A recent New York Times article discussed an especially scandalous story involving hedge fund millionaires, a love child and a potential gold-digging, Mount Everest-climbing socialite. The story begins in Aspen, Colorado, a city full of wealthy jetsetters looking to mingle. It was there that Warren Lichtenstein, a Wall Street financier, met Annabelle Bond, a British… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Discovery
Subscribe to Discovery RSS FeedRules for Proper Electronic Etiquette During Divorce
Posted in Communication, Discovery, Research & Investigation, Technology, Trial of CasesElectronic communications can get a lot of people in trouble. Mindlessly sending messages via text, email, or social networking sites without thinking has come back to haunt many people – increasingly, many people going through the process of divorce. The very strengths of these modes of communication (speed, convenience, and accessibility) are also what makes… Continue Reading
Maintaining Credibility in the Discovery Process
Posted in Attorney-Client Relationship, Discovery, Procedure, Research & InvestigationDiscovery in Family Court is both loved and hated by attorneys and litigants alike. We love it when the discovery we have requested and received leads to information that is helpful to our case. However, we hate the process of gathering information and documents in order to respond to other side’s requests for things we… Continue Reading
Study Reveals Surprising Number of Spouses Admit to Hiding Money
Posted in Assets and Debts, Discovery, Financial Issues, Research & InvestigationAs anyone going through divorce knows, it’s crucial that you lay all your cards on the table. You have an obligation to be open and honest with your spouse, especially when it comes to financial assets and liabilities. Only with a clear picture of a couple’s financial life can a divorce be fair and equitable…. Continue Reading
What If Your Spouse Has All of Your Financial Information?
Posted in Assets and Debts, Discovery, Financial Issues, Research & Investigation, Separation, Tax IssuesIt is not uncommon in marriages for one spouse to maintain access to most of the financial information. In some relationships this is because one spouse wants to control the other spouse, but in most relationships, it is simply the most convenient way to run the household. With the advent of online payments for everything… Continue Reading
How a Vocational Expert Might Help Your South Carolina Divorce
Posted in Alimony, Discovery, Divorce, Financial Issues, Practice Tips, Research & Investigation, Separation, Trial of CasesIf you’re starting the process of divorce in South Carolina, you likely are beginning to realize just how much of the process revolves around money. How much is there, how much will there be in the future, whose is it, who needs it and finally, who gets what? One of the questions that many couples… Continue Reading
The Importance of Discovery in a South Carolina Divorce
Posted in Assets and Debts, Attorney-Client Relationship, Contempt of Court, Discovery, Divorce, Financial Issues, Procedure, Research & Investigation, SeparationMany couples facing a divorce wonder why the time and expense associated with discovery is necessary. They simply figure that they know what the other spouse’s assets are, because after all, they watched them buy the items in the first place. They mistakenly think they understand the value of all the retirement and bank accounts… Continue Reading
Spying During Divorce Becoming Big Business
Posted in Discovery, Divorce, Research & Investigation, TechnologyThe Wall Street Journal recently wrote a lengthy article discussing a recent boom in business related to spying on spouses prior to and during a divorce. A combination of suspicious husbands and wives along with increasingly affordable high-tech gadgets have made it much easier for ordinary people to spy on their significant others. It used… Continue Reading
What to Watch For When It Comes to Spouses Hiding Assets
Posted in Assets and Debts, Attorney-Client Relationship, Discovery, Divorce, Financial Issues, Practice Tips, Research & Investigation, Separation, Tax IssuesEveryone knows that hiding assets during a divorce is sneaky, unethical and illegal. Sadly, it happens much more frequently than most people, often women, suspect. Many families have complex financial portfolios, which can include a home, rental properties, bank and stock accounts, retirement or pension plans, stock options, life insurance, and many other things. Given… Continue Reading
The Impact of Divorce on Small Business in South Carolina
