The Rise of the Use of Electronic Evidence in Divorce Cases

With the rise of the popularity of the internet, instant messaging, text messaging and the use of GPS systems, electronic evidence is being utilized more and more in litigation. Technology is having a huge impact on our lives and also the way many divorces are being litigated. Recently 88% of the members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) indicated that they have seen an increase in the number of cases using electronic data during the past five years. Emails were the most common form of electronic evidence offered in court according to AAML president, James Hennenhaefer. Electronic evidence is being used for many purposes including detecting hidden assets, financial misconduct and infidelity.

Antonia Love, a solicitor (attorney) from England recently warned the public that social networking sites are becoming the next tool lawyers will be using in divorce proceedings. She said, “People who use social networking websites to send flirtatious emails to people, who are not their partners, are often lulled into a false sense of security that they are doing nothing wrong because correspondence is electronic and therefore isn’t real life.” Snooping in another’s email account is not uncommon. A Google survey indicated that 27% of women … Read More... “The Rise of the Use of Electronic Evidence in Divorce Cases”

Military Resource Guide

The Army has developed an excellent online resource guide that would benefit new members of all the branches of the armed services, as well as their spouses and their families. It contains a great deal of useful information, including many resources and various checklists. The guide is described as follows:

“This guide introduces new Army spouses and family members to military family life. It contains information on aspects of Army life from military benefits to recreation. It also includes a glossary of Army terms and abbreviations as well as a list of useful Web sites.”

Military OneSource requires that you login on their site in order to access information. You will need to login and search ‘spouse guide’ in order to find the guide titled “A First Guide for Army Spouses and Family Members.” The guide is available to download in PDF format. Click here for the website.

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Statistics Regarding Military Divorces

Men and women serving in the armed forces of our country encounter many stresses within their marriages that men and women in the general public do not experience. Long separations from marriage partners and other family members and hardships experienced due to war conditions in Afghanistan and Iraq play havoc on many military marriages. So, it is somewhat surprising that the divorce rate among men and women serving in the military remained steady last year at 3.3 percent. From October 1, 2006, through October 1, 2007, there were 25,000 failed marriages out of approximately 755,000 married active duty troops. These statistics represent members of all military branches.

According to information provided by the Defense Department, members of the Army had a divorce rate of 3.2 percent, a rate which remains unchanged from the previous year. Of the 275,000 married Army soldiers, that amounts to approximately 8,750 divorces. Comparing all branches of the military, it is the Army which has the largest number of troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. More Army couples had to cope with longer separations as many tours of duty were extended from twelve (12) months to fifteen (15) months in duration. This past year was also … Read More... “Statistics Regarding Military Divorces”

National and Ohio Statistics related to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

I have listed some of the most intriguing statistics from the 2000 U. S. Census Bureau Table DP-2, Profile Selected Social Characteristics :

  • Across the United States, more than 6 million children are being raised in households headed by grandparents and other relatives.
  • 2.5 million children are in these households without any parents present.
  • Nationally, 4.5 million children are living in grandparent-headed households (6.3% of all children under age 18). This represents a 30% increase from 1990 to 2000.
  • There are another 1.5 million children in the United States who are living in households headed by other relatives (2.1% of all children under 18).
  • In Ohio, there are 157, 298 children living in grandparent-headed households (5.4% of all children in the state). There are another 35,333 children living in households headed by other relatives (1.2 % of all children in the state). Of the children living in households headed by grandparents or other relatives in Ohio, 76,794 are living there without either parent present.
  • Nationally, 2.4 million grandparents report they are responsible for their grandchildren living with them: 29% of these grandparents are African American;17% are Hispanic/Latino; 2% are American Indian or Alaskan Native; 3% are Asian ;and 47%
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Information & Resources Available to Grandparents with Custody of Grandchildren

There are many sites listing resources available for grandfamilies and grandparents having custody of children. One of the most comprehensive lists is included in the Generations United website. It lists national organizations and resources that might be of benefit.

Here is a list of Ohio programs that might be of assistance:

  • The Kinship Navigator Program is available in several counties in Ohio through county and community-based organizations. Navigators are available to provide information and referrals for other programs in the community for grandparents and other relatives. Service links may include health supports, educational services, financial resources, child care, legal services, support groups, and respite care. In some cases, the programs sponsor activities and specialized services for caregivers and children. To see if there is a program in your county, contact your local Department of Job and Family Services or call Kristen Burgess, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, at (614) 752-1329 or burgek01@odjfs.state.oh.us.
  • The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has published a statewide resource guide for kinship families, Relatives Caring for Children: Ohio Resource Guide. Information is provided about the availability of programs for kinship providers through local agencies. Contact: Help Desk, Office of Children
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Financial Resources Available for Grandparents with Custody of Their Grandchildren

Raising children takes a lot of money. There is some goods news. Many people are not aware that there are “public benefits” programs available which could help many grandfamilies pay for food and electricity or other monthly expenses including health insurance. The AARP Foundation has established an outreach program and has a new online tool called “BenefitsQuickLINK” and this tool can help adults who are over 50 years old find out if they or the children in their care qualify for any of the 15 benefits included in the tool.

To read the article about the work that AARP is doing and more details on these benefits, go to: Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

 

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Domestic violence and some relevant statistics. What do they tell us?

Domestic Violence is defined as a pattern of behavior utilized to establish power and control over another person. It typically involves an escalating pattern of abuse where one party in an intimate relationship controls the other through intimidation, threats of violence or actual violence. The abusers frequently manage to virtually “brainwash” the victim into believing that it was his/her fault and the abuse or beating was deserved. According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, nearly twenty-five percent (25%) of American women report being raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, co-habitating partner, or a date at some time in their lives. Forty percent (40%) of adult Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused in the past year by a male. In 2006, Ohio Law Enforcement Agencies responded to 71,946 domestic dispute calls (Ohio Attorney General’s Criminal Indemnification 2006 Statistics). Of those calls to the police, 34,021 were categorized as domestic violence incidents. Ohio’s statistics for the year of 2006, show that sixty-five percent (65%) of the alleged offenders were Caucasian; seventy-seven percent (77%) were men; and sixty-seven percent (67%) of the offenders were between the ages of 18 and 40. Sixty … Read More... “Domestic violence and some relevant statistics. What do they tell us?”

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