Undocumented Immigrant In Coma Set to be Returned to Mexico

A 30-year-old Mexican man in a coma at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago has ignited a dispute over a little-known practice at hospitals—sending medically needy undocumented immigrants back to their countries of origin. The disagreement revolves around Francisco Pantaleon, who arrived in the U.S. 11 years ago and suffered a severe brain hemorrhage in mid-July, according to his sister Socorro. A father of two, Pantaleon worked at a car wash and has no health insurance, she said. The medical center believes there is “little hope for recovery,” according to a statement released Tuesday, and officials arranged for Pantaleon to be transferred to a hospital in Acapulco at UIC’s expense. An official said his immediate family consented to the move. But Pantaleon’s sister and cousin are protesting that arrangement and have retained lawyers in hopes of preventing it. “This is an injustice,” said his sister, who worries that Pantaleon won’t survive the trip or find adequate care in Mexico. The dispute touches on two hot-button issues, Immigration and health care. With the exception of pregnant women some children and people in medical emergencies, illegal immigrants generally have no right to health care in the U.S. But access to long-term care—the kind of services Pantaleon appears to need—is not guaranteed even if the patients are U.S. citizens, with the exception of the very poor. Legally, hospitals are bound to stabilize all patients in an emergency, regardless of their nationality or insurance status. Afterward they are required to arrange to transfer patients to settings where they can receive adequate care, said Doreena Wong, staff attorney for the National Health Law Program. The difficulty is, nursing homes in Chicago usually will not serve undocumented immigrants who don’t have health insurance or any means to pay for care.

Please click on the link below to read the complete Chicago Tribune article:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-patient-deportaug20,0,1937823.story

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Shorter Radiation for Cancer of the Breast

Three weeks of radiation treatment work just as well as the usual course of five weeks or more for women with early-stage breast cancers, Canadian researchers have reported, after monitoring a large group of patients for 12 years. The results, presented Monday at a conference in Boston, provide some of the strongest evidence yet that radiation schedules can safely be shortened to make life easier for patients and to let clinics reduce their waiting lists and treat more women without buying more machines. Experts say the new findings, from a respected study, could change the standard of care in the United States. The typical schedule now involves five to seven weeks of daily treatments, and most women would welcome a chance to get it over with faster — especially those who work, have small children or live far from the clinic. About 180,000 women a year develop breast cancer in the United States, and most need radiation. From 30 percent to 40 percent may be candidates for the type of treatment given in the study. Some centers in this country already offer shorter courses of treatment, but they are more widely available in Canada and parts of Europe.

Please click on the link below to read the complete New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/health/research/23canc.html?_r=2&ref=health&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Calgary Man Charged with Bigamy, Fraud, Now Charged with Impersonation

A man charged with bigamy and fraud for allegedly adopting a new identity to avoid making child support payments is now also charged with impersonating another man. Dibua Mokendi Dieudonne Kabengele, 54, who made his first appearance since being granted bail on Sept. 24, appeared in provincial court on Wednesday to face the new charge. Kabengele, according to police records, was still married to a woman in Montreal when he wed again last February in Calgary. He also allegedly owes child support payments to a third woman, a girlfriend, with whom he fathered children in Eastern Canada before the 2003 Montreal marriage. The native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who has been living in Canada for nearly 20 years, is also accused of forging the citizenship document of another man. Police said he used the fake ID to apply for a warehouse job, hoping to avoid making child support payments. Kabengele, who has lived in Calgary for about two years, is accused of still being legally married to the woman in Montreal when he married a Calgary woman on Feb. 16.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Calgary Herald article:

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=ca1362f2-c4b7-46e9-be0b-d9cd6430652f

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

In Sour Economy, Some Scale Back on Medications

For the first time in at least a decade, the nation’s consumers are trying to get by on fewer prescription drugs. As people around the country respond to financial and economic hard times by juggling the cost of necessities like groceries and housing, drugs are sometimes having to wait. “People are having to choose between gas, meals and medication,” said Dr. James King, the chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a national professional group. He also runs his own family practice in rural Selmer, Tenn. “I’ve seen patients today who said they stopped taking their Lipitor, their cholesterol-lowering medicine, because they can’t afford it,” Dr. King said one recent morning. “I have patients who have stopped taking their osteoporosis medication.” On Tuesday, the drug giant Pfizer, which makes Lipitor, the world’s top-selling prescription medicine, said United States sales of that drug were down 13 percent in the third quarter of this year. Through August of this year, the number of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States was lower than in the first eight months of last year, according to a recent analysis of data from IMS Health, a research firm that tracks prescriptions. Although other forces are also in play, like safety concerns over some previously popular drugs and the transition of some prescription medications to over-the-counter sales, many doctors and other experts say consumer belt-tightening is a big factor in the prescription downturn. The trend, if it continues, could have potentially profound implications.

