Divorce Lawyers

Diptiben Mistry was a 20-year-old college student in India when she married Himansu Udwadia, then 24, who was working as an accountant in the United States.

Mistry says it was an arranged marriage, common even in Indian-American families, and that she was promised a good life and the opportunity to finish her education in hotel management in India.

But after a brief honeymoon, all those dreams vanished, according to a lawsuit Mistry filed on Jan. 10 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma against her in-laws, Chandrakant and Nilam Udwadia.

Couples can use a relative new - and largely unknown - legal alternative to divorce called "Collaborative Divorce" to put an amicable end to their marriages.

"The legal system is broken. It does so much damage to people and families," said M. Marcy Jones, an attorney specializing in the emerging legal field of collaborative divorce and award-winning author of "Graceful Divorce Solutions," which won the "Best Book" award from USA Book News. "People think they will get justice or a fair hearing. That seldom happens."

Heidi Klum will file for divorce from Seal ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Heidi will file divorce papers in L.A. County Superior Court as early as next week. We're told Heidi will cite "irreconcilable differences" as the cause for the divorce.

The couple married May 10, 2005. They have 3 biological kids. Seal adopted Heidi's eldest girl from a prior relationship.

A retired physician diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 14 years ago, Morgan, 72, no longer walks or talks. His wife and full-time caregiver, Linda Morgan, makes sure he's fed and clothed, and that $25,200 in annual alimony is handed over to his ex-wife, a college professor he divorced in 1997.

"What's sad is that this man who can't get out of bed is paying a woman who is working," says Linda Morgan, 61, of Lehigh Acres, Fla.

A state lawmaker who wants to make it more difficult for parents to divorce said he initially had no idea that legislators a decade ago killed a similar proposal dubbed the "Dr. Laura" bill.

Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, said he believes his proposal stands a better chance because it makes exceptions, such as in cases of domestic violence or sexual abuse.

The bill would require parents who have minor children and are considering divorce to first undergo educational instruction "that tells them how this impacts their children," he said. Then there would be a waiting period before filing for divorce.

Ronald O. Perelman’s marital breakups — divorces from the actress Ellen Barkin and Patricia Duff among them — have been rich fodder for the gossip pages. Now a split with a longtime business associate promises to be almost as acrimonious.

The former associate, Donald G. Drapkin, and Mr. Perelman are headed to a federal courtroom in Manhattan next week in a dispute over roughly $20 million. The court battle provides a rare window on the pay, perks and behind-the-scenes politics in the world of deal-making.

First it was Tiger Woods. And then Kobe Bryant. And now it looks like Deion Sanders will be the next sports figure to go through a messy divorce.

In a radio interview earlier this month with K104 in Dallas, Sanders downplayed the hostilities in his divorce proceedings from his wife Pilar and said, "She's a friend."

But if there was a truce it seems to have taken an angry turn. TMZ.com says it has obtained court papers filed by Pilar that in football terms give Deion a helmet-to-helmet kind of bashing.

You've probably all heard the saying that "marriage is work," but if it's too much work and there are tell-tale signs of trouble in paradise, it behooves you to be smart and protect yourself should divorce loom on the horizon.

Is your mother getting shorted on her Social Security payments?

If she is divorced or has been married more than once, or her late husband delayed taking Social Security, she might be entitled to a bigger monthly benefit than she is collecting. That can be important news for someone with a fixed or limited income.

If you are one of the thousands of baby boomers who help their parents with their finances, reviewing their Social Security benefits ought to be at the top of your list.

The Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is moving quickly to change Canadian divorce law in order to allow recognition of all same-sex marriages. The action is in response to a Justice Department attorney in Toronto interfering in the divorce of an American couple that was married in Canada.

This contrasts sharply with the action of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott who intervened in divorce cases in Dallas and Austin.

At the start of "Divorce Party The Musical," a frumpy, middle-aged divorcee named Linda sits on the living room floor, bawling, comforted only by her pint of Chubby Hubby ice cream.

But, recovering in record time, she is transformed by the show's conclusion into a svelte, liberated woman, celebrating her failed marriage with a clink of mimosa glasses as confetti and streamers rain down.

If only all breakups came and went so effortlessly.

No matter. The show making its debut here Friday at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts taps into the desperation a broken heart can bring, nudging audiences to laugh at their misfortune and move on with a bit of fanfare.

It may come across as an extreme case of nuptial nostalgia: A now-divorced man saying a photography studio should pay to recreate his wedding to make up for what he considers flawed pictures and video.

But after being branded a "groomzilla," Todd Remis said Tuesday his now-notorious lawsuit is about holding a business to a pledge, not holding onto a broken marriage.

"It was their failure to deliver after a promise and a handshake" agreement to retouch the photos, Remis said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. "How could a business treat a customer this way?"

Family Law Attorney Amanda DuBois Announces the Release of Divorganize, a 17-Part Video Series Aimed Directly at Supporting Women Going through Divorce. The Goal of the Series is to Educate Women about the Divorce Process in a Way that Maintains Their Personal, Familial, Community and Financial Integrity. Divorganize Topics Include Creating a Divorce Vision and Team, How to Choose an Attorney, Proper Parenting During Divorce, How to Save Money During Divorce, and How to Effectively Handle Financial Matters.

Local resident Tim Sanborn has been arguing a protracted, contentious and life-altering divorce settlement for more than five years. A big part of that fight is over custody of his 11-year-old son.

He is a supporter of House Bill 591, which he believes could help other couples avoid messy fights in court over access to their children.

HB 591 would provide divorced parents with equal access to their children except in cases where documented evidence of things like abuse or neglect would convince the court that such contact is not in the child’s best interest. Sanborn said “shared parenting in New Hampshire and across America is the biggest step we, as a society, can take to improve the lives of our children and reduce family court time and costs.”

Gossip sites have been reporting for months that the marriage of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith is nearly over. Now, In Touch Weekly is giving some credence to those rumors with a new report that Jada has met with a divorce attorney.

The magazine says Pinkett Smith had a meeting with Laura Wasser, a divorce lawyer who has represented celebrity clients like Britney Spears, Maria Shriver, and Kim Kardashian. An insider is quoted as saying the couple has “finally begun to take steps to dissolve their marriage.”

Actress Zooey Deschanel has filed for divorce from indie singer Ben Gibbard after two years of marriage, according to TMZ.

The 31-year-old actress separated from Gibbard, the frontman for Death Cab for Cutie, in October and filed divorce papers on Dec. 27 citing "irreconcilable differences."

"It was mutual and amicable," a source told Us Weekly when the separation was reported, adding, "there was no third party involved."