Erickson’s view is shared by the majority of Americans as showed by a recent survey conducted by  Merrill Lynch in February.  According to Merrill Lynch’s Affluent Insights Survey, “89 percent of married couples manage their money collaboratively.”  The survey revealed, however, that 57 percent of these married couples argue over money.

Not all financial experts believe pooling finances in a marriage is a wise move.  Financial adviser Nick Scheumann said, “It would be better if more people split it out.  When it comes to commingled assets, a lot of married people can’t handle it.”  The survey conducted by Merrill Lynch reports that money disputes are the significant contributor to one in three divorces.

Listed below are five benefits of keeping finances separate in a marriage.

• Separate Accounts Add Flexibility and Safety of Diversified Investments – A married couple can insure more when each person sets up a separate account.
• Credit Scores Stay Single – Credit scores are tied to single individuals, not couples.  Opening a bank account in your own name is the first step in establishing your credit score.
• Shared Money Means Shared Responsibility – When a couple pools their money, neither person takes full responsibility for the account, and that makes it easier to spend and harder to save.
• Marriage Is Not Always a Tax Benefit – An accountant can figure out if you would reap more savings by filing single or as a married couple.
• Self-Employed and Small-Business Expenses – Again, an accountant would be needed to assess whether it would be beneficial to have separate or joint accounts come tax time.

One compromise for couples deciding whether to pool finances or not would be to keep some accounts separate while establishing a joint account both spouses contribute to for covering household expenses.

After his debut album’s success, Aldean’s popularity kept rising and the awards kept pouring in. Aldean has scored eleven No. 1 country singles, and because of the popularity of his songs, he performs to sold-out crowds.

Although the singer has reached success in his career, unfortunately with so much time spent on the road touring, his marriage is no longer successful.  Aldean filed for divorce from his wife of twelve years on April 26.

The former Jessica Usserty and Aldean were high school sweethearts who married in 2001, and have two daughters, Keeley, 10, and Kendyl, 5.  The couple seemed to have an ideal marriage until Jason was caught cheating at a bar in California with a former “American Idol” contestant, Brittany Kerr, in September of last year.

Although the couple tried to make a go of their marriage after the incident, it appears that Aldean has strayed more than once and when Jason went on tour in February of this year, Jessica stayed home.

Jason publicly apologized to fans for his behavior, but then turned around and filed for divorce from Jessica.

Aldean is worth an estimated $20 million, and since his wife has been with him before he made it to the big time in country music, she should be entitled to her fair share, possibly half,  of his fortune.  According to one unnamed source in the National Enquirer, Jessica “can show she was instrumental in Jason achieving success, but even more, she can show she is the wronged party in this.”

In a high asset divorce, it is very important to hire a experienced  divorce attorney who is well versed in high asset property division and who will take the time to negotiate property divisions that will be fair and equitable to both parties. 

According to Sportsworld report.com, Nash reports he has made his wife a millionaire through their divorce, as she received $5 million in the divorce settlement, and  receives $30,000 a month from him, as well.  Nash also remarked that he pays over 90 percent of his children’s school and other activity expenses, as well as paying 82 percent of the children’s nanny expenses, too.  He feels, according to TMZ.com, that his ex-wife will spoil his children with luxurious items such as limos, games and other unnecessary items if he pays more in support .

Alejandra Nash lives in Arizona where Steve lived as well until he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in July of 2012.  An Arizona judge agreed with Nash that his ex-wife did not need more money to support their children and ruled Alejandra is not entitled to child support. However, Alejandra has not only appealed the Arizona judge’s decision, but is contemplating moving to California, a state known for its strict child support laws, in an effort to force Nash to pay more support.

Nash met Alejandra Amarilla in Manhattan in 2001, and they married in June 2005.  The couple’s twin daughters, Lola and Bella, were born on October 14, 2004, and their son, Matteo Joel, was born on  November 12,  2010.  On the day of his son’s birth, Nash made a statement announcing  his son’s birth, calling it a ‘bittersweet moment’, revealing that he and his wife had lived separately for several months and were in the process of dissolving their marriage.

Original story found here.

