The Scariest Biglaw Firm — See Also

Fun With Halloween Puns: As if Biglaw needed to be scarier.

Dying Law School: Another law school closes its doors.

Come For The Legally Haunted House: Stay for the celebrity Zillow pics.

Wannabe Lawyers Want To Vote: 93 percent of them at least.

Jailed For An Eyeroll: The defense attorney apparently disrespected the judge.

Source link

The post The Scariest Biglaw Firm — See Also appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/the-scariest-biglaw-firm-see-also/

Is Child Support Debt Consolidation Possible?

Falling behind on child support payments is one of the quickest ways fathers can cripple their finances, especially in states that apply interest charges.

Child support debt can quickly snowball and lead to wage garnishment and in some cases even prison. Inherently, the child support system is especially harsh on low-income parents, so it is easy to fall behind.

When your bills start to add up and your child support debt grows, you might wonder if child support debt consolidation is possible.

If you find yourself falling into child support debt, it is critical that you act quickly to remedy to situation. A lot of divorced fathers are unsure what action to take. If that is the situation you find yourself in, you should get in touch with your divorce attorney so they can assess your options and help you decide on the best course of action.

Cordell & Cordell understands the concerns men face during divorce.

What are child support arrears?

Child support arrears is a term referring to past due child support owed to a custodial parent. Federal law allows states to apply interest charges if you owe child support arrears. Currently, 35 states apply interest charges. The interest rate varies by state, but can go as high as 12 percent.

Failing to make your court-assigned child support payments can lead to a range of consequences. Some common penalties for nonpayment include:

• Warrant issued for arrest
• Fines
• Jail time
• Garnishment of wages
• Denial of tax refunds
• Suspension of driver’s license
• Exclusion from certain government benefits
• Revocation of passport

Child support debt consolidation

If you find yourself stuck paying back child support, it might be worth considering consolidating your child support debt. If you are in a state like Colorado or Vermont, which charge 12 percent interest on child support arrears, your debt can quickly snowball, so it is a wise financial choice to utilize a low-interest-rate loan.

This is a fairly straightforward process. You take out a loan at an interest rate that is determined by your credit score and you adjust the term loan to get monthly payments you can afford. A longer-term loan will have lower monthly payments, but higher interest charges, while a shorter-term loan has more expensive payments but decreases the overall cost since interest is not as high.

After you are approved for a loan, you use those funds to pay off your child support arrears and avoid the penalties listed above. Then you pay off the loan and stay up-to-date on your child support payments to avoid new interest charges.

Personal consolidation loan

The best way to consolidate child support debt is with an unsecured personal debt consolidation loan. The reason an unsecured loan is such a good option is because it does not trade one risk for another.

Since it is unsecured, there is no collateral. If you fall behind on your loan payments, the debt goes to a collector who can take you to civil court, where you could be ordered to pay. However, the worst that can happen is wage or tax refund garnishment, so you are not facing potential jail time as you did while owing child support arrears.

Of course, as long as you keep up with the payments, it does not matter whether your loan is secured or unsecured. But if you have fallen behind on child support, money is likely tight, so that risk probably exists.

Qualifying for a loan to pay off child support

Qualifying for a personal loan to pay off child support all depends on your credit score. As long as you have decent credit, you should not have trouble getting approval. However, your credit score determines the amount you can receive and the interest rate.

Even if you qualify, that does not necessarily mean this is the best way to pay off your child support debt. First, you need to do some calculating:

1. Figure the total amount of back child support you owe.
2. Find out what the interest rate applied to child support arrears in your state. This will tell you how much money you need to apply for with the loan.
3. After you apply, the lender will tell you the rate you qualify for during the underwriting process.

If you are unable to qualify for a loan large enough to cover your owed child support, this might not be the best option. If you can’t get a rate lower than the interest rate applied to your arrears, then there is even less benefit in consolidating. However, consolidation could be used to avoid jail time, and that might be enough incentive depending on your situation.

While it is important to act quickly when it comes to paying child support arrears, it is also critical that you know what you are getting yourself into before you take out a loan. This is a topic you should discuss with your divorce lawyer to determine whether child support debt consolidation is the most effective way for you to pay off your child support debt.

Related

Source link

The post Is Child Support Debt Consolidation Possible? appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/is-child-support-debt-consolidation-possible/

Incivility And Rudeness In The Legal Profession

I know I probably sound like a broken record (only dinosaurs will probably remember them, except for those millennials who appreciate vinyl) but I think that the only way that we can become a more civil profession (and thus a microcosm of a more civil society) is to talk about incivility again and again until everyone gets tired of talking about it and decides to do something about it. It doesn’t take much to make a difference. And I’m not talking about armed guards in places of worship; I’m talking about old-fashioned common courtesy as a place to start.

One example: although this Los Angeles Times op-ed piece is ostensibly about traffic courtesies, there is a larger lesson here. Life is about manners and courtesies and things that make life a little bit less stressful and less hard to take. Life is hard enough as it is.

I was taught to end every letter with a variation of “thank you for your [anticipated] courtesy and cooperation in this matter.” Even though the recipient often displayed neither of those, I thought that it was the right thing to do, even if what I really wanted to say was some variation of the “pound sand, you putz.” It’s the old story of never wrestling with a pig.

Another example and why I cannot stand cable news of any persuasion: the ceaseless interrupting of panelists by another panelist who has something so important to say that it can’t wait and is so important that it’s worth jumping in the middle of another’s remarks.

I saw this in court a lot, and probably nothing has changed. I think a court looks much more favorably upon an attorney who waits his/her turn to speak and does not interrupt opposing counsel, no matter how great the temptation. I’ve never seen a judge refuse to let someone speak who asks respectfully, “May I be heard, your honor?” Interrupting opposing counsel (or even your co-counsel) does not get you where you want to be. Rudeness and discourtesy do not advance your arguments.

Interrupting arises from two distinct factors: ¨the type of conversational style you have and your gender (no surprise there).

Stanford researcher Katherine Hilton says that we Americans fall into one of two conversational styles: either high-intensity or low-intensity speakers. Hilton says that high-intensity speakers don’t like conversational silences, and so consider talking at the same time as a sign of engagement. I guess that’s akin to the “nature abhors a vacuum theory.” Low-intensity speakers view interruptions as rude and prefer that conversation is sequential and not simultaneous. Court reporters always sigh in exasperation when we interrupt and talk over each other, and they have to remind lawyers that it’s one at a time because the reporter can’t successfully report simultaneous conversations.

Hilton found that male listeners were more likely to view women who interrupted another speaker to be “…rude, less friendly and less intelligent than men who interrupted.” Oh, please.  Part of the issue is that oftentimes women can’t get a word in edgewise, and when they do, they’re interrupted by men. How many times have I had to say, “May I please finish?” when what I really want to say is, “STFU until I finish.” How hard is it to stifle yourself for the seconds, perhaps even a minute or two, to let the speaker complete her thought? Is there a difference between interrupting and mansplaining?

