According to the Huffington Post Nov 1, 2016. Therapists often see couples facing a very real dilemma: After years and years together, one or both partners no longer feel as “in love” as they were before.

Is it possible to fall back in love? Absolutely, but it takes time and effort from both spouses. Below, marriage therapists offer a short list of advice they give couples at this crossroad.

1. Accept that you may have to work at falling back “in like” with each other first.

Falling out of love didn’t happen overnight. Falling back in love is going to take some time, too, explained David McFadden, a couples counselor at Village Counseling Center in Hanover Park, Illinois. To that end, lower your expectations and ask yourself: What is it going to take for me to even “like” my spouse again?

“Ask each other: Do we need to forgive things that have hurt in the past before we can like each other again? If so, start the forgiveness process,” he suggested. “Recalling steps you took to forgive in the past can help you get on that path again.”

2. End destructive communication patterns.

If you and your spouse are perennially unhappy, it may be because you’re stuck in a negative reactive pattern, possibly the pursuer-distancer pattern, said Jennifer Chappell Marsh, a marriage and family therapist in San Diego, California.

In this pattern, the “pursuer” in the relationship increasingly complains about the lack of connection in the marriage. As a result, the “distancer” avoids engagement by withdrawing or going on the defense.

“The chance for real connection is close to impossible in this vicious cycle,” Chapell Marsh said. “Usually, the more quiet one partner is, the louder the other gets and vice versa. If there’s a chance for the couple to get close again, the pursuer has to focus on delivering their message in a softer way and the distancer must start being more emotionally engaged in the relationship.”
3. Ask yourself: What qualities initially led me to fall in love with this person?

You may be able to recapture some of that spark by thinking back on the qualities that initially attracted you to your spouse, said Marcia Naomi Berger, a psychotherapist and author of Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted.

“I always pose that question to couples who want to stay married during their initial session,” she said. “Think on it, then make a point to re-experience happy courtship feelings by going out on a weekly fun date.”

4. Find some new shared interests.

There’s nothing wrong with growing as a person and developing separate interests. It becomes a problem, though, when you start to live parallel lives. Share some of your newfound interests with your spouse or find new shared hobbies, said Danielle Adinolfi, a Philadelphia-based marriage and family therapist.

“Make a plan to spend time engaging in activities that you both enjoy,” she said. “You and your spouse may have drifted apart, but you can also drift back together. You might find yourself remembering what you used to love about your partner.”

5. Take sex off the back burner.

If you’re disinterested in your marriage, chances are, sex hasn’t been high on your priority list, either. To recapture the spark, make an intentional effort to reach out and touch your spouse. Consider sex and intimate touch as a way to build love, said Melissa Fritchle, a family and couples therapist in Santa Cruz, California.

“It may seem difficult but committing to keeping physical closeness alive is really important,” she said. “Touch releases oxytocin which helps us to feel bonded and relaxed. Many couples pull away from sex and physical affection when they are no longer feeling love, but working at rebuilding sexual touch and gestures of affection is a key piece to rebuilding love and intimacy again.”

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

OK, so you’ve moved on and found a new love. Is that a problem as far as your divorce  situation? It’s not likely to affect your child care arrangement as long as there are no behavior problems with your new spouse. However, it could definitely affect your spousal support.

If you cohabitate after a divorce, expect that spousal support is subject to likely termination.

What if the other person is your same sex?

I imagine a majority of courts around the country, except perhaps for the Deep South, are adjusting appropriately to be in compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s historical decision finding state laws that prevented same-sex marriages are unconstitutional.  Which also meant that divorce statutes and divorce case law had to catch up with same-sex marriage.  One such aspect of divorce law that needed to catchup with the times was addressed by the Supreme Court of Virginia.

In many state, cohabitation with another person post-divorce can trigger a termination of a spousal support order.

The Ohio Supreme Court laid out two primary factors for determination of cohabitation in State v. Williams.  Specifically, (1) the sharing of familial or financial responsibilities; and (2) consortium.  To prove sharing of familial or financial responsibilities, the moving party would need to show evidence of provisions the parties make for food, shelter, clothing, and utilities.  To prove consortium, the moving party would need to show evidence of fidelity, affection, society, cooperation, solace, comfort, aid of each other, friendship, consideration of mutual respect, and conjugal relations.  In short, the court must consider whether the couple assumed obligations equivalent to those arising from a ceremonial marriage.

