Tag Archives: court

Dealing with the Emotions of Going BACK to Court

Unfortunately, spending time in court can be part of the experience of many single parents. Some of us get off easily with simple divorce proceedings while others of us may have on-going custody battles or have to work things out in front of a judge because they cannot be worked out in any other way. When we think we have finished with the court appearances and court battles, however, and we suddenly find ourselves BACK in front of a judge, it can be disheartening, stressful and emotional. Years may have passed since you were in a courtroom and suddenly you … Continue reading →

Final Visit

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It had been almost a year since we had taken four boys into our home. We had visited with their birth mother once or twice a month. After all the visits, only one of the boys even knew who she was. She had never been their caretaker. Texas law mandates that these matters be concluded in twelve months. With the prospect of a nasty trial over parental rights looming, the birth mother had signed a relinquishment of her rights. It was now time for what the adoption community calls the good-bye visit. It was scheduled for two hours at the … Continue reading →

Adoption Day

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We had been fostering our children with the intent to adopt them for eighteen months. We had satisfied every requirement of the state adoption system. It was much harder than it should have been. It was finally time to go to court to finalize. I am a retired lawyer and I know what a crowded courtroom can look like, but this was unbelievable. The week before had been Thanksgiving week, meaning that there were three days worth of matters before the juvenile court on this day. There were a number of nurses present to testify, which usually signifies that there … Continue reading →

Divorce – The Dirty Game

Sadly, most people who has gone through a divorce probably know first-hand how dirty divorce can be. Sure, some people have civil and even friendly divorces but the majority is not so lucky. In addition to the husband and wife fighting over personal belongings, the house, the business, the kids, and even the pets, you get the divorce attorneys involved who also play power games as a means of gaining an unfair advantage. With most divorces, the attitude is to “win at all costs”. Unfortunately, the problem with this philosophy is that far too often, the kids become caught in … Continue reading →

Is A Burrito A Sandwich?

Believe it or not the question is garnering national attention. Not only is the query at the center of a legal food fight between two well known restaurants, it happens to be the question I was sent out to answer on a cold winter day during my stint as a television news reporter (more on that later). The current sandwich controversy brewing in Massachusettes involves two of my favorite eateries: Panera Bread Company (which serves sandwiches, soups and an assortment of baked goods) and Mexican restaurant, Qdoba. According to court documents, Panera argues that owners of the mall where it … Continue reading →

New Jersey Supreme Court Ruling on Same Sex Marriage

The same sex marriage debate is being decided in New Jersey. A case came before the New Jersey Supreme Court yesterday, and ironically, some people on either side of the debate see the ruling as both a victory as well as a disappointment. How does that work? Let’s look at what the Court ruled. The state Supreme Court, correctly, could not find a fundamental right for same sex marriage. However, it did find that gay couples should have the same rights and benefits extended to married couples. What does this mean? It means that although the argument over certain rights … Continue reading →