Global Family Law Services
On May 3, well-known philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates announced they were ending their marriage after 27 years. Within her petition for divorce, Melinda Gates cited that the parties do not have a prenuptial agreement, but are asking the court to divide their assets pursuant to the terms of a mutually agreed upon separation agreement. Presently, the terms of the…
Getting divorced is hard enough and the division of real property can make it even more contentious. Often, real property is one of the largest assets to be divided and considerable money could be at stake. Add in a dash of emotion (memories were made there, and children raised), not to mention the headaches of moving and the prospect of…
This article originally appeared as a column for the Cleveland Jewish News. Prospective clients call my office every day, asking about a divorce, a dissolution or even a legal separation without having a clear understanding of what those terms mean. Maybe they have done some internet research and have come across one of these terms. Typically, they know they are…
Nearly a year ago the Supreme Court of the United States issued its landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. This decision was the culmination of six different lawsuits from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee, involved multiple same-sex couples, several children, a widower, a funeral director, and an adoption agency, and came after years of appeals in multiple federal courts. Until…
On June 28, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 577 U.S. ____ (2015), Docket No. 14-556. This decision was the culmination of six different lawsuits from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee, involving multiple same-sex couples, several children, a widower, a funeral director, and an adoption agency. Both before and after…
This article originally appeared as a column for the Cleveland Jewish News. In helping divorcing clients, we very frequently encounter marriages in which one spouse has been the primary breadwinner. Sometimes the other spouse has stayed home to raise the children, or perhaps works only part-time. Sometimes both spouses work full-time, but one of them is in a much higher…
This article originally appeared as a column for the Cleveland Jewish News. When divorcing clients first enter my office they often already know, even if they don’t like it, that their assets will be divided in an equitable typically, equal manner. But, as King Solomon understood, some things just can’t be cut down the middle without utterly destroying them. In…
Recently the Washington Post published an op-ed discussing the idea of a “wedlease.” As suggested, the wedlease is a contract between “spouses” for a marriage that comes with an expiration date. In a wedlease, the parties would marry for a set period of time with set terms. An attractive idea on its face, the concept is supposedly derived from real…
This article originally appeared as a column for the Cleveland Jewish News. Clients who come through my door are often quite protective of their retirement funds – understandably so. After all, an individual typically spends his or her entire working life saving for retirement. A retired worker will probably be entitled to some Social Security benefits. A lucky minority will…
[Editors’ Note: The following article by Andrew Zashin was originally published in the Cleveland Jewish News on November 16, 2012.] The issue of the agunah – a woman whose husband refuses to give a get (Jewish writ of divorce) that must be offered by her husband – has garnered a good bit of attention in Israel. Earlier this year, it…