Is it uncivil to interrupt? As I said, I can no longer watch cable news of any variety because of the constant interruptions of people by anchors, by colleagues, by those with divergent views. I find myself thinking, “Let the person finish, will you please?” But no, not a chance. This incivility has absolutely nothing to do with “fake news,” the “media is the enemy,” or any of that garbage. This has to do with letting someone be heard, letting someone be able to finish a thought, letting someone express an unpopular point of view (we still have the First Amendment, right?).

What we see all around us is incivility and intolerance. We see it in how we treat each other, how we treat opposing counsel and their clients, the court and its clerks, our staffs, and so on. We see it in our road rage when we give another driver the finger, or we honk as soon as the light changes, not giving the chance to see if cross-traffic has cleared. We see it in our everyday interactions with people we don’t know and so we verbally trash them.

Remember not that long ago, a commissioner here in California was censured after his disparaging social media posts came to light. He’s now an ex-commissioner.

Simple rule and easy to remember: don’t say or write anything that you’ll have to retract later. Exhibit 1: Megyn Kelly.

As a mediator, I am tired of counsel (on both sides, or however many sides there are in a particular case) demonizing opposing counsel and their clients. It’s a dispute, people, and emotions can run high. It’s a dispute, yet the level of rancor I see is disheartening, depressing, and ultimately defeating. Mediating hasn’t turned deadly … yet.

So far, there’s been no reason for my ADR provider to have additional security, but after the events of the last few days, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s thinking about it. Places of worship have become places of slaughter. Places to peacefully resolve disputes:  are they next?

Everyone is pleading to “tone down the rhetoric.” Who should set the tone? Why not us?

---

Jill Switzer has been an active member of the State Bar of California for more than 40 years. She remembers practicing law in a kinder, gentler time. She’s had a diverse legal career, including stints as a deputy district attorney, a solo practice, and several senior in-house gigs. She now mediates full-time, which gives her the opportunity to see dinosaurs, millennials, and those in-between interact — it’s not always civil. You can reach her by email at oldladylawyer@gmail.com.

Source link

The post Incivility And Rudeness In The Legal Profession appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/incivility-and-rudeness-in-the-legal-profession/

Anxious Co-Parent? Here’s How To Cope With Your Anxiety · Divorced Moms

 

When couples without children break-up, they can decide if they want to continue being present in each other’s lives.

But, what happens when a divorcing couple has children?

What happens when you’re co-parents, more specifically high conflict co-parents?

Since there are kids involved, you have to deal with your ex with very little time to heal.

There are visitation exchanges, possible court appearances and many other in person, face-to-face meetings with an ex you may just want to go away and forget about.

And, it isn’t uncommon for one or both co-parents in a high conflict relationship to have anxiety when interacting with the other one.

What if Feels Like to be an Anxious Co-Parent:

Feeling anxious when facing your ex can cause you to feel:

• Unable to control your emotions. You may get angry and lash out. You may become paralyzed and not know how to act or what to say.
• Like everything is your fault. You may have thoughts that say you caused your family to be broken apart.
• Hopeless, no one else has or ever will experience what you’re going through. You may start to believe that your situation will never change.
• Inferior to your ex. That little voice in your head may say that your ex is smarter, wiser, an all-knowing better parent than you.

These anxious feelings may take form in your body and behavior by:

• causing your heart to race
• stuttering when trying to talk
• your brain feeling foggy, not able to think clearly
• feeling lethargic, possible muscle spasms

Seems pretty extreme for all of this to happen with someone you were once close with, right?

I can recall having several of these feelings the first few years after my divorce.

Visitation exchanges would hit me pretty hard…at least a week before the actual exchange!

Knowing that I would have to interact with my ex would cause heart palpitations, muscle tension, and brain fogginess. I can recall packing my kids bags and rechecking multiple times to make sure I included everything they needed.

After much research and a bit of counseling, I was able to figure out why I felt this way and what I could do about it.

So, why do some co-parents get anxious when interacting with their exes?

In high conflict co-parenting:

• one or both co-parents can feel inferior to the other
• one or both co-parents feel guilty, blaming themselves for the break-up
• feel the need to prove the other co-parent wrong
• one or both co-parents are insecure

What can an anxious co-parent do to feel less anxious around their ex?

Before I get to what you can do to feel less anxious, I need to be clear with you.

After my divorce, I felt so much anxiety when interacting with my ex. I didn’t feel like my normal self. I eventually eased my way into researching and seeking help. Three years after the divorce, I began to feel normal again, more in control of myself.

Feeling less anxious around your ex will take time.

Your anxiety did not build overnight and it will not get better overnight.

So, what’s an anxious co-parent to do?

In order to reduce anxious feelings around your ex, you must find your triggers.

A trigger is something, an event or situation, real or imagined, that causes you to react. Everyone has triggers and it’s important that you find yours when it comes to your high conflict ex.

What is it about him/her that pushes your buttons?

Once you’ve identified your triggers, you must dig deeper and ask yourself:

• What are the 3 most frequent triggers I feel when I am around my ex?
• Why do you feel anxious when the triggers are present?
• What negative thoughts are you having that may be fueling these triggers?
• Look at yourself in the mirror. Think about the situation with your ex. Challenge those negative thoughts by going against what they are saying, how they are making you feel. Google anxiety quotes and keep at least 2 -3 with you (written on a card, in the Note section of your phone, etc.) to remind yourself that you can challenge any negative thoughts when they pop into your head.

Stop!

Before continuing with your deep dive, remember:

• To do some breathing exercises. This will help to clear your mind and give you the momentum to keep digging deeper into developing a plan to deal with the anxiety.
• Anxiety is real and comprised of several thoughts and beliefs we tell ourselves. With the right help, you can control anxiety instead of it controlling you.

Let’s keep going.

1. Can you imagine a positive outcome? Can you imagine how you would feel during the visitation exchange, at your child’s event or whatever the situation?
2. After you imagined a positive outcome, how are you feeling? Did your anxiety decrease?

High conflict co-parenting anxiety can be emotionally derailing, don’t think that you’re alone in this.

Anxiety is something that should be taken seriously. This was just one way to examine the anxieties you may have in your life. It is important to seek the help of a licensed professional to fully examine and help you deal with the anxiety.

Have you ever felt anxiety when interacting with your ex?

More For You

Source link

The post Anxious Co-Parent? Here’s How To Cope With Your Anxiety · Divorced Moms appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/anxious-co-parent-heres-how-to-cope-with-your-anxiety-%c2%b7-divorced-moms/

15 Amazing Semi-Mounted Engagement Rings

Digging In The Crates: Katy Perry, Copyright, And Proof Of Access

Katy Perry (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty)

Way back in 2014, a crew of musicians, including Marcus Gray (known on the mic as “Flame”), happened across Katy Perry’s Dr. Luke and Max Martin-produced song “Dark Horse” and in doing so fell into the most uncanny of valleys. Perry’s song, they believed, bore a strong resemblance to their “Joyful Noise” joint. So strong, in fact, that they sued Perry and her peoples for infringing their copyright. The case, Marcus Gray, et al. v. Katy Perry, et al., has been earnestly plodding along for the last four years, and just recently birthed another fascinating order for those who follow music and copyright.

The court had previously denied summary judgment to Perry and her co-defendants, finding the issue of infringement to be a triable issue for the jury to consider. The case was thus primed for trial on the question of whether the Perry defendants infringed the Gray plaintiffs’ copyrights and, if so, what damages should be awarded.

