Exclusive Occupancy
September 01, 2004
Historically, the concept of "exclusive occupancy" during the course of a matrimonial proceeding has been based on the claims of one spouse that the other is physically violent or otherwise poses a great risk to the spouse seeking possession of the marital residence. While the children are often named as possible or actual victims as well, the concept of the children's best interests has not been associated with an order of <i>pendente lite</i> exclusive occupancy.
Marriage Protection Act of 2004 Moves Forward
September 01, 2004
Congress approved legislation on July 22 that aims to strip the federal courts of the ability to decide cases challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Proponents of the largely Republican-backed bill, the Marriage Protection Act of 2004 (H.R. 3313), indicate it is necessary to keep federal courts from invalidating the part of the act that says states can't be forced to recognize same-sex marriages entered into in other states. They say state courts should be the exclusive forums for challenges to the act because states have traditionally decided who shall be allowed to marry within their jurisdictions.
Government Report Blasts JCAHO's Hospital Oversight Record
August 31, 2004
The federal Government Accountability Office (GAO - formerly, General Accounting Office) has for several years been examining the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) to determine 1) the extent to which its pre-2004 hospital accreditation process identified hospitals not complying with Medicare requirements; 2) the potential of JCAHO's new (post-2004) process for improving the detection of deficiencies in Medicare requirements; and 3) the effectiveness of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) oversight of JCAHO's hospital accreditation program. A report detailing the findings of that study, "Medicare: CMS Needs Additional Authority to Adequately Oversee Patient Safety in Hospitals," GAO-04-850, published July 20, levels some serious charges against JCAHO.
Verdicts
August 31, 2004
Recent rulings of interest to you and your practice.
Physician Work Stoppage: The Legal Dilemma
August 31, 2004
Over the past year, with the medical malpractice crisis growing to encompass an ever-increasing number of states, physicians have wanted to implement strategies to force the issues out in the open and stimulate reforms. One strategy, which many physicians considered and far fewer implemented, was conducting some form of work stoppage. The concept of a work stoppage has generated a great deal of debate among physicians, medical societies, attorneys, law enforcement officials and legislators, both on legal and ethical grounds. What is the effect of antitrust law on these movements, and how can the outcomes of prior antitrust cases help to frame the legal debate concerning a physician work stoppage? If you have physician clients who are contemplating such actions as part of their efforts toward tort reform, what should you advise them?
Med Mal News
August 31, 2004
The latest happenings in the world of medical malpractice.
HIPAA 2004
August 31, 2004
In last month's newsletter, we noted the dearth of significant case law with respect to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Pub. L. No. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1936 (1996) (HIPAA), save for three cases. In the first installment of this article, we looked at the case of <i>Northwestern Memorial Hospital v. Ashcroft</i>, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 5724 (7th Cir. 2004), in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit rejected the notion that HIPAA created a new federal privilege regarding abortion medical records. That court ultimately quashed the subpoena that would have required the hospital to turn over to the U.S. government the abortion records sought, but on different grounds.
Marital Interests in S-Corporations May Have Differing Value
August 31, 2004
Matrimonial attorneys need to be aware that a shift in prevailing winds is occurring within the business appraisal profession concerning valuation of interests in "pass-through entities" (PTEs) such as S-Corporations and various forms of limited liability entities. Calculation of the fair market value of a closely held marital business interest could vary by as much as 67% if income taxes are considered or not considered under various methods. While the choice of methods and procedural analysis is the domain of your appraisal expert, knowledge of valuation alternatives will help you ensure that an appropriate analysis for your client is performed, and will assist you in impugning a less alert opposing expert during cross-examination. Be careful, however, because these "new analytics" are fact-sensitive and not universally applied (or misapplied) by business appraisers.
Litigation
August 31, 2004
Recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.