• Legal Expenses:  Even if the divorce is amicable it will cost you thousands of dollars.  In the case of a contested divorce, plan to spend much, much more.
• Taxes:  There are tax breaks a married couple receive that an individual filing single will not receive.  Expect an increase in your income taxes once you are no longer married.
• Childcare Expenses:  Expect to pay more in childcare expenses for your former spouse will not be as accessible as he/she was when you were living in the same house.  The majority of divorced parents find they are paying more in childcare expenses than they were when they were married.
• Insurance:  When a couple is married, the one with the better health insurance plan covers the family.  This coverage usually extends to short-term and long-term care insurance and life insurance, as well.  Once you are divorced, your former spouse will no longer be covering you  and you will need to purchase these types of policies.
• Retirement: When married, you have two people contributing to retirement accounts.  However, once you divorce, expect those contributions to increase if you expect to have a comfortable  income when you retire.  It pays to seek professional advice when planning for your retirement.

When you have made the difficult decision to file for divorce, seek the advice of an experienced Florida divorce attorney.  An experienced, dedicated attorney will not only assist you in resolving your differences, but will protect your interests as well.

Schreiner became pregnant with the donated sperm and gave birth to a baby girl.

Unfortunately, three years after the birth of the child, Schreiner and Bauer separated, and the two now share custody of their three-year-old daughter. 

After separating, one of the two women became ill and could not financially support the child.  Schreiner, as the girl’s birth mother, applied for state health insurance for her daughter, but to receive aid from the state of Kansas, she needed to reveal the name of the sperm donor.

Unfortunately for Marotta, although he signed a contract waiving his parental rights, which, he thought, included any financial responsibility for the child he fathered, the state of Kansas disagreed and has sued him for $6,000 in back child support. 

Kansas not only does not recognize same-sex relationships, but because the sperm was not artificially inseminated by a licensed physician, the state also contends the contract Marotta signed is invalid.

Only Marotta and Schreiner, the birth mother, are parties in the lawsuit.

Attorneys for both Marotta and Schreiner argue that Bauer should be fully involved in the financial support of the child since she signed the sperm donor agreement as well.  They have asked a judge to consider Bauer as a full-fledged participant in the case. 

The attorneys cite a recent Kansas high court case,  Frazier v. Gouschaal, which established that a non-biological mother of children in a same-sex relationship has the same rights as a biological mother.

Marotta’s attorney filed a motion last week asking the court to make Bauer a “necessary party” or dismiss the case.  He also argued Kansas should recognize Bauer as the legal parent of the girl, not Marotta.  Schreiner as the birth mother, does have legal custody of the child, but cares for the child in the evenings with Bauer caring for her during the day.  The former couple has drawn up a parenting plan for their child, and if approved by the state, would resolve those legal  issues of custody and child support.

Marotta’s attorney also claims the case is political in nature and said, “The state will do anything to push their traditional notion of families and suppress any non-traditional type of parenting.”

Bill 718 eliminates permanent alimony, which requires one spouse, usually the male, to pay alimony for the rest of his life.  Permanent alimony was instituted years ago when the husband was the money maker of the family, and the wife stayed home to raise the children.  In the majority of modern marriages, both spouses work and, thus, in the event of a divorce, have  means of support other than alimony.

According to an article on yahoo.com, the bill “replaces permanent alimony with bridge-the gap, rehabilitative, or durational alimony to consistently ensure swift resolution for families.”

With the passing of the bill, the former spouse must prove they have a need for alimony and must also prove the obligor has the ability to pay alimony, as well.

Senate Bill 718 was sponsored by Senator Kelli Stargel because she felt the state needed a fair way to deal with this emotional issue.  “This bill creates guidelines for our judges to follow, but maintains judicial discretion,” Senator Stargel said.

A not for profit organization, Family Law Reform, fought for passage of the bill.  Alan Frisher, co-founder and president of the organization, said that while the bill is not perfect, it is fair and equitable and updates Florida’s antiquated alimony laws.

House Bill 231, which is  companion legislation to Senate Bill 718, will go to the House for a full vote next week.

One such parent is Pedro Quezada.  Quezada owes $29,000, according to New Jersey authorities, in child support.  The New Jersey man’s name has been in newspapers around the country recently since he just won a $338 million Powerball jackpot. 

Quezada was scheduled to appear in New Jersey state Superior Court in Paterson last Monday.  The hearing stems from a child support warrant that was issued for the 44-year-old man who has not paid his support payments since 2009. 

