Friday 23 March 2012

Divorce, QDRO’S and retirement income: 5 Things you must know



Divorce is not among the things that you wish for yourself. However, if circumstances lead you to one there are many things that you need to go through and the whole experience might affect you adversely. You may not be aware of many legal procedures and technicalities. Hence, it’s advisable that you get in touch one of the great divorce lawyers in your area. Having one of the top divorce lawyers by your side will give a fillip to your confidence and make you strong enough to go through the hell. 

Divorce process involves going through many formalities like the distribution of properties, child custody and visitation rights etc. You may be having a one of the best divorce lawyers by your side yet you should know basic things regarding the distribution of marital property in case of a divorce. They are as mentioned below:
  1. Your retirement income is marital property. Hence, liable for distribution in case you are opting for separate ways. You have to share any income that was earned, accrued or vested during the period of your marriage.
  2. In case your spouse dies before the retirement. The QDROS has to say there is a survivor benefit, without which you do not stand to receive any share out of the retirement benefits.
  3. QDRO stands for Qualified Domestic Relations Order which is used to figure out the formula to find out how much each spouse will receive out of the say, retirement or pension benefits in case of a divorce.
  4. Retirement income that comes from pension is known as deferred compensation. So, you only stand to benefit out of it if it was vested during the marriage. You are entitled to get only the share that was vested during the course of your marriage.
  5. If QDRO violates the pension plan rules and you have a judge who has already signed the judgment of divorce and entitles you to a share in the pension, still you will be deprived of it because the QDRO doesn’t comply with what it says.
One should be aware of the things mentioned above; this lets you know your rights and what you deserve. You will not get cheated and justice will be done to you. However, your divorce attorney will be able to guide you wherever needed and make sure you are fairly dealt with.

Get more details about divorce lawyers here www.typeoflawyer.com, i this website, there are many different types of divorces and Skills required for a lawyer in order to practice divorce suit at the bar of law as well as Importance of the Lawyers dealing in the divorce suits in the modern age.

Thursday 15 March 2012

New York: Divorce & The Gift Tax 


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New York: Divorce & The Gift Tax allows for any transfer of property including settlement agreement in a divorce to be subjected to gift tax. According to Federal Internal Revenue Code, divorce settlement agreement is liable for gift tax where one spouse transfers property to the other. However, this rule is a confusing one and tends to change frequently. Hence, it’s highly recommended to get yourself the services of one of the best NewYork divorce lawyers. The divorce process involves many legal procedures which general public are not that much aware of. So, having a divorce attorney will ease the pressure off you and prepare your case well. 


 Baring a few exceptions like the ones given below, one needs to pay gift tax while transferring property.
  • A deductible transfer made between the couples during the year they got married notwithstanding if they divorced the same year
  • Transfer of property when the settlement agreement is incorporated in the divorce decree
  • A transfer made to the annual $10,000 exclusion made for waiver of pension rights, medical and educational expenses
  • A transfer of property in exchange for support is not taxable under gift tax law
  • A transfer of property where consideration is deemed given. This happens usually in case where the husband and wife have already decided the way they would like to handle their property. If the couple gets separated within two years, any transfer of property that was made during this time will not be taxable under gift tax law.
In case of transfer of property where an immediately enforceable right is relinquished

In case the spouse is not a US citizen, an exclusion of $133,000may apply. If the property transfer in divorce happens to be greater than this amount, the spouse who is making the transfer of property needs to pay gift tax on the excess value only. However, the bottom-line goes that any transfer of property or settlement agreement between the spouses is not considered taxable under the gift tax law unless the settlement agreement is incorporated into the divorce decree. What is confusing though is the law in New York that the divorce is not valid until the divorce decree has been signed by a judge. However, divorce lawyers posses enough knowledge and experience to make sure you are fairly dealt with and all your legal rights are protected. So, get yourself the services of one of the top divorce lawyers who will ease the pressure off you and take care of the legal issues involved in the divorce process.
 