Please click on the link below to read the entire New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/business/22drug.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

More Alzheimer’s Risk for Hispanics, Studies Find

Antonio Vasquez was just 60 when Alzheimer’s disease derailed him. He lost his job at a Queens bakery because he kept burning chocolate chip cookies, forgetting he had put them in the oven. Then he got lost going to job interviews, walking his neighborhood in circles. Teresa Mojica of Philadelphia was 59 when she got Alzheimer’s, making her so argumentative and delusional that she sometimes hits her husband. And Ida J. Lawrence was 57 when she started misplacing things and making mistakes in her Boston dental school job. Besides being young Alzheimer’s patients — most Americans who develop it are at least 65, and it becomes more common among people in their 70s or 80s — the three are Hispanic, a group that Alzheimer’s doctors are increasingly concerned about, and not just because it is the country’s largest, fastest-growing minority. Studies suggest that many Hispanics may have more risk factors for developing dementia than other groups, and a significant number appear to be getting Alzheimer’s earlier. And surveys indicate that Latinos, less likely to see doctors because of financial and language barriers, more often mistake dementia symptoms for normal aging, delaying diagnosis. It is not that Hispanics are more genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, say experts, who say the diversity of ethnicities that make up Hispanics or Latinos make a genetic explanation unlikely. Rather, experts say several factors, many linked to low income or cultural dislocation, may put Hispanics at greater risk for dementia, including higher rates of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke and possibly hypertension.

Please click on the link below to read the entire New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/us/21alzheimers.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Madonna Divorce: Could Legal Battle Favour Ritchie? Singer Would be Well Advised to File for Divorce in New York

Madonna may think twice about filing for divorce in England, as a string of high profile have settlements won London the reputation of being the divorce capital of the world – for the poorer partner in a marriage. The pop singer is reported not to have signed a pre-nuptial agreement with Guy Ritchie, which might have helped to limit his ultimate payout. Faced with judgements such as the £48m award to Beverley Charman from her insurance magnate husband John’s £161m fortune in 2006, Madonna might decide she can hang on to more of the couple’s reported £300m fortune by filing in the US, where awards to partners are generally lower. “New York might be a better place in terms of what she might have to pay out,” said Elizabeth Baghurst, associate at Boodle Hatfield in Oxford. “For someone like Madonna, who is very wealthy, the UK is not at the present time thought to be a good place to have your divorce, as the payouts are big. “She would have to meet the residency requirements to fall under New York jurisdiction, but she has a home there (a £2m apartment overlooking Central Park).” If Guy Ritchie tried to file for divorce in London, the ensuing battle over jurisdiction could make the divorce drag on for over a year – a far cry from Madonna’s reported desire to have the whole matter done and dusted by Christmas. But trying to conclude a divorce in eight weeks was always going to be a tall order.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Times Online article:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article4948812.ece

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Florida Adoption Law Has New Challenge

A gay Florida man resumed his effort Wednesday to adopt two half-brothers who have been living in his foster home since 2004. Frank Martin Gill and his American Civil Liberties Union attorney are asking Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman to grant Gill the right to become the boys’ legal father, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday. The effort comes just one month after a Key West judge declared Florida’s 31-year-old law prohibiting gay adoptions unconstitutional in a separate but narrow case brought by Gill and a team of ACLU lawyers. Because the Key West ruling was not appealed to a higher court, lawyers say its significance as legal precedent is weak. “What’s at stake in this trial are two little boys getting to know that they get to stay at the only home they’ve ever known,” said ACLU attorney Robert F. Rosenwald Jr. The Florida Department of Children and Families and the state attorney general’s office are opposing the adoption.