If you have any questions about this subject, you should consult with an attorney. Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

Parental Rights. When a marriage ends in divorce, a father’s right to custody and visitation with his child is typically set forth in the divorce decree. If the child lives with his mother, she is considered the custodial parent and the court likely ordered you, as the noncustodial parent, to pay child support to her.

When determining custody and child support rights, the court will make its decision based on the best interests of the child. Among the many factors that the court evaluates are the child’s age, the child’s physical and mental health, the parents’ physical and mental health, the emotional ties between the child and her parents, the stability of the home environment, and the child’s preference.

Child Visitation and Custody Determinations

There are two types of custody determinations: legal and physical custody. Legal custody involves the right and responsibility to make decisions about the upbringing of the child. This encompasses decisions regarding issues such as education, medical care, and religion. Physical custody involves the right of a parent to have the child live with him. After reviewing the best interests of the child, the court may award sole or joint custody to either or both parents. The court may also determine child support payments at this time.
Child support payments are usually owed until one of the following occurs: the child reaches the age of majority, the child is on active military duty, the court determines that the child is emancipated, or the parents’ rights and responsibilities are terminated.

Child Visitation and Child Support Payments

Because child support and visitation are two separate issues, a parent who does not pay the required child support cannot be denied visitation with the child. Although visitation may be modified with the consent of both parents or by the court, it is unlikely that the court will completely sever visits between the delinquent parent and the child. The court encourages the development of meaningful relationships between both parents and the child through continuous contact. In fact, if the parent who is owed payments prevents the other parent from visiting with the child, the parent who owes child support could ask the court to modify custody agreements in her favor.

Although child visitation may not be eliminated, there are consequences if the parent who owes child support fails to make payments. Should a parent not pay the mandated child support payments, the parent’s wages may be withheld through a wage assignment; he may be denied the issuance or renewal of a passport; his credit rating may be negatively affected; he may be denied an issuance or renewal of a driver’s or professional license; a lien may be filed on his property; and his benefits may be used to pay for the owed support. A child support debt never expires and is not eliminated in bankruptcy.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

No good divorce attorney wants to see a couple end up in divorce if they can help it. If you are trying to maintain your relationship, here are some things to avoid. Thanks to the Huffington Post.

1. Angry reactions to feedback vs. non-defensiveness and openness

Communication is key to a close relationship. However, when we establish a fantasy bond, we tend to become increasingly closed off to real dialogue, that is, a kind and compassionate way of exchanging impressions and ideas. Instead, we tend to be defensive and have angry or intimidating overreactions to feedback that shut our partner down. Whether we punish our partner by breaking down emotionally, by giving them the silent treatment or by screaming at them, we’re telling them that we don’t want to hear what they have to say. We may provoke additional emotional distance by reacting critically, saying the things that we know will sting our partner the most.

In order to change this pattern, we can try to look for a kernel of truth in what our partner is saying rather than picking apart any flaws in the feedback. If he or she says, “I feel bad when you just watch TV all night. You seem distracted. I feel disregarded and like you aren’t interested in me,” we could consider what parts of that could resonate with us instead of wasting time on everything that doesn’t. We may feel like snapping back by saying, “Don’t be ridiculous and dramatic. I’m just tired!”  While there may be some truth to that, we may instead pause to consider, “I have been tired lately, but is more going on with me than that? Have I been distracted to the point of disregarding my relationship?” Our attuned response would then be, “I’m sorry for you to feel bad. I’ve felt distracted lately by work and tired when I come home. I feel bad to just tune out like that. I can see how that hurts you, even though I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

We can always make it our goal to hear everything. This doesn’t mean we have to agree with what someone else is saying. However, we can strive to be open and seek feedback from people we care about and trust, so that they feel comfortable to talk to us about the more difficult subjects.

2. Closed to new experiences vs. open to trying new things

In every relationship, it’s important to maintain a sense of ourselves as a unique person. When we get involved with someone new, it should expand our world, not shrink it. When we first fall in love, we tend to be open to new things. However, when we start to engage in a fantasy bond, we tend to adopt roles and routines that limit us and close us down to new experiences. We may become more rigid and automatic in our responses. “You know I don’t like that restaurant.” “We always see a movie on Saturday night.” It actually hurts the relationship when we stop being free and open to developing new shared interests. It can foster real resentment between partners. While no one should force themselves to do things they really don’t want to do, shutting down the part of ourselves that seeks new experiences and responds to a spark in our partner can drain us of our aliveness and spontaneity.

