Archives for August, 2010

Aug 7, 2010

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: Damages Awarded For Divorce Rumors Lawsuit

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie won an undisclosed amount of money from a lawsuit that they filed against News of the World. The publication is said to have said that the couple were separating and had a custody arrangement in place. The publication’s article did significant damage to the couple’s reputation, and as such a public apology is said to be underway.

It was also said that the couple met with Sorrell Trope, a well-known divorce attorney for the stars. Trope denied the claims and revealed that he has never met with either Brad nor Angelina. The suit was a claim against the 1998 Data Protection Act, which covers the misuse of private information.

Aug 6, 2010

High Profile Divorce of Pay-Pal Founder Elon Musk Impact on Tesla Motors Inc.

Unfortunately for investors and directors alike, Tesla Motors Inc.’s highly hyped initial public offering (IPO) is competing for attention with media coverage of the bitter divorce of its co-founder, chief executive officer and major shareholder Elon Musk, who also co-founded the hugely successful company PayPal. The June 29th IPO went off without a hitch, resulting in a 41 percent in the company’s stock on the first day (which dropped dramatically, falling below the original price, in the first week). Regardless of what some still consider a relatively successful offering, questions remain about the viability of the country’s first electric car start-up should Musk’s shares — which, after it went public, now stands at 28 percent of the company — be considered marital property subject to division in the divorce proceedings.

Aug 4, 2010

Prop 8 Overturned – What are Your Rights?

On August 4, 2010, the Northern District Court of California ruled that Proposition 8, the 2008 state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, violates the United States Constitution.

In May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that an earlier state ban on gay marriage, Proposition 22, violated the California Constitution. In response, conservative religious groups introduced Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, to the November 2008 ballot. In a highly contested and emotional campaign, California voters narrowly passed Prop. 8, 52% to 47%.

Shortly after Prop. 8 passed, same-sex marriage opponents filed documents in state court arguing that Prop. 8 violated other portions of the California Constitution. On May 25, 2009, the California Supreme Court upheld the legality of Prop. 8 under the California Constitution.

Aug 4, 2010

O. C. ‘Happy Index’ is on the rise

There’s a little-known collection of public licensing numbers that insiders at Orange County courts unofficially call our “Happy Index.” And, lately, the numbers have been pushing the Index up.

Perhaps it’s the economy, the Lakers’ second championship in a row, or this summer’s hot song, “California Gurls” by Katy Perry. Whatever the reason, Orange County saw more June brides – and June grooms – this year than the year before. In all, there were 2,034 marriage licenses issued in Orange County last month, a bump of about 3 percent.

“We call this the happiest place on earth,” quipped Renee Ramirez, the deputy commissioner who oversees Orange County licenses and civil marriage ceremonies.

Another number on our Happy Index shows that marriage ceremonies performed at the courthouse are way up. A whopping 752 ceremonies were performed this June, up about 15 percent from June of ’09.

“They come in limos. They come during lunch. They come in big formal dresses or just jeans or shorts,” Ramirez said. Some, she added, actually do come from The Happiest Place on Earth – Disneyland. She can tell by the Mickey and Minnie hats.

But, if marriage is indeed happiness – and, really, is there a husband reading this who won’t raise his hand and say ‘Yes, dear, it is!’ — the real question is this: What’s the trick to keeping the marriage going?

Aug 2, 2010

Will Spousal Support be paid in my Divorce Case?

Is Spousal Support Required?

Spousal support is not always required. When spousal support is required, it is determined by a number of factors. Ultimately, spousal support is at the court’s discretion as required by the dictates of justice and equity; however, generally spousal support seeks to maintain the standard of living established during the marriage until that spouse is self-supporting. Generally support is granted for a reasonable period of time, which is defined as one-half of the length of the marriage with an exception for marriages of especially long duration. Marriages of long duration are ten years long and may require support indefinitely. If the court finds that the former spouse is not taking steps to become self-supporting, the court may end the support payments.

Aug 1, 2010

How a Divorce Attorney Will Assist You in Completing Your Case

by Arron Dishon, Irvine, California Divorce Lawyer and Managing Partner at Dishon & Block

Divorce is defined as the dissolution of a marriage in the presence of a court. If the California divorce is not certified by the court then it is not considered a legal divorce. Once a couple completes a divorce they are free to marry anyone else of their choosing. Divorce not only affects the man and woman involved in the case but also the extended family and the children from the marriage if there were any. A divorce lawyer can help anyone going through a divorce get through the proceedings without ripping their hair out and becoming increasingly frustrated with the other person involved.

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