1. You'll pay more than the advertised rate -- way more.
The U.S. divorce rate has nearly doubled since 1960, according to the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, and the number of divorce lawyers has grown apace. Though divorce rates leveled off during the recession, competition among divorce lawyers has increased -- and billboards flashing "Quick and Easy Divorce for $299" reveal how desperate for business they've become. Those teaser prices aren't a scam, says Randy Kessler, chair of the American Bar Association's family law section, but they usually apply only to parties who have already agreed on the terms and just need the lawyer to fill in the forms. It's clients who don't fall into that category who are likely to pay more. Of course, such come-ons are partly "just to get you in the door," warns Sari Friedman, a New York City matrimonial lawyer. The fine print, she says, will often reveal extra costs -- from initial court fees to eventual asset-divvying lawyer fees. A more realistic final price tag? Anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000, with hourly rates typically running from $150 to $1,000.
Source: www.smartmoney.com
Youth arrested for cheating girls online - in.com
Hyderabad, Jun 12(PTI)A youth who dated and cheated as many as 22 girls by collecting money from them using his fake matrimonial profile has landed behind bars, police said today. After receiving complaint from a victim, Cyber Crime sleuths in the Crime Investigation Department arrested Ravi Kishore Bojanki from Masab Tank here yesterday, Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crimes) U Ramamohan said. On interrogation, Ravi confessed that he had created a profile on a matrimonial site falsely stating that he did IIT in Mumbai and MS from University of California and was presently working with a IT major here, the senior police officer said. "Upon seeing his impressive profile, many girls including the complainant contacted him and subsequently developed close relationship with him online and even fixed matrimonial alliance," Ramamohan said. However, Ravi, taking advantage of the situation and to earn easy money squeezed huge amounts from these girls by exploiting them emotionally with false stories like his father was undergoing surgery or his mother met with an accident, the police officer said, adding the accused extracted about Rs 12 lakh from the victims and was leading a lavish life. The accused confessed that he was a B Tech graduate and was making his earning by cheating girls and that he was in touch with 54 girls online, of whom he took money from 22 girls.
Source: ibnlive.in.com
Government defends gay marriage law change plans - BBC News
Downing Street has defended plans to change the status of civil ceremonies to allow gay and lesbian couples in England and Wales to get married.
It said it was confident safeguards to stop religious organisations being forced to take part in services would not be overturned by European courts.
The Church of England has said the move would "alter the intrinsic nature of marriage as the union of a man and a woman".
Ministers plan to pass the law by 2015.
In its 11 June response to a consultation on the issue, the Church of England said plans to exempt religious organisations from performing gay marriages would be unlikely to survive legal challenges in domestic and European courts.
However, Home Secretary Theresa May has said she believes ministers can create safeguards to protect the concerns expressed by religious groups.
Analysis
If the state sanctions marriage between same-sex couples, and one of those couples is deeply religious and wants their marriage ceremony to take place in a church or other place of worship, could they bring a legal challenge?
The answer is yes, and the basis is article 9 of the Human Rights Act which protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Any such challenge would be likely to end up at the European Court of Human Rights and would be against the UK government's decision to legalise only gay civil marriages, and ban religious ones.
Like the blanket ban on prisoner voting, it is entirely possible that the European Court would declare the restriction unlawful.
However, critically, that would not compel religious institutions to carry out same-sex marriages.
It would be more likely to allow religious institutions to choose whether to marry gay couples, and indeed allow individuals within those institutions to choose whether to conduct religious ceremonies.
That would lead to a patchwork landscape for those seeking a same-sex religious marriage, with couples having to shop around.
It could also lead to ructions within a religion where the governing body remains against same-sex marriage, but individual members of the clergy decide that they are content to perform a religious ceremony.
"The government is not going to ask anybody to do anything that is against their conscience," she said.
"We want to ensure that we can put into place a framework that makes sure that those people who don't want to host same-sex marriages are not required to do so."
Civil partnerships were introduced in 2005 to give same-sex couples the same legal rights as married couples, but the law does not allow such unions to be referred to as marriages.
The government rejected the Church of England's assertion that the consultation exercise, which closes on Thursday, was "flawed, conceptually and legally".
Downing Street said the government welcomed the submission by the Church of England and would carefully consider it.
But the prime minister's spokeswoman confirmed that the government still intended to legislate on gay marriage by the end of this parliament.
"It is the government's view that marriage is one of the most important institutions we have got," she said.
"The consultation paper makes very clear that no religious organisation will be forced to conduct same-sex marriages as a result of our proposals."
She added that the government had taken legal advice on the likelihood of a challenge to the European court before drawing up its proposals and that Tory MPs, some of whom had expressed opposition to the plans, would be given a free vote.
Meanwhile, the National Secular Society said it was "incorrect" for the Church of England to "usurp Parliament's power" by claiming it could not redefine marriage.
"The Church's case rests on the risible proposition that introducing same-sex civil marriage will render the Church vulnerable to a European Court forcing it to conduct same-sex religious marriages too. The freedom of religion provisions, however, would ensure this could never happen," it said.