Understanding the law regarding gift tax and the exceptions to it may sometimes be complicated. Hence, the couple should hire one of the great divorce lawyers in the city to be represented by in the court. He will understand your case and provide you with all necessary legal guidance so that all your rights are protected and justice is done.

Thursday 1 March 2012

How is Marital Debt Divided in Divorce?

Divorce, Separation, Marriage Termination; you may call it as you wish, but the ordeal is the same. You have to deal with many things like alimony, child custody, debt payment etc. In such a situation having a great divorce lawyers are a must.


One of the major concerns is the division of debt payment. Apart from the property acquisition in a marriage even debts are divided between the spouses. The divorce laws in this regards in all the states are almost the same with some differences in cases of community states. This is how debt is divided in a divorce:

Joint and several liability means both spouses are individually as well as jointly responsible for the debt as it is attributed to both. In some divorce cases the whole debt is incurred on one spouse and that spouse gets more share in the property as an equalization settlement.

Family debts are the expenses incurred for benefit of the family. Expenses like buying a house, child care, family vacations etc. are covered under the family debts. Both the spouses are responsible for repayment of these debts as both have derived the benefits from these expenses. These debts are a type of joint and several liability.

One spouse debts are the expenses incurred for the benefit of that particular spouse. A hobby or a vocational training etc., pursued by a spouse is of his benefit, so he has to repay for the same. However, top divorce lawyers in any community state will be the first to admit that all expenses during a marriage are a joint responsibility even if the beneficiary is just one spouse.

A divorce attorney is very essential for all settlements in regards of confusing debt payment. So hire the services of a good divorce lawyer if you want to forget concerns about division of debts in divorce.

Thursday 2 February 2012

Our Perfect Divorce


There are plenty of divorce cases happening all over the world. However, couples just forget about their children and their future. They keep on fighting and complaining about each other. It would lead to a stressful situation and have a very bad effect on the children.


A simple solution to this problem is to take the help of one of the best divorce lawyers and go in for a perfect divorce. Although in practicality perfect divorce is a very rarest of the rare phenomenon. You can still try for it especially if children are involved. 

Perfect divorce would be a perfect alternative for  couples with children. A perfect divorce means to go in for separation without any fights or accusation.  You have to file your divorce papers and give a reason for the divorce and peacefully undertake it. Remember to discuss the reason with your family lawyer or divorce attorney before you file the divorce.

There are some very few cases where the couples are still best friends even after getting divorced. All these would help their children overcome the stress of their parents being separated.

In order to  take a perfect divorce, you have to take up special initiatives. They include trying your control your anger. This will help you to have a peaceful discussion with each other and sort all issues related to the divorce. For this you can go in for joining a divorce support group or try out meditation. You can also go in for a counseling session with a marriage counselor. You have to stop thinking that divorce is the end of life. 
You have to think about the positive aspect also. You have to think about the future of children.

You can plan out a peaceful communication with your partner during the entire process of divorce and strictly follow them. All these would lead to a peaceful atmosphere that would facilitate you, your partner and the children to accept this fact. It would also assist you to discuss some very crucial issues such as custody of the children. It would be less painful and stressful.

 Therefore, the details mentioned above will surely help you get a perfect divorce. You need to consult your divorce lawyer for more help.

Monday 30 January 2012

Who should get the loyalty card points when you divorce

Getting divorced? Be prepared to face a new villain in the process. Yes, a new dispute is catching like wild fire while going through the ordeal of divorce, ‘The Loyalty Points’. It has become a prime concern and getting an equal split is leading to delays in getting divorce. Getting divorce takes a toll on your psyche and now this new devil. Though the best divorce lawyers are available to help you out in every possible way,  some tips on sharing the loyalty points would be helpful.



•    You can split all points evenly by purchasing each other a separation gift as a remembrance of the good times you had. It will help in reducing the pain.