But, the Perry defendants, looking for another bite at the proverbial apple, asked the court to reconsider the summary judgment order and preclude the matter from going to trial. Motions for reconsideration are generally disfavored and in the Central District of California, in which this action is pending — they are only appropriate when the moving party can show a material difference in fact or law from that previously presented to the court and that could not earlier have been discovered with reasonable diligence, of the emergence of new material facts, or a change of law. A final ground is the oft-abused catch-all: a “manifest showing of a failure” to consider a material issue.

Perry’s side attempted to exploit the catch-all provision, arguing that the court had failed to consider the Ninth Circuit’s 2016 holding in Loomis v. Cornish. That case, which coincidentally also included claims of copyright infringement against Dr. Luke, addressed the various means by which a copyright plaintiff can prove that a defendant had the reasonable opportunity to access the copyright holder’s work before the infringement.

In Loomis, the plaintiffs relied on a theory of saturation in a relevant market to show widespread dissemination. This “doctrinal variant” was predicated on the following facts: the “defendants spent ten days recording an album in Santa Barbara during a time when the plaintiff’s song ‘saturated’ the local music scene through airplay on local radio stations, and Mix Magazine, Billboard, and the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper ran stories about the band’s achievements.”

The Ninth Circuit was not persuaded by these facts, finding that a possibility of access was not shown because the defendants’ “production responsibilities [during their ten days in Santa Barbara] had nothing to do with listening to local radio, reading local press, or scouting local bands, and there was no evidence that they undertook any other activity in that market that created a reasonable possibility of access to” the plaintiff’s song.

The Perry defendants argued that the Loomis decision flipped the script when it comes to using evidence of widespread dissemination to prove access, asserting that plaintiffs were now required to “show both commercial success and distribution through relevant mediums, or saturation in the relevant market.”

The Gray court rejected this argument for both procedural and substantive reasons. First, the court advised that it had certainly considered Loomis in its original decision, as evidenced by the fact that the decision cites to and distinguishes Loomis. As such, Perry’s reconsideration motion largely repeated “written argument made in support of or in opposition to the original motion,” in violation of the Local Rules.

And, even if it didn’t, the court concluded that Loomis provided no safe harbor for Perry and her crew. That is because the decision didn’t redefine “commercial success” as requiring a song to have achieved “nationwide saturation.” Instead, in light of the “song’s popularity on the internet, a powerful tool that can reach a wide and diverse audience,” the commercial success of the song was only one factor to consider when addressing the access issue.

Access is almost always a tricky issue in music copyright cases. Obviously, in order to copy a song, the alleged infringer must hear it first. To establish as much, in the past, a plaintiff would proffer evidence that the song was distributed widely enough across radio, television, and so on, to establish a reasonable possibility that it was heard by the defendant. But, in today’s world, where most of the world’s music is online and easily accessible with a few clicks, accessing music is easier than ever while at the same time being harder than ever to track.

Compounding the issue is the fact that certain songs and samples are coveted by producers for the very fact that they are obscure and difficult to access. The dusty-fingered producer digging through crates of vinyl to locate some jam that nobody else in the scene has is a veritable trope in the music industry, and for good reason. These producers want the very thing that is not accessible or, at the very least, very difficult to access. And exploiting little-known, esoteric songs has the added benefit of making infringement harder to prove.

Today, while vinyl is still in play, most producers scour the most recondite corners of YouTube and the internet to find content on which to base songs (of, if you’re being less charitable, to copy). Yet, to prove infringement a plaintiff still has to prove that its music was “commercially successful” or widely distributed. This creates problems of proof given that the value of a “found” song is often the very fact that it was never either of those things and thus can be presented as fresh. As Katy Perry heads to trial in this case early next year, this issue of access will most definitely be front and center.

---

Scott Alan Burroughs, Esq. practices with Doniger / Burroughs, an art law firm based in Venice, California. He represents artists and content creators of all stripes and writes and speaks regularly on copyright issues. He can be reached at scott@copyrightLA.com, and you can follow his law firm on Instagram: @veniceartlaw.

Source link

The post Digging In The Crates: Katy Perry, Copyright, And Proof Of Access appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/digging-in-the-crates-katy-perry-copyright-and-proof-of-access/

Diwali Might Not Be All That Sparkly For Indian Diamond Workers

During the recently concluded World Diamond Congress in Mumbai, Indian diamond leaders spoke about the challenged that lie ahead of the Indian diamond industry. A lot of them observed that the year 2019 might be a tough year.

Recent hike in import duty on cut and polished diamonds might be one such challenge for the Surat Diamond Trade which has reportedly led to the business of re-cutting and redesigning shifting to competitors such as China and Thailand. The industry think tank has warned that the next two quarters might be the most crucial and there is a possibility of loss of one lakh jobs.

Apart from the hike in import duty, there are other challenges like Asian currency devaluation, slow overseas demand and shrinking bank credit, which are looming large over the diamond industry

The situation is quite ironical especially when recently Hari Krishna Exports distributed cars and fixed deposits to its employees as a part of company’s loyalty bonus program. While HK group diamond workers can spend their Diwali happily, there are a number of diamond cutters and polishers who have been rendered jobless in Surat, Bhavanagar, Rajkot, Amreli, Ahmedabad and Navsari in the last few months. According to Gujarat Diamond Workers’ Union 35 per cent of diamond workforce in Gujarat has lost job in the last few months. Also, there have been incidences of suicides and the workers taking to liquor due to joblessness. 

Source link

The post Diwali Might Not Be All That Sparkly For Indian Diamond Workers appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/diwali-might-not-be-all-that-sparkly-for-indian-diamond-workers/

Wednesday’s Video Clip: Lawyers Turned Actors | FamilyLLB

FamilyLLB is written by Russell Alexander, a divorce and family law lawyer based in Ontario, Canada. For nearly twenty years, Russell’s firm has helped clients who are going through a separation or divorce. You can find more of Russell’s online commentary via Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, or on the firm’s Facebook page.

Source link

The post Wednesday’s Video Clip: Lawyers Turned Actors | FamilyLLB appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/wednesdays-video-clip-lawyers-turned-actors-familyllb/

New Law School Rankings, The Plight Of The Managing Partner, And In-House Work In The #MeToo Era

Joe and Elie catch their breath by recapping the top legal stories of last week. At the annual meeting of the Association of Corporate Counsel, Elie describes an in-house community deeply concerned with navigating the #MeToo era, the gang discusses the abrupt decision of Baker McKenzie’s managing partner to step down for “exhaustion,” and the pair argue over a new set of law school rankings.

Source link

The post New Law School Rankings, The Plight Of The Managing Partner, And In-House Work In The #MeToo Era appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/new-law-school-rankings-the-plight-of-the-managing-partner-and-in-house-work-in-the-metoo-era/

Karishma Kapoor Inaugurates PNG Jewellers’ 2nd Franchise store in Pimple Saudagar, Pune

Following the success of its first franchise store in Aundh, India’s most trusted jewellery brand PNG Jewellers inaugurated their 2nd franchise store within 15 days in Pimple Saudagar on 30^th October 2018. Inauguration of the store was done by Karishma Kapoor,she one of the crowned jewels of the Bollywood legacy family. The new store will offer a wide range of PNG’s signature gold, silver and diamond jewellery.

