Hello Readers!
Way too much time as passed since my last update here. It’s hard to believe that October is upon us and 2011 is already 3/4 over. Jack in the Box is already offering “Holiday Shakes” and Walmart has Christmas decorations out!
A POLL OF 200 Family Law attorneys in the U.K revealed that women are increasingly seeking legal advice to inquire about or instigate prenuptial agreements. Although men still show the greatest interest in prenuptial agreements by a wide margin, women now account for 21% of all requests or inquiries. The lawyers polled also noted that prenuptial clients are getting younger. Celebrity culture awareness and greater social acceptance are two explanations for these trends. Read more here.
SPEAKING OF PRENUPS, the Associated Press reports that a bill in currently pending in Mexico City that would make prenuptial agreements mandatory! If it passes, the bill would require couples to estimate how long they believe the marriage will last and spell out in advance how child custody and visitation will be handled in the event of a divorce. 40 out of every 100 mariages in Mexico City current end in divorce. In a city of 8.9 million people, that creates a very large family law docket. The mandatory prenup bill is seen as a potential solution to the “torturous proceedings” that plague the current system. According to the article, the current system is so dysfunctional, many Mexican citizens just choose to skip it and begin new families. Technically, this creates a bigamous marriage situation and lots of problems down the road. The Catholic church is strongly opposed to this legislation. Full article here.
Sacramento Federal Courthouse (including Bankruptcy Court)
HOT TIP FOR people in the Sacramento area representing themselves in bankruptcy. A few months ago the Sacramento branch of the Eastern District of California Bankruptcy Court started a “Bankruptcy Assistance Desk” to answer questions about bankruptcy. The desk is staffed every Friday morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon by volunteer attorneys and help is provided on a first come, first serve basis. It is located on the 6th floor in room 6-100. Both debtors and creditors without attorneys are welcome. I am on the volunteer attorney panel, so you might even see me there once in awhile!
MANY SACRAMENTO AREA residents are already familiar with the invaluable services WEAVE provides for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. On Thursday, October 13th WEAVE, in conjunction with Methodist Hospital of Sacramento will celebrate the grand opening of a brand new Wellness Center in South Sacramento. According to WEAVE, the Wellness Center will provide “comprehensive health and social support services under one roof.” The celebration will be from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM with a brief program at 5:45. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. The address is 7600 Hospital Drive, Sacramento, CA 95823. The deadline to RSVP was September 30th, but perhaps space is still available. Contact Tiffany Kelly via e-mail to inquire (tkelly@weaveinc.org).
IN CASE YOU didn’t know, the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse now offers free Wi-Fi in the public waiting areas. This makes it somewhat more tolerable when waiting hours to file papers now. I have tried the service on my laptop several times now and it seems to work quite well. My only complaint is that it seems to require users to “log in” and agree to the terms of service page too frequently.
As usual, I am currently accepting new clients who reside in the greater Sacramento area in family law and bankruptcy matters. Please contact me to set up an low cost initial consultation. The easiest and fastest way to reach me is by e-mail. My e-mail address is mwcrosson at gmail dot com. I normally meet with prospective clients in the afternoon or early evening and I’ll try to accommodate your work or school schedule.
Until next time …
— Michael W. Crosson