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Alimony actually comes in different forms. Most people are familiar with the payments that the court orders a wealthier spouse to make to a less well-off spouse following a divorce. This is called permanent alimony. There is also temporary alimony which is support given while the divorce is pending and rehabilitative alimony which are payments made long enough for the recipient spouse to become self-supporting. Rehabilitative alimony can help the less wealthy spouse to receive the education or training needed to produce his or her own income.

As long as the police have good reason (called “probable cause”) to believe that a crime has been committed and that the person they want to arrest committed the crime, they can, with just one exception, make an arrest without asking a judge for a warrant.

The exception? There are few places where the adage “a man’s home is his castle” still applies, and an arrest at home is one of them. The police must have a warrant to arrest a person at home if the arrest is for a non-serious offense — such as a simple assault — and there is no fear that the person they want to arrest will destroy evidence or cause harm to the public.

Divorce mediation is a process in which divorcing spouses try to negotiate an acceptable divorce agreement with the help of a neutral third party: the mediator. The mediator helps the spouses to communicate and negotiate but doesn’t make any decisions for them.

Both mediation and arbitration involve a neutral third party who is not a judge. In mediation, the neutral party has no power to make decisions. In arbitration, the neutral third party — the arbitrator — listens to the facts and then decides the case, just as a judge would. Although the parties can present evidence and make arguments, they have no say in the final decision.

It’s illegal to drive a car while “impaired” by the effects of alcohol or drugs (including prescription drugs). This means that there must be enough alcohol or drugs in the driver’s body to prevent him from thinking clearly or driving safely. Many people reach this level well before they’d be considered “drunk” or “stoned.” In all states, an adult who has a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .08% or above is guilty of a DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while intoxicated).

However, almost all states consider drivers under the age of 21 to be driving under the influence of alcohol if their BAC is at or greater than .01% or .02%, depending on the state.

Your lender may modify your loan if you have an adjustable rate mortgage or if you are several months behind on your mortgage. Call and ask to speak to your lender’s loan modification or loss mitigation department. The lender may accept partial payments for a few months (though you may have to agree to make up the difference later), accept a late payment, or agree to modify the terms of your loan.

There are several plans offered by the federal government to help homeowners avoid foreclosures, including FHA Secure and Hope for Homeowners. The most recent program to be announced is the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, which is aimed at helping homeowners refinance their mortgages to lower their mortgage payments. Homeowners might qualify for a refinance at a 15- or 30-year fixed-market-interest-rate (currently around 5%).

This plan would ease the rules so that homeowners whose loans are owned or guaranteed by the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could have a chance to refinance even if they have little or no equity in their home. A separate part of the plan would bring mortgage payments down for some homeowners to a total of 31% of their gross income. Both parts of the plan would apply only to homeowners with conforming loans.

A police investigation constitutes a search if it intrudes on a person’s “legitimate expectation of privacy.” Courts ask two questions to determine whether a person had a legitimate expectation of privacy in the place or things searched:

• Did the person expect some degree of privacy?
• Is the person’s expectation reasonable — that is, one that society is willing to recognize?

Most states define marriage as a civil contract between a man and a woman to become husband and wife. The standard way to marry is to get a marriage license from a state-authorized official and participate in a formal civil or religious wedding ceremony. While most states will not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the laws regarding same-sex marriage continue to evolve. Contact an attorney at our firm to learn more about the marriage laws in our state.