Unusual Surrogate

Strange as it sounds, 49 year old Linda Sirois recently gave birth to a beautiful, healthy…

Grandson? 

When 25 year old Angel Hebert’s heart condition stopped her from being able to carry a child safely,  Her mother graciously gave her daughter the best gift of all. She acted as her daughter’s surrogate.

With no complications throughout the entire in-vitro fertilization pregnancy, Sirois, the mother of 4 said it was the easiest pregnancy she has ever had. Sirois said “It was an awesome, awesome experience.” She felt so much support from family, friends, and her community.

 Madden Hebert, was born on August 13th at a healthy 7 pounds, 14 ounces.
Though Linda is not the only grandmother to ever “babysit for 9 months” the amazing gift is definitely appreciated by her daughter and son-in-law.
What do you think of this story? Would you let your Mother carry your child? 

 

 

Alimony, Palimony, and Child Support - Explained

Alimony, or “spousal support” as some states refer to it, is money that is paid by one ex-spouse to the other as ordered by a court in a divorce case. Traditionally the recipient of alimony is the female spouse; however there are cases in which prosperous women pay alimony to the male spouse, and more recently same-sex cases in which the wealthier partner must pay.

Alimony exists to cover any potentially unjust division of assets. It is based on the notion that both partners in a marriage have a duty to support each other equally; this includes finances, upkeep of the home, and any other domestic duties (excluding sexual favors) a partner may have.  Tampa divorce attorney Scott P. Davis explains that “the courts balance one spouse’s financial needs with the other’s capacity to pay.”

Though there are guidelines and formulas for courts to follow, no two alimony cases are the same. Many factors must be considered when calculating alimony payments, such as the level of domestic responsibility the recipient has taken, any financial burden that they may have suffered in the past in order to benefit their spouse, the health of the parties and the duration of the marriage. If the marriage was long-lasting, it is likely that alimony will last until a second marriage or death. There are, however, exceptions; for example, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah have placed new caps on time limits of alimony and have instilled new criteria on payments. Massachusetts is the most recent state to alter its alimony laws; the state passed a controversial reform in 2011 that abolished most lifetime spousal support.

Derived from alimony is a more recent term, informally called palimony. Legally referred to as a “Marvin action” based on the unsuccessful first palimony court case, it is a court-ordered financial settlement between a couple that although never married, cohabited for a significant amount of time. Couples choose to stay together and remain unmarried for a myriad of reasons; they may feel that their relationship is valid without having to obtain a piece of paper, the couple may fear divorce, and same-sex couples are widely unable to marry. As lengthy cohabitation without marriage becomes more popular, so do palimony suits. However, although such cases are rising in popularity they are not getting any easier to prove or win and palimony laws are only enforced in 24 of 50 states. For palimony to exist between a couple there must be proof that one partner promised to provide financial support for the other through a written or oral contract. Misunderstandings between parties about certain duties that they had in their cohabited relationship can lead to a palimony suit.

Often confused with alimony is child support. Child support is the financial obligation that a parent has to his or her child’s custodial parent to be used to care for the child. Unlike alimony, child support payments are not to be used for the ex-partner. The monetary compensation is to serve the purpose of purchasing food, clothing, health care, entertainment, education and any other expenses for the child. Child support payments represent on average, 40 percent of income for poor custodial families who receive it. The amount of money to be paid under each state’s individual child support laws varies, but is fundamentally based on two factors: the cost of raising the child and the gross income of the non-custodial parent. All states operate a child support enforcement program. Services offered in child support programs include locating noncustodial parents, establishing paternity, establishing and modifying support orders, collecting support payments and enforcing child support orders, and referring noncustodial parents to employment services. Although child support can be voluntarily paid, a court-ordered financial agreement works to ensure that the non-custodial parent will pay a required amount.  

Marriage Drives Women to Drink

Marriage drives women to drink. According to a recent study, married women drink more than their single counterparts because they are influenced by their husband’s drinking habits. The study found that, as a whole, men drink more than women and, as they spend more time with their husbands, women begin to drink more as well. Conversely, the study showed that married men drink significantly less than single men, as they spend less time with their drinking buddies and more time with their wives.

In the past, there have been numerous studies into the relationship between drinking, gender, and marital status. The new study, however, looked at all the different types of single people including divorced, widowed, and never married. Conducted by sociologists from numerous U.S universities, the study surveyed 5,305 men and women from Wisconsin (so, according to the study, 100 percent of men and women are also Packers fans).

Despite the rise in female drinking, the data showed that married people, on average, drink less than single people.

The most at risk group, however, is recently divorced men, who are more likely to cope with emotional pain in external ways. Divorced women generally see a sharp decline in their drinking.

Divorce Rates By State

 

Divorce Rate by State:

According to a 2010 study done by the National Vital Statistics Report and the U.S. Census Bureau, northeastern states have the lowest divorce rates, and southern states the highest. But what is the cause of these differences and what fuels the divorces?

The study compared the number of divorces per 1,000 people rather than per 1,000 marriages, so one must take into consideration that the number of states’ marriage rates will show a linked relationship in their divorce rates. However, there are many other factors that influence these numbers. The largest correlation to divorce is poverty and financial stress. Marriages whose household income is below the median have a greater tendency of ending in divorce. For example, Maine is the only state in the Northeast with a high incidence of divorce, with a rate of 4.3 per 1,000, because it provides lower working-class compensation than surrounding states.

Infidelity and young marriage are secondary factors in high divorce rates. Certain states, such as Oklahoma (4.6 per 1,000) and Arkansas (5.6 per 1,000), have attributed their high rates to young people marrying in the early stages of lust or due to an unplanned pregnancy. In scenarios like these, infidelity is more likely to occur which can ultimately lead to divorce.  

Liberal divorce laws do not affect as many states as the previous stated explanations, but make quite an impact on the ones that they do. Some states have installed barriers and hurdles to getting divorced in order to encourage couples to reassess their decision and to work out their problems. While South Carolina requires a couple to be separated for one full year before being granted a divorce, other states have created a system in which obtaining a divorce is quite simple. A divorce attorney with mediation experience can also make the process easier by keeping couples out of court and focused on solutions that are beneficial to both parties.

Nevada (6.6 per 1,000) has been coined, among other things, the “divorce capital of the world.” Although the Las Vegas lifestyle influences marriages with its gambling, substance abuse problems and legal prostitution, liberal divorce laws in Nevada have made long, drawn-out and emotionally taxing divorces a thing of the past. Wyoming’s law states that a couple is simply required to live in the state for 60 days. After that, they can file, and three weeks later the divorce will be finalized.

Divorce rates cannot be categorically attributed to stereotypes, the way some sources suggest. The highest rates are not clustered in the Bible belt, nor do they lie solely in the red or blue states. We do have information on what is currently causing rates to rise, but the explanations are endless and subject to further debate.

Bon Appetit!

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Our Honeymoon

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Golf Experience

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We Love to Travel

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Feel Like Home

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Fast & Delicious Food

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