October 13th, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Christie Brinkley Fights Back Against Her Ex-Husband
Divorce Blog Christie Brinkley is fighting back against her ex-husband, Peter Cook, claiming that his recent interview with Barbara Walters on “20/20” violated the terms of their divorce. Peter Cook sat down with Barbara Walters in an effort to set the record straight after the media aired the sordid details of the couple’s break-up during their nasty divorce. Cook, who during the trial admitted to having an affair with his then 18-year-old assistant, told Barbara Walters he hoped the world will see that he is not the scumbag pervert that he has been painted to be. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Divorce |
October 10th, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. – Fighting to Get You Your Fair Share
Marriage, Divorce : Couple Splits house in Half
Various internet news pages are reporting that a Married Couple in Cambodia recently decided to end their union. Rather than bother with the expense of an attorney to help sort out their affairs, the couple physically divided their home. The wife kept her half of the home and the husband dragged his across the village to a new location. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Divorce |
October 9th, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Leeds Morelli & Brown Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment
Many New York media outlets are reporting that a $600 million dollar sexual harassment suit has been brought against The Hawaiian Tropic Zone, a “restaurant” in Times Square. The restaurant bills itself as “the hottest place on Earth,” and offers patrons the chance to vote for the favorite waitress clad in nothing but the most revealing bikinis. Four female employees of The Hawaiian Tropic Zone are alleging that Anthony Rakis, their former boss, subjected them to sexual harassment and assault and their complaints to management went unanswered.
No matter what occupation one engages in, even if it involves adult themed entertainment, an employee must be entitled to a harassment free work environment. No employer has the right to treat an employee in such a manner and there is no excuse for this sort of conduct. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Employment Law |
October 3rd, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. – Safe Haven Law
On October 2, 2008, the Today Show reported that a father in Nebraska dropped off nine of his ten children, ranging in ages one to seventeen, at an Omaha Hospital because he was no longer able to cope with raising his children. This recently widower father walked out of the hospital with no questions asked. The reason behind this is the controversial Nebraska Safe Haven Law. Extended family members have placed the blame on this newly enacted law, suggesting that if it were not for this law, he would have turned to family for help.
All states have a version of a Safe Haven law, which allows mothers to leave a newborn at a hospital or fire department, and walk away with no questions asked and without fear of prosecution. New York’s version of the law, passed in 2000, the Abandoned Infant Protection Act, decriminalizes the act of abandoning an infant, so long as the baby was left at a specified safe place and someone was informed. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Divorce |
October 1st, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Heath Ledger’s Daughter to Inherit Entire Estate
Ledger’s father has gifted everything to Matilda Rose.
It has been reported that every penny of Heath Ledger’s estate, estimated to be $20 million, will go to his two-year old daughter Matilda Rose. Heath Ledger, whose most notable roles include a cowboy in Brokeback Mountain and the Joker in the summer blockbuster The Dark Knight, passed away in January of a prescription drug overdose. The late actor’s estate is being probated in his hometown, Perth, Australia. His will named his parents and sisters as the beneficiaries of his estate, leaving out his only daughter. Ledger’s will was done two years before the birth of his daughter with Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams. There was speculation as to whether Ledger’s former lover, Michelle Williams, would file a claim against the estate. However, Ledger’s father has confirmed that no such claim exists and the family has gifted everything to Matilda Rose. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Estate & Probate Administration |
September 26th, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
A-Rod reaches divorce settlement
New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia Rodriguez, reached a settlement agreement in their multi-million dollar divorce case late last week. Cynthia Rodriguez filed for divorce in July after more than five years of marriage, citing A-Rod’s alleged infidelities. The couple opted to keep the terms of their divorce private, though both parties say the agreement was amicable and in the best interest of their two daughters. A pre-nuptial agreement was in place before the couple was married. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Divorce |
September 23rd, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Fighting over Fido: Pet custody battles on the rise
New York Divorce & Family Law Attorneys Blog
Featured on NBC’s Today Show, on September 17, 2008, entertainment correspondent Jill Rappaport reported on the latest issue that’s being thrown before judges trying to sort out who gets what when relationships fail. That is, who will keep the family pet. Rappaport suggested, in addition to a pre-nup, couples entering into marriage should consider getting a pre-pup agreement as well. The family pet has become an important aspect in a divorce proceeding, as many people see their pet as akin to a child, and many courts tend to view the pet as another piece of property to be assigned to one litigant or another. The segment featured Mark Haskoor, a dog owner and divorcee. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Divorce |
September 22nd, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.: New York Malpractice Watchdogs
The New York Times is reporting that Michael Axel, a New York City stockbroker stole $600,000 from his clients. Mr. Axel allegedly forged checks to acquire the money which he promptly wired overseas to secure an inheritance left to him by a long lost relative. There was of course no relative, as Mr. Axel had fallen prey to an internet scam, and all of the money was lost. Thankfully, Mr. Axel’s employer Tripp & Company has repaid the innocent victims of this crime.
Most people hear the word malpractice and think of lawyers and doctors. However, in New York these are not the only people that can commit malpractice. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Fraud |
September 19th, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Palin’s Email Hacked
Earlier this week, computer hackers broke into the private e-mail account of Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate. The hackers posted some of her messages and a long list of contacts on the internet. The FBI and secret service have launched an investigation, as it is a federal crime under the Electronics Communications Privacy Act to intentionally intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication through the use of an electronic, mechanical, or other device. The attorneys at the law firm of Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. have seen this type of activity in divorce proceedings, where a spouse taps into an e-mail account in an attempt to uncover an extra marital affair. Although it may be tempting to break into a spouse’s e-mail or eavesdrop on a conversation, such behavior is unlawful and an invasion of a person’s privacy.
It is not to say there aren’t lawful avenues to take when introducing a cheating spouse’s e-mails as evidence in a divorce proceeding. In a recent divorce proceeding in Manhattan, New York Supreme Court Justice Saralee Evans ruled that a wife had broken no laws by accessing files on her husband’s computer which she had recovered from the trunk of a family car. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Divorce |
September 17th, 2008 by C.J. LeClaire
Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy Filing : Leeds Morelli & Brown, Attorneys at Law: Blog
Lehman’s Brothers Holdings Inc. recently announced that it has filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. With its New York City office employing nearly half of the company’s 25,000 employees, thousands of people in our area, including Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island, are faced with the possibility of unemployment. The images on the news show countless Lehman Brothers employees leaving its New York City office with a box filled with the contents of their desk and a look of despair. This is just the latest chapter in our Nation’s economic crisis.
Financial experts will tell you that a large employee population is one of the toughest issues for a company to manage through difficult times. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Employment Law |