Spread 700 sq.ft, this franchise store is spacious and offers some of the most classic yet contemporary jewellery designs for new age women.  Strategically located at Shivar Chowk in Pimple Saudagar, it is a developing residential area that attracts a newer population of the city and hence makes it an obvious location for PNG to have another store which will increase their customer base.

The store has the same look and feel as other PNG Jewellers stores and will uphold the same high standards that the brand stands for. A Manager will be available at every franchise store from PNG Jewellers to ensure that all the protocols are followed to maintain the quality control and goodwill of the global brand.

Saurabh Gadgil, Chairman and Managing Director, PNG Jewellers shared his thoughts and said, “Since the launch of our 1st franchise store in Pune, our experience has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are very happy and excited to launch our 2nd franchise store in Pune pre Diwali month. It has been PNG’sendeavourfrom generations to give our customers a shopping experience that is worth their time and money. We are also getting many franchise offers from across India and overseas; we hope to carry its expansion in the same manner and believe to do better than the target we’ve set for ourselves, that is 20 stores in next 2 years. The launch of 2nd franchise store in Pune is a significant achievement for us and underlines the importance of the city for PNG Jewellers.”

Source link

The post Karishma Kapoor Inaugurates PNG Jewellers’ 2nd Franchise store in Pimple Saudagar, Pune appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/karishma-kapoor-inaugurates-png-jewellers-2nd-franchise-store-in-pimple-saudagar-pune/

Richemont, Alibaba Group Form a JV to Launch Luxury Retail Platform for Chinese Consumers

Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group, and Alibaba Group have announced a global strategic partnership to bring the retail offerings of YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP S.p.A. (YNAP), the world’s leading online luxury retailer, to Chinese consumers.

Under the partnership, YNAP and Alibaba will establish a joint venture (JV) to launch two mobile apps for YNAP’s NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER multi-brand, in-season online stores for consumers in China. Alibaba will provide technology infrastructure, marketing, payments, logistics and other technology support to the JV. The partnership will also leverage YNAP’s strong relationship with leading luxury brands, some 950 of them being currently distributed through YNAP in China.

In addition, the JV will launch NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER online stores on Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion, an exclusive platform dedicated to the world’s leading luxury brands. Launched in 2017, the Tmall Luxury Pavilion aims to create the same brand exclusivity and tailored shopping experience that customers shopping offline typically enjoy. It enables brands to deliver highly personalised shopping experiences through curated homepages, customised brand pages, product recommendations and exclusive VIP awards.

YNAP and Alibaba will also explore future offerings that enable the JV’s customers to enjoy unique and seamless online and offline shopping experiences through digitising and fully integrating the retail value chain from merchandising and marketing to payments and last-mile delivery. The JV will focus on serving consumers in China and will extend to Chinese consumers travelling abroad.

Johann Rupert, Chairman of Richemont, said: “Chinese customers at home and abroad are an increasingly important customer base for Richemont and for the broader luxury industry. Our digital offering in China is in its infancy and we believe that partnering with Alibaba will enable us to become a significant and sustainable online player in this market. Alibaba has become the preferred online destination in China, with world-class teams in technology, logistics and marketing. Through this joint venture, we look forward to opening the important Chinese market to NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER and the luxury brands they offer their clientele. To this end, we will work with Alibaba to ensure NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER’s continuing expansion as neutral, open and sophisticated platforms.”

YOOX NET-A-PORTER has always built long-term relationships with its brand partners, protecting and nurturing the finest luxury names online. Together with Alibaba, we will offer our brand partners the same quality and reliability for the Chinese online market. Leveraging NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER, luxury brands can access a neutral and powerful platform to maximize China’s immense potential.

Federico Marchetti, CEO of YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP, said.

Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group, said: “This multi-faceted partnership will bring Chinese consumers unprecedented access to the world’s leading luxury brands. Chinese consumers are expected to account for nearly half of the global luxury market by 2025, and through this partnership, Alibaba and YNAP will be even better positioned to capture this compelling market opportunity. As Chinese consumers continue to upgrade their lifestyles, we want to meet the desires of Alibaba’s more than 600 million users. By integrating online and offline commerce through our New Retail technologies, we will be able to deliver a seamless experience to consumers as well as better enable these leading brands to engage their customers in new and innovative ways. We believe this announcement is just the beginning of a long-term partnership, and together we are committed to exploring many more opportunities to collaborate in the future.”

Source link

The post Richemont, Alibaba Group Form a JV to Launch Luxury Retail Platform for Chinese Consumers appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/richemont-alibaba-group-form-a-jv-to-launch-luxury-retail-platform-for-chinese-consumers/

The Best Supreme Court Justice Of All — See Also

Make New Plans To Spread Grandma’s Ashes: Disney World is apparently off the table.

New Series Explores Life After Wrongful Conviction: Check it out.

Who Has The Best Appellate Practice? Find out here.

But Who Will Judge The Judges? Above the Law, that’s who.

Cases To Watch: Big cases before the Supreme Court.

Source link

The post The Best Supreme Court Justice Of All — See Also appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/the-best-supreme-court-justice-of-all-see-also/

Is It Possible To Fall In Love With Someone You Haven’t Met Yet?

You find you are questioning yourself, asking, is it really possible to fall in love with someone you haven’t met? Yet despite all of this, you can’t get him out of your head, you know he is genuine and you know how you feel.

 

Someone once asked me is it possible to fall in love with someone you have met in person, My response was, “of course, I’m in love with Bradley Cooper and already planning the wedding,” however once we laughed that fantasy of mine away, my honest answer was, it depends on the circumstances. I mean you can’t just look at a photograph have a few texts or emails and fall in love. Can you?

Well through my research and girlie conversations, I have found that this is one of those ” Marmite topics ” where there seems to be no middle ground, people’s opinion is, you either can, or you can’t end of story.

Then one day, I braved the world of online dating and found myself being asked the same question, only this time, it was me asking myself the exact same question.

Can you really fall in love with someone I haven’t met?

And without a moment of hesitation, my answer was…….YES!!!

Yes, you may think I’m crazy, but falling in love with someone isn’t a superficial thing, lust is superficial and once you get past the initial external canvas, everything else is exactly the same.

Falling in love with someone starts with getting to know them and having deep conversations with one another. Does it really matter if these conversations are by email, on the telephone, and via Skype? No…

The conversations make you laugh and smile and you soon begin to open up and share your thoughts and feelings, your likes and dislikes, your dreams and expectations, your secrets and insecurities, you feel like you can talk to him about absolutely anything and you feel comfortable expressing yourself and being yourself with him. You have many things in common and everything feels natural and you feel at ease when talking to him.

You will find yourself thinking about him, despite trying not to! You are checking your phone constantly, waiting for his name to pop up to alert you of a text message and when it comes, your heart skips a beat with excitement, it will drive you crazy that this person is consuming your thoughts, it is torturous that this person isn’t just 5 minutes away and you feel a longing and desire to be with him.