Please click on the link below to read the entire UPI.com article:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/10/01/Florida_adoption_law_has_new_challenge/UPI-54451222878414/

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Protecting Your Credit During Divorce

When a marriage ends in divorce, the lives of those involved are changed forever. During this time of upheaval, one thing that shouldn’t have to change is the credit status you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Unfortunately, for many, the experience is the exact opposite. Unfulfilled promises to pay bills, the maxing out of credit cards, and a total breakdown in communication frequently lead to the annihilation of at least one spouse’s credit. Depending upon how finances are structured, it can sometimes have a negative impact on both parties. In the case of a mortgage, enlisting the aid of a qualified mortgage professional is extremely important. This individual will review your existing home loan along with the equity you’ve built up and help you to determine the best course of action. When it comes to unsecured accounts, you will need to act quickly. It’s important to know which spouse (if not both) is vested. If you are merely a signer on the account, have your name removed immediately. If you are the vested party and your spouse is a signer, have their name removed. Any joint accounts (both parties vested) that do not carry a balance should be closed immediately. If there are jointly vested accounts which carry a balance, your best option is to have them frozen. This will ensure that no future charges can be made to the accounts. When an account is frozen, however, it is frozen for both parties. If you do not have any credit cards in your name, it is recommended you obtain one before freezing all of your jointly vested accounts. By having a card in your own name, you now have the option of transferring any joint balances into your account, guaranteeing they’ll get paid. The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way. By taking a proactive approach and creating a specific plan to maintain one’s credit status, anyone can ensure that “starting over” doesn’t have to mean rebuilding credit.
The first step for anyone going through a divorce is to obtain copies of your credit report from the 3 major agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It’s impossible to formulate a plan without having a complete understanding of the situation. (Once a year, you may obtain a free credit report by visiting www.AnnualCreditReport.com).

Once you’ve gathered the facts, you can begin to address what’s most important. Create a spreadsheet, and list all of the accounts that are currently open. For each entry, fill in columns with the following information: creditor name, contact number, the account number, type of account (e.g. credit card, car loan, etc.), account status (e.g. current, past due), account balance, minimum monthly payment, and who is vested in the account (joint/individual/authorized signer.) Now that you have this information at your fingertips, it’s time to make a plan. There are two types of credit accounts, and each is handled differently during a divorce. The first type is a secured account, meaning it’s attached to an asset. The most common secured accounts are car loans and home mortgages. The second type is an unsecured account. These accounts are typically credit cards and charge cards, and they have no assets attached. When it comes to a secured account, your best option is to sell the asset. This way the loan is paid off and your name is no longer attached. The next best option is to refinance the loan. In other words, one spouse buys out the other. This only works, however, if the purchasing spouse can qualify for a loan by themselves and can assume payments on their own. Your last option is to keep your name on the loan. This is the most risky option because if you’re not the one making the payment, your credit is truly vulnerable. If you decide to keep your name on the loan, make sure your name is also kept on the title. The worst case scenario is being stuck paying for something that you do not legally own.

Please click on the link below to read the entire American Chronicle article:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/74988

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Down Housing Market Affects Divorce Proceedings, Executions of Wills

The down housing market has had a major impact on people in divorce, and in death. As foreclosures have spiked and loans become more difficult to come by, divorce proceedings have been prolonged, and in some cases, couples have put off a pending split. And in the case of death, homes have become controversial as parts of wills. With failed marriages, the housing situation has led not only to a slowdown in divorce closings as unhappy couples wait for a house to sell, but also to those couples cohabitating because they don’t have enough assets for two homes. “It’s definitely affecting dissolution cases,” said Judge Joel Brown, administrative judge of the family division of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida. ”Often times the divorce settlement is contingent on dividing up the proceeds from the sale of the house,” he said. “Sometimes the families cannot afford to live separately. “In other words, there is not enough savings and not enough money for them to go out and get other housing.” Through the first eight months of 2007, 11,355 divorces occurred in Miami-Dade County. This year, there were 9,824 through August — about a 13.5% drop — according to numbers provided by the county. While divorces have slowed, foreclosures have climbed at a torrid pace. From 2006 to 2007, the number of foreclosures in Miami-Dade County shot up to 26,391, an increase of more than 250%, according to county records. Through August, the county reports 34,317 foreclosures filings — a 130% growth over all of last year. When it comes to divorce and inability to sell a home, the largest impact might be the social and emotional implications of people who don’t like each other but end up living together, Judge Brown said.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Miami Today article:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/081009/story7.shtml

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Supporters of Texas Malpractice Damages Cap Are Taking it to Court

