- Home
- »
- Blog
- »
- Page 11
A MOVIE STARLET’S GREATEST SIN
Judy Lewis died of cancer last week, and the secret came spilling out. She was the daughter of movie star Loretta Young and acting legend Clark Gable. That was the secret, one which Loretta Young kept from the world -- and even from her own daughter. In the 1930s Loretta Young and Clark Gable starred together in the movie “Call of the Wild.” During the filming of that movie, the two had what would have been considered a lurid affair. Gable was married. Young was a single woman and a devout...
HOW DOES DIVORCE AFFECT SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS?
We work throughout our entire adult lives and, during that time, most of us are required to pay into the Social Security System. The payoff comes when we hit retirement age and are able to start receiving Social Security benefits. But what happens when a person gets divorced? "How will the divorce affect my Social Security?" "Do I lose half of my benefits?" "Am I entitled to my husband's social security?" These are questions I frequently hear from my clients. The answer is that you do not...
CO-PARENTING IS A TOUGH CHALLENGE, BUT IT’S WORTH THE EFFORT
Co-parenting is often the most difficult challenge that parents face following a divorce. Poor co-parenting can not only be a source of extreme and ongoing stress for the parents but, worse yet, it can be emotionally devastating to the children. It can lead to repeated trips back to the courthouse, and many thousands of dollars in legal fees. But it doesn't have to be that way. Disagreements over discipline, supervision, parental involvement, or parenting styles are factors that contribute to...
FAILING TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ABUSE IS WRONG
The news came this week that Penn State coach Joe Paterno, the winningest coach in college football, has been fired for failing to call the police when he learned that one of his assistant coaches had molested a young boy. The news was shocking. Paterno, who is known not only for winning but also for the high percentage of his players who graduate, is among the most respected coaches in the history of football at any level. After he was fired, football experts and fans across the country came...
GRANDPARENTS HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO VISITATION UNDER ARIZONA LAW
The United States Supreme Court has held that parents have a fundamental constitutional right to control child-rearing. Under Arizona law, a fit parent is presumed to be able to make decisions that are in his/her child's best interests, and the courts will stay out of the decision-making unless it is clear that the parents' decisions could be damaging to the child. However, Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 25--409 gives a judge the right to intervene and order visitation between a child and...
“DO’S” AND “DON’TS” FOR DIVORCING PARENTS
I think most divorcing parents would agree that the children are their number one priority. But, in the midst of a marital break-up – when it feels like your life is coming apart at the seams – keeping the children out of the middle of your dispute can be a real challenge. Your anger toward your partner may be justified. Your fear of the future may be real. But how do you keep those emotions from seeping into the minds of your children and coloring the way they view the world? Children whose...
A ONE-TIME CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY CAN REALLY HELP
Filing for divorce on your own can be overwhelming. Wading through the court-approved forms may be confusing and is often an exercise in futility. What are my legal rights? What should I ask for? How does the court process work? How do I know I'm doing this correctly? There is so much at stake: Division of property and debts, custody, parenting time, child support, spousal maintenance. Handling any one of these issues improperly could mean the difference between a future of relative comfort or...
WHY FEAR & ANGER ARE YOUR WORST ENEMY IN FAMILY COURT
In all our years of practicing Family Law, we have found that the predominant and most destructive emotion among parties to a divorce or custody case is FEAR. Fear is a primal human emotion. It comes into play when we feel threatened – and when a marriage is crumbling and people are considering divorce, there is plenty to feel threatened about: “How am I going to survive without my spouse’s income? Do I have to give her half of my money and property?” “Will he be able to take proper care of...
NEW BILL WOULD HURT SPOUSES OF SERVICEMEN & WOMEN
There's a new bill floating around the legislature - SB 1373 - which will significantly change Community Property Law in Arizona by eliminating all military assets and benefits from community property division in divorce cases. We all want to protect the interests of the courageous men and women in our armed forces, many of whom are sent overseas to fight for our freedom. But we shouldn’t ignore the fact that their sacrifice is often matched by a spouse who remains at home to raise the...
SINGLE MOTHERS DESERVE PRAISE
Today, traditional families constitute barely one in five households in the United States, according to census statistics. And nearly 40% of all births are to unmarried women. Yet a recent study by the Pew Research Center for Social and Demographic Trends shows most Americans still view single mothers as detrimental to society. The poll asked 2,700 people about their attitudes regarding modern trends that affect the traditional family: This included people’s attitudes about unmarried...
YOU ARE THE ADULTS – KEEP THE KIDS OUT OF YOUR DISPUTE … PLEASE!
Mister Rogers (talking to a young boy whose parents are going through a divorce): “I think one of the toughest things for children is for their parents not to be getting along, and so divorce feels like it’s just ripping a piece of cloth apart, and for children to try to understand that is sometimes way beyond their capacities. So you really need somebody to help you know that both your mother and your dad love you. It wasn’t your fault that your mom and dad don’t live together, and it won’t...
PARENTING CLASSES ARE FUN AND HELPFUL
I know a woman who has a degree in Early Childhood Education & Child Development. She graduated from college with high honors. Yet, she attended parenting classes throughout the entire time she was raising her children - classes on parenting toddlers; young children; "tweens"; and teenagers. She could have taught the class. Why did she join a parenting group and continue to classes go all those years? The reason – because it made her a better parent. WHAT CAN A PARENTING GROUP OFFER?...
HOW YOU DRESS FOR COURT DOES MATTER
When dealing with a family matter issue, you do not have to go at it alone. Give us a call and we can discuss the entire case during a free attorney consultation. When dealing with a family matter issue, you do not have to go at it alone. Schedule your free attorney consultation...
DEALING WITH DEADBEAT PARENTS
What do you do when the non-custodial parent owns his own business and is chronically late in paying child support? If he had a job at a company, it would be easy -- the Court would enter an Order of Assignment, and the support monies would be paid by his employer to the Court Clearinghouse and deducted from his paycheck. But when the person owns his own business and controls the purse strings, how can the Court make sure he pays his support? Here's one way: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section...
GRANDPARENTS’ RIGHTS – Are You Being Deprived of Visitation With Your Grandchildren?
There is nothing more heartbreaking than a grandparent who is not allowed to have contact with the grandchildren, especially during the holidays. The relationship between a child and his or her grandparent is a special kind of bond, one that cannot be replaced. For a grandparent to be unfairly “cut out of the picture” can be devastating for both the grandparent and the child. Arizona law provides that grandparents do have a legal right to visitation with their grandchildren under certain...
Ratings and Reviews
Client Reviews
Very honest
November 2009 I retained Mr. Frank almost two years to represent me in a visitation modification filed by my ex-husband. Mr. Frank quickly and efficiently became familiar with my case and was very honest about all the potential results that could occur. I truly feel that Mr. Frank had my children’s best interests in mind…
– Judy K