| Property Division in Divorce: Personal Injury Awards |
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| Personal injury awards are paid to injury victims to compensate for personal injury, pain and suffering, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, loss of consortium (i.e., loss of companionship), medical expenses and damages to property when the loss occurred due to another's negligence. In a divorce, a question might arise as to whether such awards can be considered as separate property or marital property, i.e. joint property of the spouses. There are two primary methods by which courts typically classify such awards as marital or separate property, i.e. the analytic approach and the mechanistic approach. More... |
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| Modification of Orders Affecting Use of Marital Home |
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| One issue that arises in divorce proceedings is the use and possession of the family home, particularly when the spouses are living in the same house and both require use and possession of the home. If the parties have minor children, the custodial parent usually receives the right to use and possess the home in order to safeguard the children's interest. This right is given to the custodial parent as a form of maintenance or support, in the court's discretion. The right given to one of the spouses is limited to a specific period after the divorce, which is determined by the court. That benefit may last in some form until the parties' youngest child no longer is a minor. More... |
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| Property Division in Divorce: Inheritance |
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| Generally, the concepts of equitable distribution and community property distribution in divorce cases do not apply to property that a spouse inherits from a third party during marriage. Ordinarily, property that a spouse inherits from a third party during marriage is considered that spouse's separate property. Inheritance includes acquisition through wills, trusts, probate, or intestacy. More... |
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| Alimony: Periodic Spousal Support |
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| Alimony, also called "spousal support," is common in many states. It is monetary support given to a dependent ex-spouse to maintain that ex-spouse's standard of living, as it existed during the marriage. Alimony also is given, regardless of the receiving spouse's sex, to compensate for faithful service provided as a homemaker, loss of employment opportunities and the foregone acquisition of skills for the sake of family, and sacrifices made during the marriage. More... |
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| Vacatur of Divorce Judgments |
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| "Vacatur" is an order of a court which sets aside or annuls a proceeding. When a judgment of divorce is vacated, the marital rights and status of the parties are restored, and the parties are placed in the position in which they were before the divorce. More... |
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