In an unusual legal twist, the most avid defenders of the Texas cap on damages to victims of medical malpractice — not its critics — are urging the state’s highest court to decide whether the law complies with the state constitution. If the court hears the case, the ruling could limit future challenges in state courts. Questions have been raised about whether the cap violates people’s rights to equal protection, due process and jury trials, among other constitutional provisions.  “We have to be certain that the cap is constitutional, and the only body that can tell us that in Texas is the Supreme Court,” said Austin attorney Mike Hull, who launched the effort on behalf of the Texas Hospital Association and the Texas Medical Association. But critics of the cap say that making a direct appeal to the Supreme Court with this case violates Texas rules, and they predict that the court will not hear the case. Critics also say that the tactic is intended to cut off a future case that would make a stronger challenge. The debate pits two sides with starkly different takes on the effects of the cap. To the medical groups, the $250,000 cap on “noneconomic” or compensatory damages for pain and suffering has helped high-risk patients because doctors are now willing to accept complex cases. Proponents say the cap has also made it easier to recruit new physicians — Texas has almost 300 more licensed doctors than it did a year ago. What’s more, medical liability rates have dropped by 26.6 percent overall since 2003, when the cap became law, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. Critics say the cap dealt a crushing blow to patients’ rights because many of those who suffered life-threatening injuries effectively have no legal recourse. That’s because of the economics of the lawsuits.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Star Telegram article:

http://www.star-telegram.com/health/story/923193.html

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Florida Ranks No. 3 for Foreclosures

Florida ranks third in the nation in the number of foreclosures, with 64.2 filings per 1,000 households in September. The Sunshine State was led only by Nevada, with 77.8 filings per 1,000 households, and Arizona, with 74.6 filings per 1,000 households, according to Foreclosures.com’s U.S. Foreclosures Index. In South Florida, foreclosures nearly doubled over a year ago. There were 17,174 filings between January and September, up from 9,262 during the previous nine-month period. In Broward County, filings doubled to 6,689, up from 3,370 in 2007. In Miami-Dade, filings were up 46 percent, to 7,729 from 4,133. In Palm Beach County, foreclosures were up 36 percent, to 2,756 from 1,754. Nationwide, foreclosures have left nearly three-quarters of a million people without their homes so far this year – 107,500 of them in September alone. Pre-foreclosures – which include notices of default and/or foreclosure auction prior to actual foreclosure – should end up a record 2 million, Foreclosures.com reported. In South Florida, Miami-Dade reported 59,798 pre-foreclosures from January through September, up from 45,090 in the previous nine-month period. Broward reported 57,775 pre-foreclosures for 2008, up from 36,441. And in Palm Beach County, 36,580 pre-foreclosures were reported, up from 25,295 the previous year, according to the index.

Please click on the link below to read the entire South Florida Business Journal article:

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/10/06/daily52.html?f=et81&ana=e_du

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Couple Splits Up — Pet Custody Battle Begins

Five years ago, Sara Vreed got embroiled in soap-opera-style custody arrangements with her ex-boyfriend — and they don’t even have children. What was at stake were the living arrangements for their 5-year-old canine, a Shetland sheepdog named Ivo.After we broke up, my ex got Ivo on the weekends,” says Vreed, 31, an associate at an architecture firm in Portland, Oregon. “But it was really taxing on (the dog), and he started having a lot of behavior problems.” Things changed when Vreed’s ex got his own Shetland sheepdog, Tuk, and the two pets became friendly during visits. Like children scheming to get their parents back together, the visitation led to a reconciliation, but even two cute pooches couldn’t prevent a second breakup. After round two, Vreed says the joint-custody arrangement was scratched. “We had to split the pack and take the repercussions of whatever was going to happen,” she says. “Spending time together with the dogs was not good for us.” Vreed is one of many cohabiting pet parents who have faced a sobering problem: Who gets the dog, cat, horse or boa constrictor when the relationship ends? That question has sparked some human catfights; pet custody disputes in divorce are a growing area of the law. In a 2006 survey of 1,600 members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a quarter said they had noticed an anecdotal uptick in pet-custody cases in the past five years. You don’t have to be married to get mired in a pet tug-of-war. Even among the unmarried set, these battles can carry high stakes and high drama. Take, for instance, a Washington state case in 2004, when a woman in her mid-20s, broke up with her live-in boyfriend, agreed on a joint-custody arrangement for the dog. Everything was fine until the woman met met someone else. She was accused of “destroying the family and retaliated by hiding the dog. The case went to court and, although the two were technically co-owners, the judge awarded custody to only one. Experts and lawyers say pet owners, married or not, must prepare for the worst-case scenario by laying out in writing what will happen if their relationship doesn’t outlast Fido.  Most pet owners neglect to do this, relying instead on a goodwill custody-sharing arrangement. That works fine until one party refuses to give the dog back.