We should always be open to exploring things that expand our world and be careful not to limit our or our partner’s experience. We can try activities each of us likes and see if they add to our arsenal of things we can do together and share in a lively way. This doesn’t mean that we have to share all of our interests or meet every one of each other’s needs. In fact, it’s essential to maintain our independence and individuality. We don’t need one person for fulfillment, but we do need some shared activities. A relationship doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Being open to new experiences keeps it alive.

3. Deception and duplicity vs. honesty and integrity

Most of us know from experience that we can drive each other crazy when our words and actions fail to match. Unfortunately, deception and duplicity are pretty common in relationships. There are a lot of mixed messages based on saying one thing and doing another. Examples include:

• Saying “I really love you,” but acting like I don’t have any time to spend with you.
• Saying “I want to be close to you,” then constantly criticizing you when you’re around.
• Saying “I’m not interested in other people,” but flirting with everyone else at the bar.

The actions that contradict these words do not look like love. They represent a fantasy of being close but without real relating, essentially putting form over substance. Double messages like these mess with another person’s reality, which can actually be considered a basic human rights violation, not to mention a huge threat to lasting, loving relationships.

Admittedly, honesty in a relationship can be tricky, because it doesn’t mean saying every little critical thing to our partner that pops into our head. We have to know our real intentions and what our real truth is. This means we have to know ourselves. We have to consistently ask ourselves, “Am I being honest? What’s my motivation? Do my words and actions really match?” If we say we really love someone, there should be actual actions we take toward them that, to an outside observer, would be viewed as loving. Are we affectionate to them? Do we talk to them? Do we light up when they come around? When our actions are honest, we can create genuine closeness.

4. Overstepping boundaries vs. respect for the other’s boundaries, priorities and goals

In a fantasy bond, couples tend to overstep each other’s boundaries and form a fused identity. They start to see themselves as a WE, instead of a YOU and ME. “WE like to go there.” “WE don’t want to go that party.” “WE like that kind of food.” Many of us unintentionally lose track of where we leave off and our partner begins. Without even noticing it, we may be intrusive or controlling toward our partner, acting in a manner that is disrespectful or demeaning to the other person’s sense of self. When this happens, it not only hurts our partner and his or her feelings for us, but it can undermine our own strength and our feelings for our partner. Many couples come to hold their partner responsible for their happiness, leading to demands and complaints and a sense of powerlessness.

In order to be a loving partner and maintain our own feelings of interest and attraction, we should have regard for what lights our partner up and matters to him or her. We should see our partner as a whole and separate person who matters to us, independent of our own needs and interests. We can both encourage each other to engage in pursuits that really express who each of us is individually. Whether it’s learning a language, climbing a mountain or writing a book, we can see each other for who we really are and support each other’s unique goals and capabilities. When we give another person this space, regard and respect, we actually draw that person closer to us, as we can both really feel for each other as the true people we are.

5. Lack of affection and inadequate, impersonal, or routine sexuality vs. physical affection and personal sexuality

In a fantasy bond, there can often be a lack of personal relating and, often, a lack of affection. The sexuality can start to feel inadequate, impersonal or become hardly existent. Some couples describe their sex lives as becoming mechanical or highly routinized. This takes much of the excitement out of their attraction. Obviously, there are real outside circumstances that can affect or change one’s physical relationship. However, there’s often also a lot of negative self-talk or “critical inner voices” that discourage us from pursuing our sexuality. It’s important to filter out the negative messages and stay in touch with this vital part of ourselves and our partner. Ideally, we would strive to stay in touch with our own wanting feelings and with those of our partner. There would be a give and take, with real contact being made, that sparks intimate and loving feelings between the two of us. The more free flowing and spontaneous our expressions of love can be, the less likely we are to grow apart.

