Mississippi Family Law Blog

Natchez, Mississippi trip--a stop at Fat Mama's

I was down in Natchez two weeks ago and got to spend a little time at my favorite place for margaritas. A trip to Natchez without a Knock You Naked margarita from Fat Mama's just doesn't seem right.

Mississippi's Toughest Kids Foundation

Our our Rotary Club meeting today, we heard from Mary Kitchens, the director of Mississippi's Toughest Kids Foundation. What a great organization! The Foundation was established "for the single purpose of building the only fully accessible camp for children (and adults) with serious illnesses and physical, mental, and emotional challenges in Mississippi." The Foundation is currently raising money to build a permanent camp to serve the special needs children in Mississippi.

If you want to donate to this great organization, you can e-mail them at mstoughkids@yahoo.com or call them at 601-892-1117. Your efforts are surely bound to bring a smile to a needy child.

New study ranks 100 U.S. cities most doomed for divorce

Men's Health magazine (I know, not very scientific) published its ranking of cities where couples are most likely to divorce. Among the leaders was the predictable Las Vegas, Nevada, although I think Las Vegas might cause a lot more divorces for out-of-towners. The surprising cities leading the list were Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Billings, Montana. Now, where is your marriage most likely to last? San Jose, California leads the cities of marital bliss, followed by Columbia, South Carolina and El Paso, Texas. Jackson, Mississippi came in at #77 on the list.

You can read the article, Splitsville USA, here.

Information provided by Robert Kisselburgh, Mississippi Divorce Attorney

In the News--interesting family law issues making headlines

Facebook leads a mother to her kidnapped children 14 years after their father kidnapped the children in violation of a child custody order and took them from California to Florida. Read more here.

Al and Tipper Gore divorcing after 40 years of marriage. Strange one. Read more here.

Online dating service wordsmith for hire. If you use an online dating service, be warned that the witty and charming response you receive may not have be written by your prospective suitor. Here is a story of a guy who makes money writing for those using an online dating service who don't feel comfortable penning their own love letters. This takes outsourcing to a new level, and not in a good way.

Information provided by Robert Kisselburgh, Mississippi Divorce Attorney

iPhone app for divorce released

A new iPhone application helps those going through a divorce project their costs. The app was created by a Dallas Texas divorce attorney and a Fort Worth Texas CPA. The app, Divorce: Cost & Prep, claims to track information that will be required by your attorney or the opposing side and helps plan and track the costs of divorce including living expenses.

Information provided by: Robert Kisselburgh, Mississippi Divorce Lawyer

Visa predicts divorce by purchase history

ABC news is reporting that Visa can predict your likelihood of getting a divorce. According to the article, along with other behaviors, Visa can predict the likelihood of a couple getting a divorce by their purchases. While not concerned about whether folks are getting a divorce, Visa worries that those going through a divorce will not pay their credit card bill.

Information provided by Robert Kisselburgh, Mississippi Divorce Lawyer

Ex-fiance sues to get engagement ring back A New York doctor is suing his ex-fiance to get the $58,000+ engagement ring back after the wedding was called off. The doctor claims his ex-fiance is a pro at agreeing to marry others, get the goods, break off the engagement, and refuse to return the jewelry and other gifts. Read the story here. Reported by: Robert Kisselburgh, Mississippi Divorce Attorney

Tiger Woods in Mississippi, but not for golf The search for Tiger Woods is over. He is in Mississippi. Unfortunately, it is not to play golf. Sources say Tiger Woods is in Hattiesburg, Mississippi where he took up residency at Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Service for treatment of sex addiction. It remains to be seem if this is part of a deal to appease his wife or truly treat a problem. Information provided by: Robert Kisselburgh, Mississippi Divorce Attorney

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. Enjoy the music and light show from my favorite Christmas band, Trans Siberian Orchestra.

Tennessee woman faces contempt for Facebook "poke"

A 36-year-old Tennessee woman was arrested and charged with violating a protective order that prohibited her from "telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with the petitioner." How did she violate the order? It seems she "poked" the other petitioner on Facebook. According to Facebook, if you "poke" someone, they will receive a poke alert on their home page. According to the article, her attorney says she was surprised that a "poke" violated the order. I guess she has a hard time understanding what "contacting" means. It is rather apparent if you "poke" someone on Facebook, you are contacting them. Good luck at her contempt hearing.

Information provided by: Robert Kisselburgh, Mississippi Divorce Attorney

Dog shares time with split owners

Here is another story of an expensive custody battle except in this case it was over a dog. A New Jersey couple spent the last three years battling over who gets the dog. $40,000 later, the judge ruled that the couple must share custody. The six-year-old pug, Dexter, will spend alternating five week periods with each party.

The amazing part of the story is that the husband is considering appealing the decision. I guess they have a lot of extra income they don't mind spending on attorney fees. According to the article, the wife, who frequently dresses Dexter in costumes and lavishes him with gifts, was pleased with the decision.

Can I collect Social Security benefits using my ex-spouse's employment history?

Typical scenario: Husband and wife have been married for twenty years and they get divorced. For the majority of their married life, husband was the bread winner in the family while the wife was a stay-at-home mom. Following the divorce, the wife goes back to work but never makes what her husband. When it comes to retirement, the question is whether the wife can collect social security benefits using her employment record or can she seek social security benefits using her ex-husband's employment record.

In an article today on ABC news, the author said the general rule is:

In addition to the required 10 years of marriage, there are four key qualifications to collect divorced spouse benefits:

The person seeking to collect must not have remarried.

This person must be 62 or older.

The benefit this person would collect based on his or her own earnings record must be smaller than what they would collect on their former spouse's earnings history.

And the ex-spouse must be entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits on their own.

Another rule is that if you remarry, you generally cannot collect your ex-spouse's benefits unless the current marriage ends in death, divorce, or an annulment. The Social Security Administration also has some good information on their website.

If you or a loved one are contemplating divorce, you should speak with an experienced attorney. At the Kisselburgh Law Firm, we are experienced in representing clients going through a divorce. Call us at 601-936-4040 or contact us online to set up a consultation.

Teens in Texas must take parenting class

With teen pregnancy a real problem in our society, Texas decided to require high school students in public schools to take a class on parenting and paternity awareness. The class, according to the article, will teach teenagers to calculate child support payments as well as the cost associated with raising a baby. The classes are aimed at preventing the high incident of teen pregnancy and are definitely a step in the right direction.

To all those who have served this country and to those who are currently serving either home or abroad, thank you for your service to our country. And a special thanks to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in giving of their life in defense of this country.

To all others, please take time today to remember our soldiers, sailors, and airman. Through their sacrifices, you and I are able to do what we do today.

All of us can breath a sigh of relief. After today, we have a bit of a reprieve before the television airways are filled again with political advertisements. Today is our day—our day to make our choice known. So whatever you stand for and whomever you support, go to the polls and cast your ballot.

“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote - a very different thing.”

Go out today and be a part of the majority who make themselves heard. If you are not sure where you are supposed to vote in Mississippi, click here to find your local polling location. You need to know your precinct code. If you do not, contact your County Circuit Clerk.