households, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent problem. In our last article, we highlighted several resources available to suffering Minnesotans — but we merely scratched the surface. Additional resources are explored in detail below: Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women Featuring ninety regional programs throughout the state, the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) is one of the area’s strongest advocates for female victims of abuse. MCBW operates…
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For many individuals, they can find themselves facing a divorce or family law matter. Their spouse (or the other party to the family law case) has an attorney. They indicate that their attorney is simply going to draw up the paperwork to conclude the case quick. When faced with this, many decide not to get a lawyer. Their mindset is that although the settlement paperwork is flawed in many respects, they can simply go back…
  Two years ago the Pennsylvania Supreme Court weighed in on the matter of how third party standing was consistent with the fundamental right of parents to raise their children. That case moved the ball in a new direction as we had seen a trend favoring third party involvement in child custody litigation where “interest” was shown. On September 21, the Supreme Court issued a decision underscoring the definition of a parent and further articulating…