Please click on the link below to read the entire CNN article:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/10/02/lw.pet.custody/index.html

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Check Your Florida Doctor’s Background Online

Cindy Bucholz usually pores over a doctor’s background when making an appointment, but she forgot to do the homework before seeing a new ear specialist last year. She did not like his approach to her problem, so she later checked him out and found he had lost or settled three medical malpractice lawsuits by patients who claimed they were injured in his care. She looked up a second specialist and found he had lost two suits, one involving a death. She said the message is clear. “It’s important for everyone to check out their doctors,” said Bucholz, a communication consultant in Hollywood. “Most people see MD on the door and they think it’s OK. Well, it may not be OK.” The vast majority of the 17,500 physicians in South Florida and 62,800 in the state have spotless histories, but state records show that a small minority have been cited for substandard care, breaking rules or in rare cases committing crimes. About 3.9 percent of Florida doctors have been disciplined by the state Board of Medicine, which licenses and oversees them, the board reports. At least 13.5 percent of South Florida’s 17,400 doctors have settled or lost medical malpractice cases, a Sun Sentinel analysis of state physician data shows.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Sun Sentinel article:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flrxdisc1006sboct06,0,6104431.story

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Study Finds: Doctors Often Don’t Disclose Less Obvious Mistakes, Even if They Cause Harm

Only about half of U.S. pediatricians surveyed in a new study said they’d disclose a medical error to the family of a child under their care. Many said they were much more likely to admit the error when it was an obvious one. Medication errors, never a pleasant subject, are particularly tricky when it comes to children and their often protective parents, experts say. The issue of medical errors — and how to prevent or deal with them — is beginning to get more attention. Perhaps even less is known about errors in children, although that knowledge base is increasing as well. In April, the group that accredits most U.S. hospitals, the Joint Commission, issued guidelines, including standardized weight of children in kilograms, to help prevent medication errors in hospitalized children. This alert closely followed publication of a study that found that medication errors, including accidental overdoses and adverse reactions, affect about one in every 15 hospitalized children. That number is much higher than previous estimates and underscores growing concerns about medical errors involving hospitalized children — an issue that generated headlines in November when actor Dennis Quaid’s newborn twins were accidentally given life-threatening overdoses of a blood thinner. And while physicians often express a desire to be open and truthful, actual practice is sometimes quite different.

Please click on the link below to read the entire US News and World Report article:

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/10/06/pediatricians-would-admit-error-only-half-the-time.html

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Victory for Fathers’ Rights in Florida Divorces

Mike Weller refuses to be reduced to a “weekend dad” after his divorce, and a recent change in the law is likely to bolster his push to get equal custody of his sons. A bill approved May 28 by Gov. Charlie Crist evens out the parental playing field, which has traditionally handed mothers primary custody in a divorce, leaving fathers with little say. “Every other weekend — that’s how often you see a friend,” said Weller, a Winter Springs business owner whose wife filed for divorce July 7. “When the law is dictating that one parent is better than the other, the kids see that.” Sponsored in the House by Rep. Jim Frishe of Pinellas County, the new language of the law replaces the term “custody,” denoting control or ownership, with “parenting plan,” denoting a shared responsibility to provide care. ”We took the approach to not have custodial or non-custodial,” Frishe said. “We’re just going to have parents, who then agree on a parenting plan that focuses on the child.” Parents were fighting over the labels, not the children, he said. By removing the labels, there is nothing to fight over. “It will also help to unclog the courts a little, I hope,” he added. Unless neglect or abuse is proven to be involved, mothers and fathers will get equal rights — a move away from the system that favored mothers in custody cases.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Seminole Voice article:

http://seminolevoice.com/Seminole_Voice/article.asp?ID=765

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

At College, A High Standard on Divorce

Of all the reasons a beloved professor could be leaving the college where he has taught for the last 20 years, the one for Kent Gramm’s departure is peculiar: He is getting divorced, the college demands an explanation, and he refuses to give one. So Dr. Gramm is packing up his office at Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian liberal arts school where everyone signs an agreement to uphold certain biblical standards of behavior, and divorce for reasons other than adultery and abandonment is grounds for firing. Rather than be fired, Dr. Gramm, a professor of English and creative writing, has resigned effective the end of this semester. “Why are college administrators better able to judge my divorce than I am?” Dr. Gramm, who has been married for 34 years, asked in an interview. “If I had thought this was the wrong thing to do, I wouldn’t have done it.” Dr. Gramm’s departure has prompted hand-wringing, a petition drive by students on his behalf and deep reflection on this peaceful campus about 20 miles west of Chicago, where visitors are welcomed by the towering pillars of the Billy Graham Center, named for the evangelist and 1943 Wheaton alumnus. Wheaton students vow not to smoke or drink on campus, and until 2003, they had to promise not to dance. (Now they can do so, but only if it is not “immodest.”)

Please click on the link below to read the entire New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/education/04wheaton.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1223479058-RnkmhUkAOj+u+uiaHnkd3Q

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

South Carolina Court Issues Summons for Old 63-Cent Child Support Bill

Kathleen Threatt was summoned the court because she failed to pay child support in Sumter County, S.C. Why is this news? Because WLTX-TV says her 12-year-old bill totaled 63 cents. “I had to apologize to the officer on the phone because I was laughing so hard,” Threatt, 45, tells the station. “It doesn’t make sense.” Threatt’s children are grown. In fact, she’s now a grandmother. Court officials blamed the summons on a new computer system. “It’s a waste, but that’s part of what we do, unfortunately,” Court Clerk Jamie Campbell says. “We don’t have the authority to wipe it away.”

Please click on the link below to read the entire USA Today article:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/sc-court-issues.html.htm

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

96 Year Old Man Seeking Divorce

A 96 year old Singaporean man has gone to court to divorce his third wife, who is 71. Pang Tee Gam accused his wife of  “unreasonable behaviour, distrust and irresponsibility,” The Straits Times reported. Much of his quarrel with Chui Ah Mui was over money, the report said, citing court documents. The newspaper said she denies his allegations and in turn accused him of bigamy and harassment. Mr Pang married his first wife in China but split with her after she had an affair with his brother, the report said. His second union lasted 24 years until his wife died, and then friends set him up with Ms Chui, he said in an affidavit cited by the newspaper. They wed in 1982.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Australian News article:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24402228-12377,00.html

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Credit Crunch Raises Divorce Rate for America’s Superwealthy

America’s credit crunch is putting the squeeze on the marriages of New York’s superwealthy as a record number of couples with $10 million or more in assets sue for divorce. The New York lawyer Raoul Felder, who works exclusively with the very rich — he represented Larry Fortensky in his divorce from Elizabeth Taylor — told The Times that his company’s caseload had soared from 250 to 300 in the past year. This is the biggest jump since 1980, when New York state law was changed to add four new grounds for divorce to the sole existing one — adultery. The impact of the credit crunch has slashed what were once multimillion-dollar bonuses to virtually nothing for many Wall Street executives, hedge fund managers and property developers, while thousands of others have lost their jobs in the property crash.

Please click on the link below to read the entire Times Online article:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/relationships/article4312508.ece?pgnum=1

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.

Alex Rodriguez and Wife Strike a Divorce Deal

Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez and his long-suffering wife slugged it out quickly and quietly – and now have reached a settlement to end their troubled marriage, a source told The Post last night. “They reached a settlement agreement,” said the source close to Alex Rodriguez. “It was very amicable.” The terms were not immediately disclosed. As The Post reported, Alex and Cynthia Rodriguez – with whom he has two daughters, Natasha, 3, and Ella, 5 months – started negotiations in New York soon after she filed for divorce in July.  Cynthia, who lives in Florida, was spotted several times out in the Big Apple this week, suggesting she may have come here to finalize the deal. The breakup had triggered a flurry of embarrassing revelations, including Rodriguez’s alleged schoolboy crush on Madonna and Cynthia’s dash to Paris to cry on rocker pal Lenny Kravitz’s shoulder.

Please click on the link below to read the entire New York Post article:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09192008/news/regionalnews/a_rod_and_wife_strike_a_divorce_deal_129819.htm

The Citron Law Firm, P.A. (www.citronlegal.com) is a civil trial practice law firm that specializes in professional liability and injury cases, commercial and real estate litigation and family law matters.  The Citron Law Firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 707 S.E. Third Avenue, Sixth Floor – (954) 712-1686.