| Annulment and the "Relation Back" Doctrine |
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| By its legal definition, the "relation back doctrine" enables a plaintiff to correct a pleading error, by adding either a new claim or a new party, after the expiration of the statutory limitation period. In some cases, spouses who are parties to subsequent marriages have attempted to assert the "relation back" doctrine to persuade courts to reinstate/reinforce alimony or maintenance payments from their previous marriage(s). More... |
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| Property Division in Divorce: Presumption Relating to Marital Property |
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| Property division in divorce generally affects only marital property, but some states allow equitable distribution of separate property. Marital property is presumed to be property that is acquired by both or either of the spouses during their marriage. Divorce courts divide marital property according to the classification schemes in controlling statutes or caselaw. More... |
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| Community Property in Divorce |
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| In a pure community property system, property acquired during marriage other than by gift or inheritance from a third party is presumed to be community property and will be divided equally between the parties in divorce. Property that a spouse brings into the marriage or acquires during marriage by gift or inheritance from a third party is presumed to be separate property. Community property states generally consider a gift from one spouse to the other to be the recipient's separate property. More... |
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| Role of Expert Witnesses in Divorce Proceedings |
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| Witnesses can be fact witnesses who testify to facts, or expert witnesses who can testify to facts as well as give their opinions. Expert witnesses are engaged to provide testimony regarding their knowledge in a particular subject. Such knowledge is beyond that of the average person by virtue of the expert's education, profession or experience so that their opinion will assist the judge or jury in making a decision. In divorce proceedings, many times physicians, psychologists, social workers, pension analysts, and appraisers are engaged as experts. More... |
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| Uniform Premarital Agreement Act |
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| A premarital agreement, also known as a prenuptial or ante-nuptial agreement, is an agreement made between the parties in anticipation of their marriage. Such agreements can cover issues such as property division upon divorce, as well as child custody, child support, and alimony. Although premarital agreements have been increasingly embraced for their ability to resolve complex property and support issues without resort to trial, the lack of uniform language included in such agreements has been noted as potentially problematic. More... |
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