Litigation

Lawyers whose clients refuse to pay their fees routinely file lawsuits and win judgments against them. Attorney Ellen Marshall's disputes with a former divorce client, however, have been anything but routine. Then again, Warren Matthei is no ordinary client. Matthei, a millionaire stockbroker from Summit, NJ, spent nearly a decade in jail ' first for refusing to pay child support to his ex-wife, and later for refusing to pay Marshall's attorney fees.

The American Psychological Association (APA) has now proposed new guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations to replace those promulgated in 1994, which set 'aspirational goals' for those psychologists engaging in evaluations of children for divorcing families going through custodial litigation. Herein is a critique of the new guidelines from an attorney's point of view.

Last month, we discussed voluntary and incentive-based wellness programs, which are usually offered to employees on a voluntary basis, with various incentives often added to foster continued participation. We went on to discuss mandatory programs, which a minority of employers provide to encourage employees to get healthier by providing extensive health care services ' but that also require certain conduct, such as giving up alcohol and tobacco. This month, we continue with an in-depth discussion of the risks associated with mandatory programs.

Recent rulings across the states.

Cases of interest to you and your practice.

Family law attorneys are urging couples to steer clear of Internet-ordained ministers when seeking an officiate to perform their nuptials. Their warnings follow a recent Pennsylvania court decision in which a judge declared a marriage invalid because the couple had been married by an Internet-ordained minister. The court ruled that the officiate was unauthorized under state law to perform a wedding.

Recent cases in e-commerce law and in the e-commerce industry.

Arbitration/NFL Agent Contracts
Copyright Exemption/Subject-Matter Jurisdiction
Sampling/Copyright Infringement
Trademark Infringement/TV-Reality Series