6.  Misunderstanding vs. understanding

In a fantasy bond, we tend to see our partners for who we need them to be rather than who they are. We may distort them by idealizing or putting them on a pedestal. Or, we may pick them apart, denigrating them by projecting negative qualities onto them. We may even see them as more critical, intrusive or rejecting than they are, because we grew up with people who had these qualities. When we disrespect the boundary between ourselves and our partner, we’re more likely to see them as an extension of ourselves, and we may mistreat or criticize them in ways we mistreat or criticize ourselves.

In an ideal relationship, we try to see our partner realistically, both with their strengths and their foibles, and accept them for who they are. We don’t allow ourselves to create a negative caricature, which means not focusing in on their flaws and indulging in critical thoughts. However, it also means not creating a grandiose image of them. No one can really feel loved unless they feel seen realistically. When a partner is either building us up or tearing us down, we can feel like we’re on shaky ground, not really being loved for who we are. This is why it’s so important not to distort the other person.

7. Manipulations of dominance and submission vs. noncontrolling, nonmanipulative and nonthreatening behaviors

Because of people’s own defenses and desire to protect themselves, it can be easy for couples to play games and be indirect about their wants and needs. They may engage in manipulative maneuvers to get what they want, like trying to control a situation by crying and falling apart or blowing up and being intimidating. They may also adopt roles that hurt or limit them in their relationship. For example, couples often polarize each other, with one person becoming domineering and controlling, while the other acts passive and submissive. This may take different forms in different aspects of the relationship. One partner may be seen as the “boss” of finances; another may be the one who controls the sexuality between them. They may be drawn to assuming certain roles out of familiarity or as a way to feel secure, however this actually undermines their ability to relate as two equal individuals.

In an equal relationship, it’s important to ask directly for what we want and need from each other. This gives our partner an opportunity to respond and meet our needs. Many of us make the mistake of expecting our partner to read our minds and “know” what we want, which can only lead to disappointment. It’s important to say what we want without trying to dominate or control the situation. We usually feel vulnerable when we’re open about who we are, what we want and how we really feel. Yet, this directness is the best way to maintain an honest and authentic way of relating and get what we want in life.

By being aware of all of these behavior patterns that contribute to relationship distress, we can hold ourselves to a standard of remaining both true to who we are and sensitive to another person. We can encourage an atmosphere of love and support, while maintaining the unique, individual qualities that drew us to each other in the first place. We can avoid the traps of a fantasy bond and enjoy the raw and real adventure that is a loving relationship.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

You may have been married for quite a while. You may have forgotten the etiquette in the dating scene. Here are some tips from the Huffington Post on things not to discuss on a date.

Trashing Your Ex

Sharing your anger about an ex on a first date is a huge no-no!

He thinks if you’re talking this way about the last guy you were with… then what will you say about him should the two of you get involved then break up?

This feels pretty scary to a man!

If he asks about your ex, you can use phrases like these…

“Yes, I have one but he lives out of state.”

Or…”Yes I have one, and he was a good father to my children.”

Or “Yes, I have one and he remarried.”

Or even “Yes, I have one and he works in a specific industry.”

Your goal is to say something positive about your ex no matter how small it is, so you do not appear as negative or vindictive on a first date.

Health Issues in Detail

I remember one particular first date where a guy started telling me about his health issues within the first 10 minutes.

I heard about his breathing machine.

And his prescription drugs for his heart and blood sugar issues.

This was way too much information for a first date.

I used an exit strategy and was out of there within 10 minutes of hearing that.

And men will run too!

Why? Without an emotional attachment to you, you’ll feel like a project to him.

If a man asks you about your health (which he shouldn’t unless he’s doing the first date checklist)…you can turn it around and say in a flirting voice something like this…”Why, do I look sick?”

Remember, first dates are for meeting someone new and interesting.

They are not for grilling someone.

I promise if you stop Dating to Mate and start Dating to Date, you can have far more fun with dating.

And when you’re having fun…you appear a lot more interesting to a man than the woman who uses a checklist and spills her baggage on a first date.

Your Finances

Money is a taboo subject for a first date.

If you are in debt…and if you share this on a first date, a man thinks you’re just looking for a sugar daddy.

This will send him running.

The same thing goes for if you have a lot of money.

He may be looking for someone to take care of him.

Until you know someone better, you want to keep this information to yourself.

And remember…when you’re on a first date, the guy you’re sharing private information with is still a stranger.

Don’t share a lot of personal information with him.

