Oakland CA Divorce Law Blog

Sociologists say that a new trend appears to be emerging in the area of family law. Research conducted at Bowling Green University says that the divorce rate among people over the age of 50 has been rising, while the divorce rate for younger Americans has showed signs of leveling off.

The researchers say that in 1990, only about 10 percent of divorces involved people over the age of 50. By 2010, divorces involving people over 50 jumped to one out of every four divorce proceedings.

The lead researcher says that the results surprised the sociologists conducting the study. But the researcher says that several factors have probably contributed to an apparent aging in couples who divorce.

Los Angeles Laker point guard Steve Nash is battling in a different type of court than some may not be accustomed to see him appearing in. The basketball star is engaged in a dispute in family court over child support. Although many may not be accustomed to seeing Nash appear in family court, this is not the first family law dispute between the two.

Nash filed for divorce from his ex-wife Alexandra Amarilla in late 2010. The NBA player says that his ex-wife has enough money and additional child support payments will only act to allow her to spoil the kids.

He says that his ex-wife received a large settlement in the divorce, and he pays many expenses on behalf of the children other than the child support payments. The family court judge reportedly agreed with Nash, and his ex-wife has appealed that ruling.

Child custody and visitation issues can, at times, lead to contentious disputes in family court. Parents who love their kids may quarrel over how the children should be raised. But, that kind of dispute is not confined to the family court. Certainly, many parents quarrel over how to raise the kids.

An East Coast judge recently made a child custody decision in the divorce of a couple who reportedly had quarreled throughout their marriage. While the story arises from the East Coast, the judge made the ruling based upon the best interests of the child. Generally, custody issues are considered under the best interests standard, but in everyday life, that standard may be difficult to grasp.

Any divorce may involve emotional issues. Disputes over assets and debts in a complex divorce may create further tensions. But asset valuation itself need not involve emotional issues. Determining the value of a business, for instance, can require complex analysis of the business and the market alike. A recent California lawsuit seeks to revisit asset valuation issues that arose during the McCourt divorce.

Jamie McCourt alleges in her lawsuit that Frank McCourt unfairly persuaded her to arrive at a settlement in the couple's divorce. Reports indicate that Ms. McCourt says that she agreed to a $131 million settlement in the divorce. She claims that Mr. McCourt fraudulently convinced her roughly six months before the team was sold that his total assets amounted to $300 million. Two months after the divorce was finalized, the Los Angeles Dodgers sold for $2.1 billion.