You begin to ask yourself ” What If ” and dream about meeting him. You start to envision the possibility of a future together, making plans to meet, talking about absolutely everything, nothing has any boundaries, you even feel comfortable enough to discuss sex.

Then after months or even weeks of talking…… You realize you care for him deeply and have started to fall in love with him, even though you haven’t physically met. You begin to discuss him with your friends and they may tell you, you are just in love with the ” idea ” of him, telling you to wake up and smell the coffee, it’s a fantasy, he isn’t real, you haven’t met yet and it couldn’t be love.

You find you are questioning yourself, asking, is it really possible to fall in love with someone you have yet to meet? Yet despite all of this, you can’t get him out of your head, you know he is genuine and you know how you feel.

You spent the time getting to know one another on a deeper level before meeting, you genuinely have a connection, you may have already seen each other on Skype or face time so you know what they look like and you genuinely know in your heart of hearts that you are falling in love with him and not just the ” idea ” of an ideal person.

Yes, I agree there are other important factors that also need to be considered like sex, do you even like the way he smells, the way he eats, the way he does lots of other things, but most of these things can be addressed with a little direction and a change in Cologne.

I’m of the opinion that this world has a population of 7.4 billion people, so why should we restrict ourselves to trying to find love in a certain mile radius, modern technology is a wonderful thing and airplanes can take us from A to B.

Love is never the same, it comes in many different forms and in different circumstances. Love is about taking chances, and as long as you are aware of the circumstances and are brave enough to face them anything can happen.

So the answer to my own question is yes!!! ABSOLUTELY!!

More For You

Source link

The post Is It Possible To Fall In Love With Someone You Haven’t Met Yet? appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/is-it-possible-to-fall-in-love-with-someone-you-havent-met-yet/

Information Governance: The Foundation Of eDiscovery Projects

Mike Quartararo

If there is one cause of consternation among law firms, consultants, and service providers — those who mostly collect and process ESI — it is a project in which the client organization has poor information governance practices. I am reminded of this because last week at The Master’s Conference in Washington, D.C., I told the audience that information governance practices are easily the foundation upon which successful discovery projects are built. Without question, projects run more smoothly when the client has strong information governance practices in place.

Records Management on Steroids

Information governance involves managing the creation, use, storage, and disposition of data, records, and information maintained by an organization. It encompasses ideas, concepts, and practices involving but not exclusively relating to electronic discovery. And it involves managing not only paper and electronic records, but all information maintained by an organization. It also implicates compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to records retention, information security, and the privacy, confidentiality and disposition of information.

And just in case it is not clear to anyone, all of this becomes critically important because the records of an organization provide insight into the past and sometimes future activities of that organization, and frequently records become evidence — the information used to tell a story.

Long before we had eDiscovery, we had records management. ARMA International is the largest information management organization in the world and has been around for 60+ years. But things have changed and almost all information is now created on a computer. As a result, today, we have or should have a more holistic view of the value and the efficient, collaborative use of information, particularly as it relates to legal matters.

But let’s be clear, information governance is not a technology or a tool. And it is not just policies and practices, either, or the management of risks or costs or security. It is an enterprise-wide undertaking and organizational mind-set designed to organize information for the benefit of the company. Information governance is the new records management — on steroids.

Whose Job Is It, Anyway?

One may ask, then, what are the IG responsibilities of legal operations professionals. For starters, it is essential to understand records and information management generally. One needs to have knowledge of IT infrastructure, data security, compliance regulations, and data management systems. It is necessary to know how the organization creates, stores, and disposes of information.

One objective of IG for organizations is to prepare for litigation. This means knowing (or being able to easily determine) what information it has, where that information resides, and what needs to be done to access it or preserve it for discovery. At the outset of a discovery project, attorneys should assess the organization’s IG maturity. If formal policies exist, what is the nature and substance of the policies? What is the extent of compliance with the policies? If no policies exist, how does that impact the preservation of information?

Regardless of whether policies are in place, it is important to understand the types of hardware, software, data processing, and storage devices the client uses. This includes the client’s network configuration, operating systems, workstations, laptops, file and email servers, smartphone and mobile device policies, and its backup systems. Knowing these things will help to efficiently identify relevant ESI.

One Best Practice: Ask Questions (Lots of Them)!

One good practice is to use a data map, questionnaire, or checklist to identify systems and assets that may contain potentially relevant information. Doing so not only memorializes the process, but also enables stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding the best course of action for preserving and later collecting ESI in any given legal matter. A good questionnaire might make inquiry about the following:

• Network configuration, storage, and operating systems in use;
• Types and number of file servers in use and the contents of each;
• Email applications, number of servers, mail store size and retention;
• Software applications, databases, or proprietary applications in use;
• Types of workstations and/or laptops in use;
• Remote access, home use, and personal and smartphone device polices;
• Backup systems in use, backup policies, frequency, and retention;
• Legacy or retired systems no longer in use;
• Policies on former employees, retention, and disposition;
• External media, hard drives, CDs or DVDs, and flash drives;
• Internal or external websites, intranets, shared drives, and social media pages; and
• Text messaging programs and unified voicemail systems.

Good Faith is a Good Thing in Legal

Remember, too, that the adoption of and consistent adherence to sound IG policies can demonstrate reasonable and good faith compliance with discovery obligations. If, for instance, documents or ESI are no longer available because they were disposed of pursuant to a formal policy before any obligation arose to retain them, then an organization may in theory be insulated from any penalty related to the obligation to preserve that information. Defensible disposition like this will also ultimately reduce the volume of ESI and result in savings, both in general and on eDiscovery projects. It is not improper to dispose of ESI if there is no legal or other obligation to retain it.

Good IG policies can result in more efficient and cost-effective discovery projects. When an organization knows the information it has, where it is, and how best to preserve or collect it, the initial stages of the eDiscovery process will be more efficient. Likewise, an organization with sound IG practices is less likely to over-collect ESI in discovery, which further reduces cost.

Conclusion

The information governance stage of a discovery project — learning how a client creates, stores, and manages its information — provides the foundational underpinnings for many decisions that will be made later in the case. Ultimately, it is the client organization that is responsible for implementing effective IG policies. Organizations that do not have such policies should consider leveraging outside counsel or a consultant to guide the development of sound IG policies.

---

Mike Quartararo is the managing director of eDPM Advisory Services, a consulting firm providing e-discovery, project management and legal technology advisory and training services to the legal industry. He is also the author of the 2016 book Project Management in Electronic Discovery. Mike has many years of experience delivering e-discovery, project management, and legal technology solutions to law firms and Fortune 500 corporations across the globe and is widely considered an expert on project management, e-discovery and legal matter management. You can reach him via email at mquartararo@edpmadvisory.com. Follow him on twitter @edpmadvisory.

Source link

The post Information Governance: The Foundation Of eDiscovery Projects appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/information-governance-the-foundation-of-ediscovery-projects/

She Traded Her Passive Husband In For An “Alpha Male”

 

I know not all women will agree, but a man who is a man is a huge turn on. My alpha male works with his hands and plays guitar. He has a bad mouth and at times a bit of a short fuse. That may sound like a negative, but combine it with the fact that the soft side is ever present and he worships this girl like no one ever has and it’s pretty powerful.