Gay rights campaign group Stonewall described the latest concerns raised by the Church of England as "scaremongering"
The Catholic Church in England and Wales has urged people to sign an online petition organised by the Coalition for Marriage.
More than 550,000 people have so far signed the petition set up by the "umbrella group of individuals and organisations in the UK that support traditional marriage and oppose any plans to redefine it".
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Kent remains on flood alert after heavy overnight rain - Kent Online
Comments |
Read all comments on this story.
Heavy rain floods a road in Northfleet. Picture: Genny Jones
A weather warning remains in place for Kent today as the River Darent continues to be on flood alert.
Forecasters at the Met Office say they rain will last until at least lunchtime - and some showers could be heavy.
Water levels on the River Darent from Westerham to Dartford - including Otford, Eynsford and South Darenth - remain high after heavy overnight rain.
The Environrment Agency said the flood alert will be in force until at least 3pm.
The Environment Agency has issued 45 flood alerts, with more than 38 in the south east.
Meanwhile, Kent County Cricket club have moved tonight's Friends Life t20 match against Sussex Sharks to the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, after flash flooding in Tunbridge Wells.
Motorists are also being told to take extra care on the roads. There were delays on Kent's motorways this morning as traffic was slowed down by heavy spray.
Heavy rain flooded the junction of St Marks Avenue and Beresford Road in Northfleet.
A tree lies in the middle of the River Medway in Maidstone
And a tree ended up in the River Medway, in Maidstone, close to the bridge that is part of the gyratory road system.
The swollen river has claimed part of the footpath near the Kentish Lady mooring.
A fallen tree also blocked The Square, in Hadlow, at about 9am today.
Have you taken any pictures of heavy rain or flooding? Tweet us @Kent_Online or email them to multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk.
Monday, June 11 2012
Print Article
Buy a KM Picture
The KM Group does not moderate comments.
Please click here for our house rules.
Comments (2)
Post a Comment
-
Judge_Mental wrote:
As the water companies prefer to give dividends to their shareholders rather than building reservoirs and adopting sound water management principles, nature has made its own arrangements for water storage.
12 Jun 2012 5:59 PM
-
mars 40 wrote:
And we are on drought restrictions! come on Southern water/South East water and Thames water stop being greedy, i have so much water stored i won't need to touch the hosepipe this summer at all?
11 Jun 2012 10:29 AM
Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
Margate GP told patient 'his only hope was Jesus' - BBC News
A Kent GP said to a vulnerable patient that he would "eternally suffer" if he did not put his faith in Jesus, a medical watchdog has been told.
The General Medical Council (GMC) heard Dr Richard Scott, whose surgery is in Margate, told the 24-year-old patient that he would not give him medication.
A GMC panel in Manchester heard that the patient was told "his only hope of recovery was through Jesus".
Dr Scott disputes the account of the consultation in August 2010.
The remarks were said to have made at the end of a consultation at the Bethesda Medical Centre in Margate.
After discussing medical matters Dr Scott said, as a committed Christian, he had simply offered the patient the chance to talk about the role faith may have in helping with his problems.
At the four-day-hearing, Andrew Hurst, counsel for the GMC, claimed the doctor had told the man, known only as patient A: "He did have a cure, which would cure him for good.
"His one and only hope of recovery was through Jesus.
"If he did not turn to Jesus and hand him his suffering he would suffer for the rest of his life."
Anonymous witnessDr Scott disputes the account given by the patient, described by the GMC's own lawyer as a man with a "troubled psychological history".
When the case was first heard in September it was adjourned after the patient refused to give evidence.
The GMC heard that the patient had agreed to give evidence by phone on condition he was given anonymity and without the public or press present at the hearing.
Dr Scott said he was being denied a proper hearing after the GMC agreed to the patient's request on Monday.
An application by Dr Scott's lawyers for an adjournment to seek a judicial review to try to overturn the rules was rejected by the GMC's Investigation Committee.
Radio transcriptsMr Hurst pointed the GMC committee to transcripts of comments made by Dr Scott on BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show and on Nicky Campbell's show on BBC Radio 5 live, speaking of his faith and its use in treating patients.
He said medical rules stated doctors "must not express to your patients your personal beliefs, including political, religious or moral beliefs, in ways that exploit their vulnerability or that are likely to cause them distress", and good medical practice stated the "first duty" of a doctor is the care of a patient".
The GMC was criticised over its alleged "persecution" of Christians after the case was first heard last September - which it rejects.
Mr Hurst said the GMC did not have any bias for or against any religion either way and medics could talk about faith - but Dr Scott had simply "crossed the line" and gone too far.
"The GMC's position is not one that is hostile or opposed or biased against Christianity or any other religion," he said.
"Nor does it seek to promote a wholly secular society."
He was then asked by the chairman of the committee who had prepared the transcripts of the radio programmes to be used in evidence against Dr Scott.
"The National Secular Society," Mr Hurst replied.
The case continues.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
