November 24, 2011

Law Students try to make a difference in Child Support and Custody cases

A group of students in Orange County, Florida have taken the law into their own hands, and they just might win. The students are Law Students at FAMU, studying with a prominent New York City Family Lawyer, and they have developed the bill as a forward-thinking response to child support issues in the state of Florida.

Statistically, almost 20,000 children make their way into the foster system in the state of Florida each year, most being removed from parents by the state Department of Human Resources. This volume of people creates a tangible burden on the state of Florida, one which the New York Family Lawyer and his students think that absentee parents should help to shoulder.

Essentially, the bill drafted by the students re-configures the way that forced removals are considered under the law, and applies the same rules as those that apply during custody and support hearings for custodial parents. Parents of children who have been removed from their homes would be required to pay a sort of “child support”, said the Long Island Child Support Lawyer.Opponents of the bill claim that the new system would be unethical, similar to charging “rent” to incarcerated prisoners. They also claim that placing additional financial hardship on families who could not properly care for their children in the first place can only make matters worse. The bill’s authors have claimed that the bill will contain language which allows for indigent parents, and those truly unable to pay, to apply to have the fee waived.

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October 21, 2011

Madoff’s Daughter-in-Law’s Uncertain Future

Stephanie Madoff had no idea of the events that were about to unfold on the morning of December 11, 2010. The Disney World trip she was enjoying with her 4-year old daughter and her own mother was the getaway both she and her daughter needed in order to create new and better memories for the two, a New York Family Attorney heard. What lay before her as the morning progressed would change both her and her daughter’s lives yet again.
At some point after 6 a.m. the 35-year old Stephanie would check her phone for any messages. While the first message that she received from her husband, Mark Madoff, was bothersome, it was the second message that sent her into a state of panic. The second message simply said, “I love you,” in the subject line, and contained an empty message body. She immediately contacted her stepfather to the couple’s New York apartment to investigate, and what he discovered would shake the woman to her core.
What Stephanie Madoff’s stepfather discovered in their apartment, was Mark Madoff hanging from a ceiling beam with a black dog leash wrapped around his neck. He was 46-years of age at the time of his death. A NY City Family Lawyer was also told that he did not leave a suicide note behind, and the last two messages that Stephanie received were all she had left.
By the time that Stephanie, her daughter, and her mother, arrived at her New York apartment, the usual media frenzy was in full swing, which sources have told authorities, that angered her, yet she maintained her composure. Suffice it to say, that heartache overcame her anger as the rest of the day drew on. Custody is not an issue as the family lives is Manhattan, New York City where the mother will be deemed to be the custodian.
Stephanie Madoff is likely Bernie Madoff’s ultimate victim, as her only crime was to be in love with the son of the man who was convicted of bilking millions of dollars from his many victims. As it would be discovered, his two sons, Mark and Andrew, are the two that turned their father into the authorities once they learned of their father’s crimes. They were the elder Madoff’s victims also, it would seem. Each of them went onto to deal with it in different ways.
Bernie Madoff is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence for his crimes.

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July 6, 2011

Man Accused of Killing Wife Over Custody

A man who is accused of killing his wife and her boyfriend was attending his child’s custody hearing on Tuesday. The child is now 13 years old and the court case will decide where she should live explains a New York Family Lawyer. This is a very unusual case as most custody cases occur due to divorce.

The father is said to of killed his wife and her boyfriend. It is said that the man broke down in court when he was questioned. In Manhattan and Queens, lawyers deal with these cases many times.

The court looked at some of the information surrounding the murder investigation when making the decision of custody. The court was told that the young girl was in the shower when she heard gun shots. The 13 year old girl was at the hearing but she did not enter the court room. Perhaps this was because it was too upsetting for her to see her father, and murderer of her mother.

It has been decided by the court that the 13 year old girl will continue living with her sister, according to NY Family Lawyer. In most conventional custody hearings the court will ask both parents. In this case, the state and the father were asked. Neither of the lawyers on either side had any objections when asked for their opinion.

It was decided that the sisters home was a stable environment and suitable for raising a child in. The court witnessed the man break down when he was questioned. The judge needed to stop the hearing once because he started to cry so loudly. It is thought that the man does show remorse for his actions.

The girl seems emotionally balanced and enjoying living in a comfortable environment. She apparently wants to be a police officer when she grows up. Hopefully this girl will be able to turn her life around and study to become a Police Officer in the future.

A Judge ordered the father to stay in jail and away from his daughter. He said that he would not be awarded a bond and that he had destroyed his child’s life forever.

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June 14, 2011

Same-sex Nebraska City couple denied divorce

A Nebraska district court judge denied a divorce to a same-sex couple on Tuesday. The couple got married in 2003 when they lived in Vermont.

The judge said that according to Nebraska Constitution, Nebraska does not see them as a married couple, a New York Family Lawyer stated. According to the constitution, “only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska,” the judge said.

Nebraska does not see the marriage as validate and he cannot dissolve the union. Nebraska is not the only state that does not recognize same-sex marriages. Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Texas and Rhode Island also have similar constitution.

A 37-year-old woman was requesting a divorce from another 50-year-old woman. Both women are from Nebraska City, Nebraska.

Even though the judge could not grant the 37-year-old woman’s request, he did make several orders about the condition of their family. He ruled about the issues of parenting and child support, a New York Family Lawyer was told. Both women agreed to the judge’s ruling in the matter.

The judge gave custody of a four-year-old girl to the plaintiff. The 37-year-old woman is the girl’s biological mother. A parenting plan was also ordered so that both parties could see the girl. The plan included weekend and holiday visits. As in cases like this in Long Island or Manhattan, the judge has the power to make these decisions.

The defendant was order to pay child support and all day-car and pre-school expense. The woman has a job in Hamburg, Iowa. It is unclear what her job is. She was order to pay $200 in child support a month. Both women will cover medical care for the girl.
The judge believes it is important that both parties be responsible for the girl because they both have a relationship with the woman.

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