IN DIVORCE WHO GETS THE ORGANS?

Dr. Richard Batista’s wife’s health was failing, and so was their marriage. To save them both, he offered to be the kidney donor his wife Dawnell badly needed.

Dawnell recovered, but their marriage didn’t. A few years later she filed for divorce. Now her husband says he wants his kidney back. If he can’t have it, he wants a payment of $1.5 million, the estimated worth of the organ.

Medical ethicists say Batista is unlikely to get either, as it’s illegal to exchange money for an organ and the law is clear that no gift, once given, can be forcibly taken back.

This is a sad story on all fronts. But would it be possible 10 or 20 years from now? As Dubner and Levitt wrote in The Times Magazine, our repugnance toward assigning monetary value to human life has grown, receded, and changed over time.

How long until, and under what conditions, will a market in donated organs become acceptable? Written by: Freakonomics

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/--

IS DIVORCE CONTAGIOUS??

Maybe. A new working paper finds “that divorce can spread between friends, siblings, and coworkers, and there are clusters of divorcees that extend two degrees of separation in the network.” Rose McDermott, Nicholas A. Christakis, and James H. Fowler relied on a 32-year sample from the Framingham Heart Study for their study. The authors conclude that “attending to the health of one’s friends’ marriages serves to support and enhance the durability of one’s own relationship, and that, from a policy perspective, divorce should be understood as a collective phenomenon that extends far beyond those directly affected.”
Written by: Jon Forest

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/--

CHILD CUSTODY

You may face child custody issues if you are divorcing, separating or even if you are not married to the child's other parent. A custody order will determine the rights and duties of each parent and who gets to make decisions about where the children live, their education, etc. In most cases, both parents will have an on-going joint custody relationship with the children. Sole management of the children is only given if there would be severe negative affects on the physical or emotional health of the children.

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/--

Divorce Settlement Considerations

As you consider your divorce settlement, you may be tempted to sign it just to get things over and done with. This is a bad mistake. Even if everything looks fair and equitable, you may not really be getting a good deal. Below is an article by By William Donaldson, that outlines some major areas to consider in your divorce negotiations.

Divorce and Your Finances - The 7 Most Costly Mistakes

Each year there are nearly 1 million divorces in the United States, or about 50% of all marriages (2002 United States Census Bureau statistics). The real tragedy, however, is the financial devastation that occurs to many individuals after their divorce.

To view this article in its entirety, click here.

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/




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Top 5 Things To Consider When Hiring A Divorce Attorney

Hiring a divorce attorney to handle your divorce is a very important decision. The following are a few important guidelines to follow when hiring a divorce attorney.

1. Attorney's Experience
Any divorce attorney you consider should have substantially experienced in handling divorce cases in your area. An experienced divorce attorney will know what to expect of the judges in your jurisdiction and should be able to use this knowledge to your advantage. Additionally, the attorney should practice primarily in the field of divorce law.

2. Client Testimonials
The best way to decide which divorce attorney to use is to find out what former clients have to say about the attorney. If you do not know someone who has been a client of that particular divorce attorney, you should consider asking the attorney for a list of clients that you can contact who can describe their experience with the attorney.

To view this article in its entirety, click here.

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/




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Adult Children of Divorce

Adult kids of divorce (known as AKODs or ACODs) may be equally or more harmed by the loss of family stability and by parents' poor boundaries than are younger children.
It is commonly accepted that divorce has a developmental impact, and often a serious one, on teenagers and young children. The effect of their parents’ divorce on children who are already considered adults, though, is often dismissed. Adult children of divorce, or ACODs (AKODs, another common acronym, stands for "adult kids of divorce"), are often expected to be an "adult" and support their parents through the pain of separation and divorce. They may also be drawn into their parents’ arguments in ways that younger children might not be...

To view this article in its entirety, click here.

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/




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Tips for Raising Your Child Alone

No one ever said that raising a child alone would be easy, but sometimes every single parent needs help. Here are some tips for single parents to help ease the stress of going it alone.

You’re Not the Only One
It is easy to feel alone when you are a raising a child by yourself, but according to Parenting Without Partners, more than 12 million families in the United States are single parent families because of a death, divorce or seperation. Families with only one parent are becoming the “norm,” and resources are becoming more available for single parents.

To view this article in its entirety, click here.

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/




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