A recent survey found that 20% of divorced or separated pet owners are drafting written agreements to formalize custody arrangements. Other per owners are drafting agreements before a breakup, a “prepup”, which details custody and other decisions for the pet in the event of a breakup.
Remember, pets are considered property in Connecticut. Therefore, in the event of divorce, a judge is likely to determine “custody” by considering factors such as which partner purchased the pet or adopted the pet, which partner took the pet to the vet or made purchases for the pet. The decision for custody is not based on the “best interest” of the pet or which owner is more “fit” to have custody.
Drafting the appropriate legal documents can avoid litigation and award ownership or “custody” of the pet to the owner based what is best for the pet.
Read an article on this topic below.
More fathers in Connecticut are “winning” custody according to a recent article in the Connecticut Post.
By the way, “winning” is a lousy characterization. Divorcing with children must be put in its proper context. Any time parents involved in custody or visitation litigation think in terms of “winning” and “losing” they have sadly missed the point. The best interest of the children should be the desired result; not beating your soon to be former spouse. Sure, in some cases, court battles are unavoidable. But there are no “winners” or “losers.” The parents, lawyers and courts must strive for an outcome that’s in the best interest of the child. Unfortunately, in certain high conflict cases, the best interest standard morphs into an outcome, which in reality, is the least detrimental alternative to the child.
Anyway, back to the article. The premise is that there is a greater acceptance of shared custody, as well as other parenting plans, in which fathers play a much more active role. If a father truly wishes to gain custody or become more involved in the child’s life, he is likely to be more successful in court than 20 years ago. I have certainly observed this trend in court.
Here is the article:
More single dads winning primary custody of children – Connecticut Post
Are you heading for divorce? Do you own a business? What strategies should you employ if your business is considered a marital asset?
The article below, from “Entrepreneur,” sets forth seven maneuvers if divorce is contemplated. These tactics include maintaining good records, obtaining a fair valuation/appraisal, paying yourself a reasonable salary and maybe even firing your spouse!
Once a divorce is filed, Automatic Orders may prevent the owner from utilizing certain strategies. Therefore, some advance planning may spare your business in the event of a divorce. Speaking of advance planning, the article also mentions other preventive moves such as a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement and placing the business in a trust.
Read the article here: How to Divorce-Proof Your Company
I just read an article, which offers practical financial advice for those individuals contemplating or in the process of a divorce.
I especially agree with the notion that not all marital assets are created equally. For example, a pension or other retirement plans are particularly attractive assets due to their tax treatment and the potential for appreciation. In addition, “crunching” numbers such as insurance, car payments, mortgages etc, in an effort to project future expenses may help decide whether to divorce. If you are in the midst of a divorce, staying on top of these numbers will assist in crafting a favorable financial settlement, including alimony.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzanna-de-baca/facing-a-divorce-protect-_b_909282.html
Yet another example of parental alienation. A father created a blog called “The Psycho Ex Wife” where he vented about his ex – the mother of his two boys ages 10 and 12. During a recent court hearing, a judge ordered the father to shut down the blog. According to the judge, the father was using the forum to publicly badmouth the mother, which in turn, was hurting the children.
The blog was certainly popular. Apparently, it had over 200,000 followers.
The father is appealing the judge’s ruling claiming that it violates the First Amendment.
Surely there are times when a parent needs to vent or “blow off some steam.” However, it must be done in a way so that the children are insulated. Individual therapy, recreational pursuits or having a non-public discussion with a trusted friend are just a few examples of non-alienating outlets.
The presence of parental alienation is one of the “game changers” that family law judges will use when deciding issues of custody and visitation.
I agree with many in the legal community that the father may very well win his appeal on First Amendment grounds. But at what cost to the children?