Recent family-related news included a mandate for divorcing parents in Denmark to attend an online divorce class, divorce law reforms in England and Wales, a bill addressing loopholes in marital rape laws making its way through the Minnesota House and Senate, a look at the importance of child support for children, and information on how the legal system in the U.S. is trying to catch up with science as three-parent embryos are ready to use to start pregnancy.
Mandatory ‘Divorce Course’ for Parents Splitting Up in Denmark MSN, April 4, 2019 Gone are the days in Denmark when parents could get a divorce with a simple online click — now they have to complete a course before their marriage can be dissolved. As part of a new divorce law that entered into force on April 1, 2019 parents with children under the age of 18 who want to end their marriage must take an online course designed to help them and their children adapt as smoothly as possible to their new situation. A short video explains the importance of this new initiative.
No-Fault Divorce Reform Will Allow Families to Function, Say Lawyers Frances Perraudin and Dominic Penna, The Guardian, April 9, 2019 Planned overhaul in England and Wales praised for shifting focus from blame to resolution… The new laws will include a minimum timeframe of six months from petition stage to a marriage being ended, designed to allow couples to reflect on their decision. They will also prevent people from refusing a divorce if their spouse wants one.
Inside One Woman’s Fight to Rewrite the Law on Marital Rape Karen Zraick, The New York Times, April 13, 2019 While marital rape has been a crime in all 50 states since 1993 — a milestone achieved after years of dogged campaigning — the overwhelming majority of states still have loopholes on the books that can make it difficult, or even impossible, to prosecute such cases, according to data compiled by AEquitas, a nonprofit in Washington. A marital rape survivor is fighting to close the loopholes in Minnesota.
3 Child Support Considerations in a Divorce Catherine Schnaubelt, Forbes, April 15, 2019 Child support can be a hot-button issue in a divorce. No matter the arrangement, it’s entirely possible for both parents to feel disadvantaged. Still, many issues can be worked through so long as the children’s best interests are the focus.
U.S. Researcher Says He’s Ready to Start Pregnancies with ‘Three-Parent’ Embryos Health, PBS NewsHour, April 19, 2019 Researchers at Columbia University in New York have created embryos containing genetic material from three people and are ready to use them to start pregnancies. But they’re at a legal impasse.
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