Prior to falling in love with an alpha male, I had been married to a very non-alpha male. I was the pants wearer and decision maker. My “bossy” nature made me think this was what I needed in a mate.  Someone who was good with me taking initiative and leading the way. As time wore on, however, I realized being the alpha in a relationship becomes tiresome.

I didn’t want to make EVERY decision or lead the way EVERY time. Trying to pinpoint where we went wrong in our marriage is tough, but the differences in how ambitious and driven we each are is probably the obstacle that was hardest to overcome.

Then along comes Alpha. He is strong and smart and capable. He knows what he wants and makes it happen. He makes decisions when I don’t feel up to it (even about little things like what to eat). He is fiercely competitive and the first to rush to my defense. He likes me being his and likes even more for other men to know I’m his. I see this in him and it makes me swoon.

I never thought I was the kind of woman to fall for a dominant man and end up in an affair with him. I thought surely I wanted to be in charge. However, being slightly more submissive (not entirely…don’t get me wrong) and allowing someone else to show they can handle what life throws at them has been like a breath of fresh air. I feel taken care of and protected and didn’t even realize those were things I wanted to be!

What’s so appealing about an Alpha Male?

Alpha males bring a certain amount of sex appeal as well. I know not all women will agree, but a man who is a man is a huge turn on. Mine works with his hands and plays guitar. He has a bad mouth and at times a bit of a short fuse. That may sound like a negative, but combine it with the fact that the soft side is ever present and he worships this girl like no one ever has and it’s pretty powerful. When it comes to me he is sensitive and patient. He treats women with respect and there is a certain chivalry to men who are men. They are a dying breed and I am lucky enough to have snagged one.

I believe the draw to alpha males for so many women is that we are a generation of powerful women. We want equality in our careers, at home and in life in general. With this, we have to lose some of our softness at times to be heard. An alpha male reminds women that it is ok to be treated like a lady sometimes. It is ok to not always be the dominant person in the room. It is nice to know that if you don’t take charge things may actually still get done and the world WON’T come to an end.

What are the drawbacks of the Alpha Male?

Of course, with any positive, there are usually a few negatives. At times his dominance is frustrating for this bossy girl. I do like things my way…and so does he…so we often have to make huge efforts to meet in the middle. We have to recognize when we are at an impasse and move on. I have to allow for a certain amount of bravado and chest pounding that at times is sexy…and at times just makes me laugh. I know he wishes at times I would allow his alpha to really show and keeping him in check is something I’m still trying to figure out.

As with any male/female relationship, there are challenges and moments of frustration. However, his passion for life and for getting things done means that he will go above and beyond to ensure my happiness. He wants to be the man that saves me from others and from myself. I am learning to be ok with being taken care of. I love my sweet, demanding, sexy, frustrating alpha male and he loves me with his whole heart. Alpha or not that is what women want…the love and admiration of a flawed yet wonderful man.

More For You

Source link

The post She Traded Her Passive Husband In For An “Alpha Male” appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/she-traded-her-passive-husband-in-for-an-alpha-male/

Reimagining Heirloom Diamonds – Adiamor Blog

Getting married is a once-in-a-lifetime event and after it comes the time-honored tradition of commemorating the union on anniversaries. On the big day, friends and family gather, and rings and vows are exchanged. The wedding officiant urges the couple to enjoy the moment, but stresses that what matters most is their future. Another key ingredient of weddings is the past and one way of honoring this is using heirloom diamonds in wedding rings.

An heirloom is an object of special value that has belonged to a family for several generations. In addition to the personal value an heirloom has for a bride, some choose a handed-down ring for its considerable cost savings. Heirloom gemstones have another role—they can be reconfigured and added to a new setting that puts a modern-day spin on the past. Refashioning heirloom jewelry isn’t restricted to couples and even single women and men choose to reimagine these keepsakes and make them their own.

Anniversaries

Anniversaries are prime occasions for heirloom stones to be re-introduced into wedding bands or antique diamonds to be refashioned into new rings. “I’ve seen couples who had a solitaire diamond when they got married and now they want to add to it for an anniversary,” says Jewelry Consultant Kathryn Luco. She has helped clients repurpose rings and stack them into new settings with recut and added stones.

The first step is to select the heirloom stones you want to repurpose. If they are coming from an existing relative, be sure to secure that person’s blessing to alter them. After deciding on the heirloom stones you want to repurpose, ensure they’re clean and repair any damage they may have incurred over the years. Meet with a trusted consultant to explore various possibilities and personal touches you want to add to the new setting. Discuss ongoing maintenance of the ring to keep it in good condition and adding protection if the new ring style calls for it.

Carolyn Bozek’s original wedding ring combined a diamond with rubies, but after 30 years of wear and tear it was falling apart. “My husband had the setting altered with diamonds added from a necklace and gave it to me as a surprise gift for our 30th anniversary,” says Carolyn. A little imagination and ingenuity go a long way toward reinventing jewelry into something both stylish and distinguished. “After knowing what it was before, I really love what it was turned into,” she says.

Honoring Memories

When family members pass on, creating heirloom rings to honor their memory can add a profoundly personal touch. Recutting diamonds or other stones into something contemporary can be tricky when there are strong memories attached. There are certain pieces that you know a loved one who has passed on would want you to wear. You can also take an aspirational approach and ask yourself if the person had big dreams for a setting that were never realized.

Another occasion that honors the past is when couples renew their wedding vows with a ceremony. Some choose to incorporate heirloom rings into existing ones, while others select entirely new ones to underscore the sense of renewal. In addition to wedding and engagement rings, antique promise rings and stones from necklaces, earrings or bracelets can be reconfigured into new settings.

Practical Occasions

Occasionally, creating a setting using heirloom stones is inspired by more practical needs. “There are people who work with their hands who have an existing prong setting that can get banged up,” says Luco. “Adding a bezel to surround the entire stone protects it and although it doesn’t let as much light in, it’s more practical for their lifestyle.”

The choice to recut and reimagine heirloom stones and add them to updated settings or to leave them largely intact is yours. People with children can choose to rearrange gems to symbolize their family members. Others commemorate achievements like graduations and awards. The only limits on personalizing heirlooms are your own imagination. Your options fairly glitter.

Source link

The post Reimagining Heirloom Diamonds – Adiamor Blog appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/reimagining-heirloom-diamonds-adiamor-blog/

6 Unhealthy Behaviors That Create Drama In a Marriage · Divorced Moms

 

Creating drama is never the answer to marital problems. Picture the scene: a couple is arguing and one is not getting their way. The one not getting their way decides to punish the other by freezing them out, not talking to them for days until they finally give in.

Is this the best way to get your way in your marriage? Definitely not.

A spark of drama may be enticing or exciting at first but using dramatics to get one’s way can lead to intimacy issues and severe problems in your relationship. If chaos seems to be the status quo in your marriage, it’s time for a change.

Still not convinced?

This is what drama does to a marriage and what can be done to curb bad relationship behavior.

Unhealthy Behaviors that Create Drama in a Marriage

Relationship drama can be addictive for the simple fact that it generates attention. Of course, attention is key to maintaining a healthy relationship, but if relationship drama is starting to play out like a bad reality show, it’s time to start acknowledging negative behavior.