According to NBC News, a spokesman for the Passaic County Sheriff’s office said the warrant was stayed temporarily until his court appearance.  Quezada owes support for his five children, although it’s unknown which children are covered under the support payments.

Quezada  chose to claim his jackpot win in one lump sum, which, after taxes, would be $152 million.  Usually, according to Sheriff’s spokesman Bill Maer, winnings are not released by the State Lottery Department until court judgments are satisfied.  However, in Quezada’s case, he claimed his $152 million in winnings last week before satisfying his back support payments.

Quezada, who is a native of the Dominican Republic, told the Daily News he felt “pure joy” in winning the lottery, and would use the winnings to help his family.  Hopefully his family includes his five children which he has failed to support these past four years.

When a former partner fails to pay his or her court ordered child support payments, an experienced attorney can work aggressively with you to pursue your child support claims.  Contact a knowledgeable, experienced Florida family law attorney to resolve your child support issues.

Original story found here.

DOMA was passed in 1996 and defines legal marriage as a marriage between a man and a woman and thus  prevents legally married gay couples from collecting federal benefits available to straight couples.

The New York Times reported the majority of the high court asked highly skeptical questions concerning the constitutionality of the law, with  justices voicing their opinions that marriage is a matter for the states, and not the federal government.  Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is considered the pivotal justice on the issue, said DOMA ignores those states “which have come to the conclusion that gay marriage is lawful.”

According to an article in al.com, it appears that five of the nine justices are ready to strike down the act.  Liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg voiced her opinion  the law targeted gay couples by withholding things such as tax advantages, Social Security benefits and leave to care for a spouse.

If DOMA is struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, the effect would be legally married gay couples in those nine states and the District of Columbia that now allow same-sex marriages would be eligible for federal benefits. 

A ruling by the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of DOMA is  not expected until June of this year.

Original story found here.

An annual survey by TheKnot.com and the WeddingChannel.com discovered the average cost of a wedding in 2012 was $28,427, the highest average since 2008’s $29,334.

In the survey, 17,500 couples were questioned on their wedding budgets, style preferences and other features related to their wedding.  According to TheKnot.com, the main factor that contributed to the rising cost of a wedding was the couple attempting to create a more “fulfilling experience” for guests.  Anja Winikka, site director for TheKnot.com, said that although guest size was slightly down at weddings in 2012, spending was up.

A few of the ways couples spent more on their guests were paying for transportation to the ceremony and reception, paying for rehearsal dinners and morning-after brunches.   Many couples also spent more on guest entertainment by including photo booths or caricature artists, instead of just having a band or a DJ for entertainment.  These extras, according to Winikka, pushed the average up to $204 per guest.

A break down of weddings costs were: $1,211 for the bride’s dress; $230 for the rental of a groom’s tuxedo; and $560 for the wedding cake.

Where you live can really affect the cost of your wedding.  This survey discovered those couples living in Manhattan spent the most on their wedding with an average wedding coming in at $76, 678.  Alaska was the least expensive place to be wed, with an average wedding cost of  $15,504.

Complete story can be found here.

One New York woman, Elizabeth Petrakis, signed a prenup days before marrying millionaire Peter Petrakis.  Elizabeth claims her soon-to-be husband promised the premarital contract would be torn up as soon as children were born to the couple.

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, her husband did not honor his promise.  Three children later, twin boys and a daughter, the prenup is still intact.  For the past seven years, Elizabeth has been arguing with her husband to have the prenup torn up, which he refused to do.

Last month, her prenup was voided by a Brooklyn appellate court, which ruled that Peter misled Elizabeth and therefore ruled in favor of Elizabeth on the grounds of “fraud in the inducement.” 

Elizabeth’s lawyer, after the court’s ruling, stated he was “unaware of a vacated prenup in the state of New York on these or similar grounds.”

In the State of Florida, a prenup or premarital agreement, is enforceable unless it can be proved that:

• The party did not execute the agreement voluntarily
• The agreement was the product of fraud, duress, coercion, or overreaching
• The agreement was unconscionable when it was executed

A prenuptial agreement offers a couple the opportunity to be open and frank about finances, assets and other property they bring into a marriage.  A prenuptial agreement does not increase the likelihood of divorce, but does make things easier if the marriage does not work out. An experienced Florida prenuptial attorney can can explain the advantages of entering into a prenuptial agreement, and can also assist you in outlining the provisions of the contract as well.

Original story found here.