Posted in Assets and Debts, Discovery, Divorce, Financial Issues, Practice Tips, Prenuptial Agreements, Research & Investigation, SeparationDivorce is a difficult enough process for anyone to go through, and there are lots of complicated financial decisions that must be made. The money worries can multiply for small business owners, who have the added worry of how the divorce will affect their livelihood. When you own a business, you also have the typical… Continue Reading
Guest Post :: How Staff CPA’s Can Impact Family Law Litigation
Posted in Assets and Debts, Attorney-Client Relationship, Discovery, Divorce, Financial Issues, Marriage, Practice Tips, Research & Investigation, Separation, Tax IssuesFamily law encompasses a wide range of legal issues involving marriages, civil unions, adoptions, surrogacy, divorce, visitation rights and more. In most family law cases, the financial and personal needs of each member of the family must be addressed, and every situation varies a great deal depending on the number of dependents, types of assets and business incomes. With… Continue Reading
Facebook Named in One-Third of All Divorce Filings
Posted in Communication, Discovery, Divorce, Educational Resources, Marriage, Practice Tips, Relationships, Research & Investigation, Separation, Technology, Trial of CasesFacebook has made news this week thanks to its somewhat lackluster IPO. It’s now in the news for a different and surprising reason, a survey revealed that in 2011 one-third of all divorce filing contained the word “Facebook.” The Wall Street Journal mentioned the shocking statistic and highlighted the news that 80% of U.S. divorce… Continue Reading
How to Tell If Your Soon-to-be Ex Is Hiding Cash or Other Assets
Posted in Assets and Debts, Discovery, Divorce, Financial Issues, Practice Tips, Research & Investigation, SeparationA recent article in the Huffington Post discusses clues that should set off alarm bells regarding the possibility that one spouse is hiding money in preparation for a divorce. People have special motivation to hide income and assets during a divorce in an attempt to avoid paying higher child support or alimony, and the possibility… Continue Reading
How To Financially Prepare for a South Carolina Divorce
Posted in Assets and Debts, Child Custody, Child Support, Discovery, Dispute Resolution, Divorce, Financial Issues, Marriage, Separation, Tax IssuesDivorce is a difficult process, emotionally and financially. Before you blindly step into the stressful process, there are steps you can take to empower yourself by getting your financial ducks in a row. Taking the following steps can help make things run more smoothly and even lower your eventual legal bills by being so prepared…. Continue Reading
How to Survive the Holidays While Going Through a Divorce
Posted in Discovery, Relationships, SeparationAs the Christmas seasons nears and family functions abound, keeping your cool when interacting with exes is critical. A recent article on divorce360.com, contains advice from Stacy Phillips, a Los Angeles celebrity divorce attorney and author of “Divorce: It’s All About Control How To Win the Emotional, Psychological and Legal Wars.” Phillips has come up… Continue Reading
Ethical Implications of Obtaining Witness Information on Facebook and MySpace Accounts
Posted in Discovery, Research & Investigation, TechnologyThe increased use of social media has brought with it some interesting ethical questions for attorneys. For instance, consider the question of whether a lawyer can use a third party to obtain information from or about a witness on a site like Facebook or MySpace? The Philadelphia Bar Association’s Professional Guidance Committee issued an opinion in March that… Continue Reading
Free Collaborative Divorce Knowledge Kit Now Available
Posted in Communication, Discovery, Educational Resources, Relationships, SeparationI previously posted about the benefits offered by the collaborative divorce approach. The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) is offering a free, downloadable “Collaborative Divorce Knowledge Kit“, which explains the collaborative process, includes a “Litigation Divorce vs. Collaborative Divorce” chart that directly compares the two models and recent case studies, and discusses several real… Continue Reading
Formal Discovery vs. Informal Discovery
Posted in DiscoveryIn many family law cases, it becomes necessary to obtain information from the opposing party. Since you are, in effect, "discovering" facts about the other side’s case, this process is called discovery. Gerald O. Williams of the Minnesota Divorce and Family Law blog wrote the following article which compares formal vs. informal discovery: Discovery is… Continue Reading