Here are some unhealthy, dramatic behaviors that may be causing intimacy issues in a marriage.

1. Freezing out your Spouse

During a heated argument it is sometimes wise to choose silence over saying something one may regret, but when silence extends for hours or days it can become harmful and even emotionally neglectful.

The “silent treatment”, sometimes called “demand-withdraw” involves freezing out one’s spouse. A partner may stop speaking to their spouse for an extended period of time, despite the other’s efforts to patch things up.

The silent treatment is damaging to a marriage. Research shows those who experience demand-withdraw have poor communication with their spouse, often have intimacy issues, and experience relationship dissatisfaction.

2. Fighting in Public

When couples are in a long-term relationship, it’s natural to become frustrated with one another every now and then – sometimes even in public. However, when fights have become so uncontrollable that they occur when couples are out in public, you are damaging the relationship. This behavior is not only embarrassing, but it is also disrespectful to both partners.

3. Overreacting

Drama lovers tend to overreact to the slightest inconvenience. Raising one’s voice happens every once in a while, but it should not be a habit in a marriage. By shouting at someone you claim to love, you devalue your partnership.

By overreacting to situations, a person may end up training their spouse to expect a blowout at even the smallest of comments. This creates more, unnecessary drama in the relationship. It can also damage communication between partners, as they may feel no matter what they say it will be taken the wrong way.

4. Crying to Win an Argument

Crying is a natural response to having one’s feeling hurt or even feeling frustrated during an argument. However, when crying is being used as a tool for manipulation to get one spouse to feel guilty or to concede in the argument, it becomes damaging to the relationship.

5. Using Sex as a Weapon

When using sex as a weapon, a partner may dangle the promise of sex in front of their spouse in order to win an argument, give them help with household chores, or to get money. Withholding sex is also another way to dramatically manipulate a spouse to get your way.

This is a terrible, unhealthy idea that leads to intimacy issues and other marital problems. Using sex as a weapon is an overly dramatic way to control your spouse. It does not actually help solve marital issues, it depreciates the act of sex, and may actually lead to more fights in the future.

6. Erratic Behavior

Some spouses resort to erratic, dramatic behavior to get their way. Punishing their spouse by destroying property such as laptops, smashing phones, or keying a car fall under erratic behavior. Overdrinking, threatening self-harm, and racking up credit card debt are damaging methods to use just to teach a spouse a lesson.

4 Ways to Stop the Drama in a Marriage

In order to have a healthy relationship, both partners must fight fair and give each other due respect. Here are 5 tips on how to stop relationship drama and reduce marriage problems.

1. A Change of Perspective. Should one person be absolutely, positively, need to be right in an argument? Those who pursue relationship drama to win an argument should take a step back and work on changing their perspectives.

2. Speak to Solve. Arguments should not be about berating or manipulating the other person, it should be about solving a problem. Couples can fight fair by staying calm and patient during disagreements, attacking the issue at hand, never resorting to name-calling and yelling, and by being emotionally present. Couples should work together, not against each other.

Remove Negative Influences. In order to reduce marriage problems caused by drama, it is recommended to reduce negative influences from friends and family.

A study done by Harvard Business Review found that bad behavior is contagious. The more one surrounds themselves with perhaps a dramatic friend, the more likely it is that they will begin to mimic that bad, dramatic behavior.

4. Communicate Clearly. Healthy communication leads to healthier relationships. This is especially true for couples who can’t seem to kick their dramatic habits. The more spouses are able to talk to one another, the fewer misunderstandings they will have.

When spouses communicate openly, not only will they get to know each other better and avoid unnecessary outbursts, but they also earn how to talk to each other about uncomfortable topics such as financial management in marriage, intimacy issues, and other marriage problems.

Using drama may be effective in getting your way, but it is damaging to the health of your relationship.

Don’t create intimacy issues and other marriage problems with your behavior. Instead, cultivate positive habits when interacting with your spouse, remove negative influences from your life, and communicate honestly in order to create a long-lasting, happy marriage.

More For You

Source link

The post 6 Unhealthy Behaviors That Create Drama In a Marriage · Divorced Moms appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/6-unhealthy-behaviors-that-create-drama-in-a-marriage-%c2%b7-divorced-moms/

Was Wife Entitled to $28,000 a Month? Court Clarifies Purpose of Temporary Support | FamilyLLB

Was Wife Entitled to $28,000 a Month?  Court Clarifies Purpose of Temporary Support

The goal of temporary support is not to “pay for the costs of imprudent purchases,” according to the Ontario court in a recent case named Angst v. Angst. 

The husband and wife had separated after 24 years of marriage.  The wife asked the court to order the husband to pay her temporary support – designed to tide her over until the trial of the broader issues in their divorce.  Despite showing actual expenses of $5,800 per month, and despite the husband’s existing $5,800 monthly payments, the wife requested a dramatic increase to the amount that he should pay.

She claimed the husband’s ability to pay support was far greater than the $107,000 per year income that he had shown on his latest tax return.  In fact, he had two corporations with retained earnings of $3 million overall, which had netted a combined after-tax net income of over $610,000 in the most recent tax year.

[While we have you here, we wanted to remind you that you can get the latest articles delivered to your inbox. Sign up here.]

The wife asked the court to deem the husband as having $718,000 in annual income, and to use the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAGs) as a benchmark.  This would put her support entitlement in the $21,000 to $28,000 per month range.

The husband, meanwhile, conceded that he owed the wife temporary support, but felt that with the uncertainty around him dividend-based income and the corporations’ value, it was premature to set such a high figure.   The amount the wife was requesting was about four times the amount the couple had actually lived on, prior to their separation.

The court agreed that there was uncertainty around the husband’s income, including the fact that both parties admitted running some of their personal expenses through the corporation. The husband also owed some child support, which impacted the calculations.

Next, the court noted the SSAGs are not mandatory, but rather could be deviated from where the court feels it appropriate.  In this case, to award the SSAGs-dictated amount would allow the wife a far more opulent lifestyle than the one she’d actually enjoyed while married:

… [U]sing the SSAGs would result in a spousal support award that would give the applicant a radically different lifestyle than the one enjoyed by the parties during their cohabitation.  The [husband] deposes that the parties lived a modest lifestyle in order to save for retirement and to provide something to give to their children one day.  …

In addressing the wife’s actual needs as it pertained to the proper support amount, the court described the purpose behind temporary support orders this way:

The goal of a temporary support order is to maintain as much as possible the parties’ pre-separation lifestyle pending trial …

The court added that the wife had had incurred expenses that were not, strictly speaking, justifiable in the circumstances:

Since separation, the applicant has purchased a $455,000 waterfront home and spent $11,000 furnishing it.  By trading in her previous vehicle and with help from the [husband] she is driving a 2016 luxury car.  She even bought herself a $19,500 Donzi boat and trailer.  Thus, the applicant is now living roughly the same lifestyle that she had before separation.