•    Before getting divorced, you can redeem all the points. Calculate how many points you would have accumulated in a year. Average it out on a weekly basis and divide it equally. Don’t fight for more than that.

•    Divorce lawyers advice to spend the left over points getting a concession on a family ticket adventure park. Explaining the kids why Mom and Dad will not live together anymore, it will assist in softening the blow of the divorce.

•    If you have accumulated too many points, buy stuff for children that can be used by them in the years to come

•    If possible, plan out the future expenses of kids by using the accumulated loyalty card points. Family lawyers suggest that one spouse can give up on the points, while the other buys insurance for kids of the same value.

•    Sign a prenuptial agreement on the redemption of the loyalty points if you have plans of marrying again

Don’t leave anything to chance. A good divorce attorney would be of great help to get the best deal, not just in sharing the loyalty points, but also in settling for a fair divorce agreement.

Friday 6 January 2012

Men's Financial Issues in Divorces

Divorce leaves most men in a financial turmoil especially if he is the bread earner of the family. He not only bears the financial burden of the divorce proceedings and divorce lawyers but also has to pay the alimony amount. The person may have other responsibilities like paying the mortgage bill, repaying loan taken if any, etc. Here are some common problems that a man faces in a divorce. 
It is common for a married couple to have a joint bank and credit card account. Both have equal access to such joint account and one party cannot charge the other one for drawing substantial amount from the joint account. This can create a big time financial problem for a man. If his wife draws a huge amount from the joint account and transfers the amount to her private account. She may do this before filling a divorce as after filling a divorce if she does this it may land her in trouble. So  if he has a joint account with his wife he can tell the bank authorities to intimate him in case his wife draws a substantial amount from the account or frequently draws amount from the joint account. Also, he can discuss this issue with some of the best divorce lawyers and take their suggestion, which will indirectly help him with his divorce.
Similarly if the husband shares a credit card with his wife, his wife has the right to use the card to make purchases. So in this case, if the man is even a little suspicious about his wife using the card to make substantial purchases he can ask the bank authorities to inform him of any large purchase made from the card or ask the bank authorities of any other possible way which will stop his wife from making huge purchases using the card.    
It is common that the court may order the husband to pay some alimony amount. So in this situation the husband must hire an experienced divorce lawyer and discuss with him all the details of the case. The experienced divorce attorney will suggest him various ways by which he can hide some of his assets and at the same time not be accused in the court for hiding marital property from wife. If you too are going through the same situation then do not delay; consult a good family lawyer and ask him suggestions for the same.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

Men's Divorce Injustices: CA Court and Monetary Settlements to Wife

Divorce not only affects a man emotionally but also affects him financially. Baring the cost of divorce lawyers and then paying for the alimony amount for the rest of the life can really make one’s future bleak. Divorce settlement can turn out to be quite unfair as gender bias still exists in the court.


It is seen that most men end up paying huge tax obligations and also lose the marital home to their ex wives. Hence it is quiet essential that you must find a good divorce attorney who will fight aggressively for you in the court to ensure that you get a fair justice. Divorce settlements are quite expensive in some states, especially if you are living in Massachusetts or Vermont as the cost of living is quite high here. You have to bear yours as well as your ex wife’s cost of living (alimony).

Some states consider a marriage over period of ten years as lengthy; therefore in that case a man has to pay high alimony amount for a long period of time. Some divorce factors regarding paying alimony may look good on the surface level but can be manipulated by the court. If your ex wife has been a house wife in all these years, the court will consider her unemployment years to affect her future earning and the result will be that you have to pay her a high alimony amount. So if you feel that this possibility may happen in your case it’s better to hire experienced men's divorce lawyer who can fight aggressively for you in the court. It may be expensive to hire such experienced divorce lawyers but after the case, you won’t have to pay the huge alimony amount.

So, before you hire a lawyer to fight for you on the court make sure he is experienced enough. Ask him  whether he  fought any such case before, you can also ask him to give the contact details of his past clients so that you can enquire from them about his performance.