Decoupling Seattle Family Law and Divorce Blog » News

With Glass Ceiling “Pierced”, More Women Pay Spousal Support

liz — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:59:48 +0000

Although “alimony” is still commonly perceived to be a man’s burden, more and more women are providing financial support to their exes during or after a divorce. A recent survey of the members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers indicates that 47% of American divorce lawyers have seen an increase in the number of women ordered to pay…

Painful Memories Transformed Into “Representations of the Unconscious Self.”

liz — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:32:58 +0000

For the last ten years, artist Mercedes Gertz has been turning painful artifacts – wedding photos from doomed marriages – into stunning works of art. Using a scanner, Gertz and her collaborator, Nancy Louise Jones, transform unwanted bridal portraits into mandalas – circular diagrams that originated in Hindu and Buddhist spiritual artworks. Karl Jung once deemed mandalas “a representation…

Finding “Fault” in the (Silly) Little Annoyances.

liz — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:33:09 +0000

Unlike in the U.S., where “no fault” divorces are now standard in every state, family courts in England still require a finding of spousal misconduct before a divorce will be granted. Along with adultery or abandonment, an aggrieved spouse may cite “unreasonable behavior” as the grounds for divorce. According to some lawyers there, this often means that divorcing parties have…

People You May Know: Your Husband’s Other Wife.

liz — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:02:59 +0000

Ellanora Fulk of Tacoma, Washington was browsing her ‘suggested friends’ on Facebook when she came across one suggestion that struck her as odd. She clicked on Terri Wyatt O’Neill’s page, and began perusing her photos – only to discover a photo of Ms. O’Neill and someone Ms. Fulk knew very well indeed: her estranged husband, Alan Fulk.

And this was…

March is the Most Popular Month for Divorce

liz — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:00:28 +0000

At least according to Findlaw.com, the popular online legal information site, which reports that searches for terms like “divorce” and “child custody,” are at their highest in the third month of the year. Researchers for Findlaw also analyzed divorce cases commenced between 2008 and 2011 in courts across the nation. They discovered that new divorce filings begin to increase…

Woman Sues Husband’s Mistress for Alienating His Affections, Wins $9 Million.

liz — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:40:14 +0000

Cynthia Shackelford suspected something was up with her husband when his late nights at the office became more frequent and charges at fancy restaurants started appearing on his credit card bill. So, she hired a private investigator, who confirmed her heart wrenching suspicions: her husband of 33 years was having an affair with a woman named Anne Lundquist.

Cynthia…

Think Before You Text…

liz — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:28:51 +0000

Or email, or update your Facebook status, or tweet – because the use of evidence from smart phones and social networking sites in family law matters is on the rise. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a prestigious national association of family law attorneys, released the results of a survey which indicates that 92% of the AAML’s members have…

Systemic Bias or Selective Fact Finding?

liz — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:07:37 +0000

Last week the Seattle Weekly ran a cover story detailing a supposed “systemic bias” against men in King County’s family court system.

In a rebuttal article – currently posted on Slog, the blog for Seattle’s other weekly, The Stranger – Rao & Pierce managing partner Christopher Rao takes issue with the article’s conclusions, arguing that decisions in family court…

WWII-Era Affair Ends 77 Year Marriage

liz — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:55:06 +0000

According to the Telegraph, a ninety-nine year old Italian man has set a new record: world’s oldest divorce petitioner. The man, identified only as “Antonio C.”, discovered letters indicating that his ninety-six year old wife “Rosa C.” had carried on an affair during the 1940s. The devastated man confronted his wife, who admitted that she had indeed been unfaithful…

On the 12th Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me…

liz — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:51:00 +0000

…a very public divorce plea.

An as yet unidentified individual in Reading, England has chosen a very public medium for her one-item Christmas list. Says the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper:

With just 12 days to go until Christmas ‘Jude’ decided to spread her own festive message by stringing up a banner alongside the M4 motorway proclaiming: ‘For Xmas Dan,

…