A License for Same-Sex Marriage
December 01, 2003
On November 18, 2003, the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in a divided 4-3 decision, ruled that a city or town clerk may not deny a marriage license to a couple on the grounds that they are not man and woman. The basis for the decision of the court is that the Commonwealth may not deny "the protections, benefits, and obligations conferred by civil marriage of two individuals of the same sex who wish to marry" and still comply with the constitutionally safeguarded rights of due process and equal protection. The decision has far-reaching ripple effects that impact upon same-sex couples throughout the country and the attorneys who represent them, and is not limited to the geographical boundaries of the state of Massachusetts.
Litigation
November 30, 2003
Recent rulings of importance to your practice.
The Marital Estate: Stock Options and Restricted Stock
November 30, 2003
Stock options became a large part of many marital estates involved in marriage dissolution during the "bubble" of the late 1990s. As one would expect, the courts struggled with the issues this new situation presented, primarily what options were to be included in the marital estate.
Term Life Insurance in Divorce Cases: A New Deal
November 30, 2003
As circumstances change, matrimonial practitioners must review the law in certain areas to see if those laws need to be amended to keep pace with changing times. For example, the onset of AIDS has created almost a new class of terminally ill people. These people who are involved in divorce cases may find themselves in a legal conundrum when it comes to term life insurance benefits. Traditionally, under prior law in some states, only cash surrender value was deemed property. <i>See, e.g., In re Marriage of Mullins</i>, 121 Ill.App.3d 86, 458 N.E.2d 1360 (Ill. 4th Dist. 1984). Historically, term policies, therefore, had no value in divorce proceedings. Those cases, however, may be distinguishable where the insured was not terminally ill, and the proceeds therefore become much less speculative.
How to Get Paid for Your Services and Enjoy Practicing Family Law
November 30, 2003
The practice of family law can be fulfilling and profitable if you ensure that your clients pay you. If you are paid for your work, your practice will be successful and you will be happy; if you are not paid for your services, you will abhor family law.
Hearsay Exception Used in Abuse Case
November 30, 2003
A child who is too young to testify against her alleged abuser may speak through her mother, under an unusual application of an exception to the hearsay rule. A judge in upstate New York has ruled that the mother of a 3-year-old girl can testify about what the child told her in complaining that the mother's boyfriend had fondled her. The child had awakened her mother to tell her of the assault.
Massachusetts Issues Landmark Ruling
November 18, 2003
November 18, 2003: In a decision sure to affect other states, the Massachusetts Judicial Supreme Court has ruled that banning gay and lesbian marriages is unconstitutional.
Litigation
October 15, 2003
Recent cases of interest to your practice.
Litigation
October 06, 2003
Cases of interest to you and your practice.
DOT.COMments
October 06, 2003
You're right ' it can't possibly be tax time again, and yet ' here we are, wondering if each Easter egg constitutes a taxable capital gain. Tax time brings special problems for taxpayers affected by divorce. Should your clients file separately or jointly? Which spouse gets to claim the exemptions for the children?