What You Can Talk About On a First Date

Keep your dates light and fun.

Share interesting things about your life that you love.

Ask him about his life and come away from each date having learned one new and interesting thing about this new man.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

refer Huffington Post.

OK, you’re in that difficult period where you’re trying to decide if you really want to pull the plug. It’s a life altering decision, and you often change your mind, back and forth. There are done thing to keep in mind.

The situation has to work for both of you, not just one of you. That’s true for marriage or any other relationship. Women tend to put their needs on the back burner and do what it takes to make their husbands happy, especially once children come along. But marriage is relationship, which means it needs to work for both of you. If it’s not, it’s time to do something different. This might mean divorce, but don’t jump there immediately. The first step is getting honest with yourself (and then your spouse) about what you want. Becoming more authentic and voicing your needs might change things for the better. It’s worth a try.

If you are wishing bad things would happen to the other person, that’s not good. Don’t do anything hasty to harm the other person, but don’t spend your life wishing fate would change it for you. Take action to change what you can.

All of the family lawyers in Florida have been extremely concerned about the bill passed by the Florida legislature that would have made major changes in the area of child support and alimony. Refer Ayo and Iken website.

Alimony reform and proposed changes to child-sharing laws will have to wait another year. Gov. Rick Scott vetoed SB 668 today objecting to a 50/50 time-sharing provision in the bill that would have mandated the courts presume that equal time-sharing between parents is in the best interest of the child.

While Scott opposed the custody provisions, the bulk of the bill dealt with
alimony reform which would, among other things, have provided the courts with established calculation guidelines to determine alimony based on duration of a marriage and incomes of both parties. Scott did not address alimony in his veto letter.

It is the second time Scott has vetoed an alimony reform bill. He last did in 2013, citing a clause in that bill which would have made the law retroactive to all cases.

This year’s bill, which did not have that clause, did have some legislators concerned over lumping alimony reform and equal-time sharing into one bill. At the outset of the session, the issues in both the House and Senate were addressed in separate bills. But as the bills made their way through committees, child-sharing was added to the Senate Bill, which later passed both chambers and made it to the governor’s desk. Here is a portion of Scott’s veto letter discussing his opposition:

“The bill makes various changes to the laws governing the dissolution of marriage, spousal support, and time-sharing. First off, I would like to commend Senators Stargel and Lee, and Representatives Burton and Workman for their diligent efforts to reform Florida’s dissolution of marriage and alimony laws.

Family law issues are very personal, and nearly every family comes to the court with different circumstances and needs. As such, we must be judicious and carefully consider the long term and real life repercussions on Florida families. This bill’s proposed revisions to Florida’s alimony and child custody laws have evoked passionate reactions from thousands of Floridians because divorce affects families in many different ways.

The one constant though is that when a divorce involves a minor child, the needs of the child must come before all others. Current law directs a judge to consider the needs and interests of the children first when determining a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule.

This bill has the potential to up-end that policy in favor of putting the wants of a parent before the child’s best interest by creating a premise of equal time-sharing. Our judges must consider each family’s unique situation and abilities and put the best interests of the child above all else.”

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

If you thought that the leading cause of divorce is infidelity, you aren’t alone. That’s what

most people think. You may be surprised to find that is not the case. According to a leading group of family lawyers in the UK, today most couples are splitting up due to a lack of love in their marriage. Long-term partners are falling out of love, and unable to recoup it, so they decide to go their separate ways. On the other side of the ledger, the number of pre-nuptial agreements has also risen dramatically, according to this same group. Moreover, lots of couples are staving off divorce for when their financial situation improves. Salaries have stagnated on both sides of the pond, while the cost of living has gone up. This survey which polled 100 such lawyers from across the UK also found that these lawyers themselves believe about one-third of husbands hide assets when fearing divorce. In most of these cases the husband was the higher earner, and had more wealth to conceal.

The following information is from Divorce Tips dot Com.

