T.J. Holmes, the Good Morning America star who was axed after an ABC network internal investigation, has filed for divorce from his wife of ten years, Marilee Fiebig. Rumors began that Holmes and Amy Robach, another Good Morning America star, were romantically linked despite both being married to other people. After ABC’s internal investigation, it was decided that both should move on from the network and pursue other opportunities. Continue reading →
Alienation of Affections Over More than One State
BASSIRI V. PILLING, 2023-NCCOA-___.
Facts: Plaintiff and his wife were married and residents of North Carolina. In 2019 through 2020, Defendant and Wife began a romantic relationship while Wife was still married to Plaintiff. Plaintiff filed for Alienation of Affections. Discovery was served on Defendant, and Defendant served responses wherein he stated that he and Wife engaged in intimate activities in California, Nevada, and Utah, but never North Carolina—and that Defendant had never set foot in North Carolina. Defendant filed motions to dismiss based on lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The trial court granted the motion and ordered that the lawsuit be dismissed because the evidence shows no conduct in North Carolina. Plaintiff appealed. Continue reading →
Recognition of Foreign Divorces
ADJEI V. MAYORKAS, _____F.4d _____ (4th Cir. 2023).
Facts: Plaintiff and Defendant were before the Fourth Circuit on a citizenship and naturalization issue. Plaintiff and Boateng were a married couple, and Plaintiff sought to become a naturalized citizen of the US. Before Boateng was married to Plaintiff, she was married to Gyasi in Ghana. Boateng and Gyasi obtained a Ghanaian divorce through a ceremonial divorce, wherein neither party was domiciled or residing in Ghana. Ghanaian law allows the head of households to perform to ceremonial divorce. A Ghanaian court subsequently certified the divorce. Later, Plaintiff and Boateng married, and Plaintiff became a permanent resident. Plaintiff then applied for citizenship and was denied because immigration believed that Virginia would not recognize the Ghanaian divorce. Continue reading →
National Weddings Month
February is known as National Weddings Month. So, without further ado, here are a few celebrity couples that have recently said “I do.”
Standing and Jurisdiction in Nonparent Custody
Gilleland v. Adams, 2023-NCCOA-9 (unpublished)
Facts: Defendant gave birth to a child in 2017. Plaintiff claimed he was the father and filed for custody. Defendant filed her answer and also a motion to dismiss, citing to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure and arguing that Plaintiff could not bring a custody case because he was not the father. The parties consented to get a court-ordered paternity test. Plaintiff was revealed to be not the child’s biological father. Plaintiff then amended his complaint and alleged that Defendant had acted inconsistent with her right to be a parent and that it was in the child’s best interests to have custody with Plaintiff. The trial court conducted a hearing on the motion to dismiss. The trial court heard from witnesses and received exhibits. Defendant’s motion to dismiss was granted. Plaintiff appealed. Continue reading →
The Kardashian-West Divorce
Last year came to an end, but not before Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were able to close the chapter on their formerly wedded life and settle matters associated with their divorce. It is reported that Kardashian and West will share joint custody of their four children – North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3. Despite this, sources close to Kardashian report that she will continue to have the children approximately eighty percent (80%) of the time. The settlement also outlines West’s monthly child support payment, which is $200,000.00 per month. Additionally, West is responsible for covering fifty percent (50%) of the minor children’s educational expenses (i.e., tuition), and security expenses.
Five Ways to Mend Your Broken Heart
By Judi Rossabi
Divorce can be a heartbreaking experience. Everything changes, and even friends and family share in the ups and downs of a breakup. Back in the ’70s, a hit song by The Bee Gees lamented “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.”
The song was a number-one hit and even became the title track of The Bee Gees documentary. The song is famous for such lines as:
“How can you stop the rain from falling down?”
“Tell me, how can you stop the sun from shining?” and most importantly,
“What makes the world go ’round?”
Continue reading →
Man Upset with Divorce Takes it to the Next Level
A California woman is experiencing divorce in a way that has her fearing for her life. Patricia and Ronald Dunn are residents of Los Angeles and are in the process of getting divorced. However, Ronald is less than happy with the idea of divorcing Patricia. To say this is a contentious divorce is an understatement. At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 15, Ronald first arrived at the couple’s home in the Westmont neighborhood of South Los Angeles in his Chevy Impala. He crashed the car into the home while Patricia was still inside. Ronald then left and later returned with a dump truck, crashing that into the home as well. Ronald then backed up the dump truck and rammed multiple vehicles parked along the street.
Fans Tell Author “It Ends With Us”
Colleen Hoover is unstoppable. To say she is a best-selling novelist is an understatement. In 2022, Hoover held six of the top ten spots on The New York Times’ paperback fiction best-seller list. She has sold more than 20 million books. Her social media presence reaches far and wide. She has roughly 3.9 million followers across platforms and that number continues to grow each day. Reviews of her books have become a sensation on TikTok.
With such a large following, her fans, known as “CoHorts,” are sure to make their opinions known. As a result, it is no surprise the CoHorts were quick to speak out when Hoover announced her plans to design an adult coloring book based on her bestseller “It Ends With Us.”
Designation of Survivor Beneficiary of Retirement Account
Becker Williams, F. Supp. 3d , 2016 WL 878492 (W.D. Wash. 2016)
Facts: Husband and wife were married and in 2002, the husband designated the wife as survivor beneficiary of his retirement plans with Xerox. Continue reading →