Litigation
Recent rulings of importance to your practice.
The Marital Estate: Stock Options and Restricted Stock
Stock options became a large part of many marital estates involved in marriage dissolution during the "bubble" of the late 1990s. As one would expect, the courts struggled with the issues this new situation presented, primarily what options were to be included in the marital estate.
Hearsay Exception Used in Abuse Case
A child who is too young to testify against her alleged abuser may speak through her mother, under an unusual application of an exception to the hearsay rule. A judge in upstate New York has ruled that the mother of a 3-year-old girl can testify about what the child told her in complaining that the mother's boyfriend had fondled her. The child had awakened her mother to tell her of the assault.
Term Life Insurance in Divorce Cases: A New Deal
As circumstances change, matrimonial practitioners must review the law in certain areas to see if those laws need to be amended to keep pace with changing times. For example, the onset of AIDS has created almost a new class of terminally ill people. These people who are involved in divorce cases may find themselves in a legal conundrum when it comes to term life insurance benefits. Traditionally, under prior law in some states, only cash surrender value was deemed property. <i>See, e.g., In re Marriage of Mullins</i>, 121 Ill.App.3d 86, 458 N.E.2d 1360 (Ill. 4th Dist. 1984). Historically, term policies, therefore, had no value in divorce proceedings. Those cases, however, may be distinguishable where the insured was not terminally ill, and the proceeds therefore become much less speculative.
Bush Signs Anti-Spam Bill
On Dec. 16, President George W. Bush signed the "can spam" legislation passed earlier in the month by Congress. The legislation provides for jail time and hefty fines for serious violators and calls for the creation of a "do not spam" registry.
FDA Web Site Provides Treasure Trove of Information
If you are seeking information about adequate warning labels, go to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Web site (<i>www.fda.gov</i>) and type in "adequate warning labels." Information will appear in milliseconds, covering everything from correspondence with manufacturers to FDA Public Health Advisories and sections from the Federal Register.
Massachusetts Issues Landmark Ruling
November 18, 2003: In a decision sure to affect other states, the Massachusetts Judicial Supreme Court has ruled that banning gay and lesbian marriages is unconstitutional.
Index
A complete listing of all cases discussed in this issue.
