Imagine a very pregnant woman enters the bar where you are bartending and asks you to serve her a gin and tonic. You look around, but don't see her with anyone else. The drink is for her. Do you refuse to serve her alcohol? Well, in New York, you may be in violation of discrimination laws but should you be? Is this just another law designed to legislate away moral choices? Is this an important step in anti-discrimination laws?
If I were a bartender, I would be concerned. Not about discriminating, but about liability. A bartender can be sued if they serve someone who later drives drunk. There are dram shop liability laws that outline that a bartender should not "over serve" alcohol. Could pregnancy be the next frontier? Could a lawyer one day bring suit against the bar if the child is born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
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When David Hasselhoff was ordered to pay $21,000 a month in alimony, it may have seemed like a small price to pay. After all, The Hoff (as some call him) was a much sought after star in America and notably abroad. Now, at 63 with a $100,000 a month income, that alimony payment seems more like a burden. To make it easier for us to understand, what if it were $210 a month for someone who only makes $1000? Does that change your mind?
In Pennsylvania, it may not matter what the numbers because the law is clear. If you agree to pay permanent alimony, it cannot be modified. That's right. If the court orders you to pay, it can be modified based on a change in circumstances, but if you agree on a set amount of alimony, you can't modify it. Sounds harsh right? Well maybe not. The court decides what's fair based on current circumstances, therefore the Court can change the order when your fortunes change. When you make an alimony agreement, you are gambling on future income and hoping to have certainty. The law provides, in part, " In the absence of a specific provision to the contrary appearing in the agreement, a provision regarding the disposition of existing property rights and interests between the parties, alimony, alimony pendente lite, counsel fees or expenses shall not be subject to modification by the court." So, before you get the divorce, get the facts. You may not have Hasselfhoff money, but I bet you want to protect your cash anyway. |
By Jacquie L. Jones
Join us on a journey of discovery as we explore issues of custody, criminality, and Probate especially in Delaware County, PA. Archives
March 2020
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