…

The [wife] complains that she had to cash in RRSPs to purchase some of these things, but the goal of a temporary spousal support award is not to rebuild the recipient’s asset base.  Nor is it to pay for the costs of imprudent purchases.  The [wife] applicant also complains that she had to borrow funds for the purchase of her house at exorbitant interest rates that are costing her more monthly than they should.  But this is entirely the [wife’] fault.  She purchased the home while the parties were still attempting to negotiate a resolution of their family issues.  When that failed, she had to look to a mortgage broker to be able to close the deal.  In any event, the [wife’s] present needs of $5,800 per month include her mortgage payments.

The court ultimately concluded that to maintain her pre-separation lifestyle, the wife’s temporary support entitlement should be closer to the $5,800 she paid in actual monthly expenses.  Adjusting that figure upward to take into account the tax implications, it awarded her $8,500 a month.

For the full text of the decision, see:

Angst v. Angst

At Russell Alexander, Family Lawyers our focus is exclusively family law, offering pre-separation legal advice and assisting clients with family related issues including: custody and access, separation agreements, child and spousal support, division of family property, paternity disputes, and enforcement of court orders.  For more information, visit us at RussellAlexander.com

 

 

 

Related

Source link

The post Was Wife Entitled to $28,000 a Month?  Court Clarifies Purpose of Temporary Support | FamilyLLB appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/was-wife-entitled-to-28000-a-month-court-clarifies-purpose-of-temporary-support-familyllb/

Petitions of the week – SCOTUSblog

Posted Tue, October 30th, 2018 10:44 am by Aurora Barnes

This week we highlight petitions pending before the Supreme Court that address the requirements a defendant must satisfy to establish a violation of Brady v. Maryland, the application of United States v. Salerno to deny bail to an arrestee when a judge finds clear proof the arrestee committed sexual assault, and the classification of patent eligibility as a question of law or a question of fact.

The petitions of the week are:

18-391

Issues: (1) Whether the Arizona Supreme Court erred in holding that United States v. Salerno prohibits a state from denying bail to an arrestee when a judge, after a full adversarial hearing, finds clear proof that the arrestee committed sexual assault; and (2) whether the Arizona Supreme Court erred in joining a growing number of jurisdictions that hold a statute facially unconstitutional even if it is capable of constitutional application in some circumstances.

18-410

Issue: Whether, to establish a violation of Brady v. Maryland, a defendant must show that he did not know of the evidence suppressed by the government and could not have obtained it with reasonable diligence.

18-415

Issue: Whether patent eligibility is a question of law for the court based on the scope of the claims or a question of fact for the jury based on the state of the art at the time of the patent.

Posted in Arizona v. Goodman, Yates v. U.S., HP Inc. v. Berkheimer, Cases in the Pipeline

Recommended Citation:
Aurora Barnes,
Petitions of the week,
SCOTUSblog (Oct. 30, 2018, 10:44 AM),
http://www.scotusblog.com/2018/10/petitions-of-the-week-16/

 

Source link

The post Petitions of the week – SCOTUSblog appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/petitions-of-the-week-scotusblog/

Gemfields Discovers 5,655-carat Emerald at Kagem; Names it ‘Inkalamu’, the Lion Emerald

A mamooth 5,655-carat Zambian emerald crystal with remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green hue was unearthed at Kagem, the world’s largest emerald mine, which is 75 per cent owned by Gemfields and 25 per cent by the Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia (which belongs in turn to the Government of the Republic of Zambia).

Gemfields chose the name ‘Inkalamu’ (meaning ‘lion’ in the local Bemba language) for this emerald which is in honour of the work carried out by two of Gemfields’ conservation partners, the Zambian Carnivore Programme (www.zambiancarnivores.org) and the Niassa Carnivore Project in Mozambique (www.niassalion.org). These partners work tirelessly to smooth the relationship between Africa’s carnivores and local communities across vast, remote and challenging areas. The health of carnivores, being at the apex of the food chain, is widely regarded as a good indicator of the health of the wider eco-system. The naming of uncut emeralds is a tradition reserved for the rarest and most remarkable gems. While no official records exist, perhaps two dozen have merited their own name and with the majority weighing less than 1,000 carats. Gemfields last named an emerald in 2010 when it unveiled the ‘Insofu’ or ‘elephant’ emerald.

“The discovery of this exceptional gemstone is such an important moment both for us and for the emerald world in general” commented Elena Basaglia, Gemfields’ dynamic London-based gemmologist.

“We are experiencing strikingly increased demand for high quality Zambian emeralds from the major brands, particularly in Europe, all of whom admire the rich colour and unique transparency of our gems – qualities that make them unique among emeralds. It’s difficult to estimate how many individual gems will be cut from Inkalamu, but the cutting expertise of Gemfields’ auction partners will mean that this gemstone will make its mark in the history books of exceptional gemstones. This lion’s resulting offspring – ‘The Pride of Inkalamu’ so to speak – will continue the legacy for generations to come!”.

Inkalamu was discovered in the eastern part of Kagem’s largest open-pit mine at 10.15am on 2^nd October 2018 by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and veteran emerald miner Richard Kapeta, who has more than a decade of experience mining Zambian emeralds for the Gemfields group. This area of the mine has proven to be particularly fertile in recent months with the Kagem team recovering several significant crystals there, but none with the combined size, colour and clarity of the Lion Emerald.

Gemfields has 3-year philanthropic sponsorships with each organisation in order to aid them in wildlife conservation, promote community development and stem the problem of poaching by developing alternative livelihoods. In addition, Gemfields will divide 10 per cent of Inkalamu’s auction proceeds equally between the two carnivore initiatives.

The Lion Emerald will be offered for sale at Gemfields’ next auction in Singapore in November 2018 to approximately 45 approved auction partners, chosen by Gemfields for their shared values in responsible practices. In contrast to the diamond industry, the price for exceptionally large emeralds like Inkalamu is particularly difficult to predict.

 “We expect a number of large, fine-quality cut emeralds to be borne of the Inkalamu crystal” said Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ Managing Director for Product and Sales. “These important pieces are what return value to the buyer, and there might be hundreds of offcuts that are fashioned into smaller gems, cabochons and beads, but the key lies in recovering the fine quality pieces. Given this emerald is such a rare find, it is also perfectly conceivable that the buyer will choose to purchase it as an investment.”

The emeralds found in Gemfields’ Kagem mine were formed more than 450 million years ago when a rare combination of in situ minerals and surging magma from deep within the Earth’s crust encountered one another and supported just the right conditions for emerald crystal growth.

Given the value placed by end consumers on understanding the origin and journey of their gemstones, the Lion Emerald will benefit from the Gübelin Gem Lab’s ‘Provenance Proof’ nanotechnology whereby nanosized particles encoded with the mine-of-origin will allow identification of the gemstone’s birthplace for decades to come.

As such, any purchaser of Inkalamu or its offspring (aptly named the ‘Pride of Inkalamu’), are provided with peace of mind that their magnificent emerald was responsibly sourced.

Source link

The post Gemfields Discovers 5,655-carat Emerald at Kagem; Names it ‘Inkalamu’, the Lion Emerald appeared first on Divorce Your Ring.

source https://divorceyourring.com/top-posts/gemfields-discovers-5655-carat-emerald-at-kagem-names-it-inkalamu-the-lion-emerald/