So which situation would you rather be in, your spouse cheated on you or has fallen out of love with you? It is a sadistic choice, to be sure. How can you tell if love is exiting your marriage? There are lots of signs. You show less affection to one another. You pay less attention when the other person is not there, or even when they are, and vice-versa. The lunchtime phone calls and random texts taper off. There is little nurturing in this kind of relationship. Blame, passive-aggression, nagging, and angry fights take its place. Your priorities change and so do theirs, and the marriage is not necessarily the first on the list. If you have no energy to deal with one another, or don’t want to bother going out of your way for each other, chances are love has bid you farewell. Here, conflicts don’t get resolved. They get swept under the rug. Each person tries to control more and more things or situations. Passion drops off and you become completely disconnected from one another. If one person is a narcissist, now is the time when it surfaces full force. You feel as though you diminish yourself, or go along a fog. You lose who you really are, blurred by this overbearing relationship.

Lots of couples chug along for years this way. But being in that kind of marriage eats away at you, until you can’t even recognize yourself anymore. Is there a way back? The first step is to find out how you feel and where your feelings come from. Own those feelings and use them to fuel inner healing. Practice self-compassion. Forgive your spouse for the transgressions and pain they have caused you, not for their sake but for yours. No one should abandon themselves to a loveless relationship. Instead, in a loveless relationship it is the responsibility of both people to look for places where they can reconnect. Talk for a long time and really come to understand one another. After you have done this, see if this relationship can be resurrected. If it cannot, the tendency is to feel shame or point fingers. Instead, find some closure. Remember the good times. Reminisce and come to understand how things changed. But don’t be afraid to move on. If it is time to reinvest in this relationship, communicate long and often. Find the energy to tackle problems, or even consider couples counseling. Infidelity may not be the biggest reason for splitting up, but falling out of love is no less painful. All each person has to do is to decide if the relationship is right for them, and if they have the energy to invest in it.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

When we talk about prenuptial agreements we usually think of the wealthy and famous. However, they can be really helpful to ordinary people.

Any couple who brings personal or business assets to the marriage can benefit from a prenup. The most basic of these contracts lists an inventory of premarital assets that in the event of a divorce will remain the property of their original owner.

Prenups are good because they preserve the expectations of the parties and prevent surprises in a divorce trial. Prenuptial agreements are usually enforced by the court.

The agreements can also specify that future income from a business or additional assets accrued through inheritance are not to be shared with your spouse should the marriage end.

You can basically do anything you want in a prenup, except you can’t limit child support, and you can’t limit child custody and visitation.

The problem people have is, after they get married, what’s become yours has become co-mingled. People can’t trace after 10 years of marriage what was theirs and what’s joint property.

Other areas prenups can cover are the waiving of spousal support and death benefits.

Prenups are especially helpful for older couples and/or those who already have children. Older couples may want to protect children from a prior marriage or protect the ability of the one with lesser assets to go into a nursing home and not give everything over.

People who have been married before are especially aware of the importance of taking these steps the second time around.

A lot of times, prenuptial agreements have a bad connotation. I see them happening with people who may have been divorced once, and have children and significant assets, and want to make sure their children and family are protected if something happens.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

According to the “Sobering Up” website,  The most dangerous place to be during Super Bowl 50 isn’t between the Denver Broncos’ star defense and Cam Newton—it’s out on the road.

For many people, alcohol and Super Bowl celebrations go hand-in-hand. In addition, research shows that men between the ages of 21 and 35 make up the highest percentage of drunk drivers—the same demographic that dominates NFL viewership.

These factors mean that drunk driving and alcohol-involved crashes spike during the game and in the hours after it ends. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43% of all traffic fatalities on Super Bowl Sunday in 2012 were caused by drunk driving, compared to an average of 31% during the rest of the year.

States with a team in the game historically see biggest increases in drinking violations

While drunk driving and alcohol issues go up around the country on Super Sunday, data shows that the biggest spikes may happen in states and regions that have a team playing in the big game.

A recent analysis of people supervised with SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring—many of whom are repeat, high-risk drunk drivers who have been court-ordered not to drink—found that on average drinking violation rates in areas with a team in the Super Bowl were four times higher than the rest of the country. And in many cases, the violation rates were even much, much greater: When the Denver Broncos played in Super Bowl XLVIII, drinking violations for monitored offenders in that state jumped an astonishing 191% compared to the rest of the country.

Law enforcement agencies around the country are making plans to step up DUI enforcement next Sunday. In addition, NHTSA has launched it Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign to encourage people to make plans ahead of time that will prevent them from getting behind the wheel after drinking.

If your spouse’s drinking has made your life miserable, perhaps you should talk to Steve Hair. Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.