Mediate Michigan

The Social Security Handbook has 2,728 separate rules governing its benefits. And it has thousands upon thousands of explanations of those rules in its Program Operating Manual System, called the POMS, which provides guidance on implementing the 2,728 rules. Talk about a user’s nightmare!

As a young economist, I did a fair amount of academic research on saving and insurance adequacy. At the time, I thought I had a very good handle on the rules. Then I started a financial planning software company, which makes suggestions about what benefits to take from Social Security and when to take them to get the best overall deal. (See, in this regard, www.maximizemysocialsecurity.com and www.esplanner.com.)

via 34 Social Security Secrets You Need to Know Now | The Business Desk with Paul Solman | PBS NewsHour | PBS.

An international child custody dispute that started in Alabama will be heard later this year by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could affect when American courts have jurisdiction in such cases and when they don’t.

A federal judge in Alabama last year allowed a then-4-year-old girl to re­turn to Scotland with her mother, where they had lived before moving to Huntsville to be with her father. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals turned down the father’s appeal, say­ing the issue was no longer in its juris­diction because the girl already was living in Scotland, prompting him to ask the Supreme Court to review the case.

via International custody case from Alabama heads to U.S. Supreme Court | al.com.

How the legal system treats animals has changed dramatically in recent decades. They’re protected by anti-cruelty laws. Their owners can bequeath fortunes to them. And their fate in a divorce, with rare exception, no longer hangs on “calling contests,” in which judges gave custody to the parties who could coax Fido to their side.

For the most part, though, dogs, cats, macaws and turtles are still considered property, with few more rights than a coffee table. When ownership disputes land in court, judges have wide latitude.

Some will decide where a pet should live in the same manner they resolve custody of a child: by carefully sizing up who offers more financial security and stronger emotional ties. Other jurists consider that a waste of scarce resources and time and base their decision on other factors, such as who originally acquired the animal.

via Pet ownership disputes can be as messy as child custody cases – latimes.com.

We’re all familiar with couples who decide to live separately for awhile before actually getting divorced. And typically, these couples use this “trial separation” to decide whether or not they want to pursue formal legal action.

These days, however, more and more couples are deciding to remain separated, rather than divorce –even after they know their marriages are fractured beyond repair.

Why would a woman make this choice? What reasons could there possibly be to live apart from a spouse, and yet remain married?

In many cases, it boils down to money. You see, sometimes opting for legal separation rather than divorce is a good financial decision.

via Legal Separation or Divorce: Which is Better Financially? – Forbes.

What can you do to stay on the best path forward? Here are a few key steps to get you started towards financial stability post-divorce. Once your divorce settlement agreement is finalized, you will need to:

Update accounts. Even though it may sound mundane, this financial housekeeping step is absolutely essential. If you changed your name as a result of the divorce, you’ll need to get a new Social Security Card, driver’s license, passport and credit cards. You’ll also need to notify your bank, utilities, insurance companies, credit card companies, the motor vehicle department, your children’s school(s), etc. about any change of name and/or address. The titles on all assets, such as cars and houses, will have to be modified and recorded with mortgage companies . . . and it’s likely you’ll want to update beneficiaries on your life insurance, 401k, pensions and IRA accounts, as well.

via Seven Must-Do Steps For Women Who Want Financial Stability Post-Divorce – Forbes.