Divorce: Spouse Missing? Send Summons On Facebook!

Will Serving Divorce Papers Via Facebook be Allowed in Ohio?

divorce facebook ohioJustice Matthew Cooper of the Manhattan, New York, Supreme Court is setting precedent which is likely to be a game-changer should the rest of the country follow suit.

In a recent decision, Justice Cooper gave Ellanora Baidoo the green light to serve her elusive husband, Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku, divorce papers through his Facebook account.

The couple, both from Ghana, were married in a civil ceremony in 2009.  Shortly thereafter, the relationship began to unravel when Blood-Dzraku refused to fulfill his promise of participating in a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony.  As a result, the couple parted ways and only remained in contact via social media and the occasional phone call.  Nevertheless, Blood-Dzraku apparently does not want a divorce as every attempt to find him has failed.

Baidoo’s attorney, Andrew Spinnell, explained that Blood-Dzraku is nowhere to be found.  The last known address for him was vacated in 2011, the post office has no forwarding address for him, no billing address linked to his prepaid cell phone exists, the Department of Motor Vehicles has no record of him, and even efforts by a private investigator hired to find him have failed. In … Read More... “Divorce: Spouse Missing? Send Summons On Facebook!”

4 Errors in Guiding Kids’ Use of Technology

kids use technologyOur teens live in a digital universe.  They may be talking with one friend while texting another.  While giving us some superficial answer about what happened at school, they may be posting their real feelings on Facebook.

Research conducted last year by Commonsensemedia.org gives us some insight into this alternative world.  Sixty-eight percent of teens text daily and 51 percent visit a social media site such as Facebook at least once a day.  This is scary to many parents, but not to their children.  They experience this electronic world in very positive ways.  Teens report that social media sites help them feel less shy (29 percent), more confident (20 percent) and sympathetic to others (19 percent). Kids 13 to 17 years of age report that such sites have improved their relationships with friends (52 percent) and family members (37 percent).  Only five percent of teens report that social media makes them feel more depressed.

We worry about things that we don’t understand, and this digital world is foreign and frightening to many parents.  Here are the four most common mistakes made by parents in attempting to guide their kids’ electronic lives.

  1. Prohibit technology.  Some parents take pride in the fact
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Texting While Driving Ban Now in Effect in Ohio

New Ohio Texting Law Focuses On Minors Under The Age Of 18

textingThe new Ohio texting ban went into effect on January 1, 2013. No longer are police just issuing warning tickets as they had been doing since September 2012.  After reviewing H.B 99 it’s fairly evident that the law primarily focuses on minors under the age of 18.

Strict Enforcement for Minors:

The new law makes texting, emailing, talking on your phone through any method, using computer, laptop, tablet, playing video games, or using a non-hands free GPS while driving a primary offense.  A “primary offense” means that any of the above acts can trigger a traffic stop and ticket.  This gives great authority to police officers executing this portion of the law.  Merely witnessing a minor with an electronic device in a vehicle is almost immediate grounds for a traffic stop. If you are a minor, you had better put your phone away while diving!

The penalties that result from one of these violations are very steep for minors.  For a first offense, minors face a 60-day license suspension, and a $150 fine.  Each subsequent violation renders a $300 fine and a one-year license suspension.

The Opposite Read More... “Texting While Driving Ban Now in Effect in Ohio”

Parenting Advice: Staying Connected with Kids, Skype and Technology…

Tips on how technology can be used as a tool for parents

skype kids tecnology in Dayton OhioFive-year-old Landon loves for his Aunt Michelle to read him bedtime stories. He snuggles in his bed with his special blanket and an extra pillow and gets all comfortable while he follows along with his favorite book. This bedtime routine occurs every few weeks, even though his aunt lives hundreds of miles away. Landon and his aunt are connected by a video conference call with a camera easily installed on any computer. He watches and listens to his aunt on a laptop computer as she reads to him.

Staying connected with family has always been extremely important to Michelle, a young professional with a busy travel schedule. When her nephew was a few years old, she purchased web cameras for family members at Christmas. Using a free video conference service (Skype.com) she began having regular contact with her nephew. He wasn’t very good at speaking on the phone, but he loved to show off his latest projects from preschool. “Technology is not a replacement for me,” said Michelle, “but it has allowed me to stay connected and be an active part of his life even though I am … Read More... “Parenting Advice: Staying Connected with Kids, Skype and Technology…”

Back To School So Soon?

backtoschool.jpgThe lazy, hazy days of summer will soon be gone, only to be replaced with the frenetic days of a new school year.  Despite the grumblings from your children about returning to school, most children are actually ready to resume the routine that school brings. The beginning of the school year is exciting. Your child will be happy to see friends and to meet their teachers, but it can also be a time of uncertainty and worry. They might be concerned about how they will do this year in school, if their friends are in their classes, or if they will like their teachers.  It can be especially difficult for those students attending a brand new school, or those who are transitioning from elementary to middle school, or middle to high school.

As parents, we want to be sure to help our children get off to a smooth start to the new school year. It can especially be a challenge if you are sharing custody with a former spouse or if you are the non-custodial parent.  For those of you who operate under a shared parenting plan and split parenting time, say every other week, or every two weeks, it … Read More... “Back To School So Soon?”

Online Assessment Tools – Do You Think You Might Have a Problem?

otools.jpgHere is a list of links to various online assessment tools that might be valuable for those interested in learning where they might score in areas that can frequently impact a marriage. Originally, I just intended to post an online depression assessment tool since many people going through a divorce suffer from some degree of depression. But once I started on the project, as you can see, the list kept growing. Here they all are:

Additionally, if these assessment tools are not what you are looking for, consider checking out my previous post, “Divorce Calculator – We have an App for That.” Economist, Betsey Stevenson, from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in Philadelphia, developed the calculator based upon a recent study which has shown that the … Read More... “Online Assessment Tools – Do You Think You Might Have a Problem?”

Divorce Calculator—We have an App for That!

calc.gifRecently, while doing some research for another blog article, I came across a “divorce calculator” posted on the divorce360.com website. With their permission, I have added it to this article below. The calculator is intended for first marriages only. The calculator works by comparing peoples’ backgrounds to yours. You and your spouse might well end up with two different calculation percentages because each of you comes from different backgrounds. The website advises that the best way then to determine your risk for divorce as a couple is to average the two percentages together. The statistical information they use comes from “historical data based on information given by real people and collected as part of the U.S. Census”. Click here to read more about the calculator.

I am, of course, not in a position to comment on the accuracy of the calculations. There are, of course, many other important factors which are not taken into consideration by the calculator which could alter the percentages considerably. Nonetheless, check it out if you want.

I wonder if the new iPhone I see advertised on television (which says it has 25,000 applications available) has an App for this too.

 

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