August 2010 Archives

It seems like marriages often don't last forever in Hollywood. This year, in particular, we've seen a lot of celebrity breakups and celebrity divorces. According to E! Online, Cheryl Hines is just one more actress to add to the list of female television stars that are looking to dissolve their marriages.

Cheryl Hines reportedly filed for a divorce on July 20, looking to put an end to her eight year marriage with producer and Manager Paul Young. The actress is currently best known for her role as Larry David's wife on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. However, in the real world Cheryl has a life of her own with Paul Young and a 6-year-old daughter named Catherine Rose. Together, the couple is looking to share custody of their daughter once the divorce process is finalized.

Four out of five kids will grow up to be parents. So, wouldn't it be a good idea for children to learn how to be good parents while they're still in school? Lawmakers of the 80th Session of the Texas Legislature certainly thought so.

The Office of the Attorney General states that House Bill 2176 requires all school districts to incorporate the Parenting and Paternity Awareness (PAPA) program into their high school health curriculum. The purpose of this program is to teach students about the rights and responsibilities of parenting. The PAPA curriculum focuses on the importance of father involvement, the value of paternity establishment, and the legal criteria of child support. Perhaps today's youth will come out of high school knowing quite a bit about family law.

Alexis Stevens, now 52, found out that she wasn't a U.S. citizen the hard way. According to News-Press, the woman applied for a passport four years ago so that she can go on a trip to Europe. Yet the woman was never able to receive a U.S. passport because U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services found that she was not actually a U.S citizen.

The woman was born in England but she was adopted by a couple who went through the adoption process in Texas. At the age of 3, Alexis Stevens obtained a Texas birth certificate, but the naturalization process was never completed. Because she voted without being a U.S. citizen in several elections, she now fears that she will be deported.

Tahrick Perry used to have three foster children and two biological children living in his West Houston home, however the dad was forced to surrender the children to Child Protective Services after child abuse allegations.

KIAH TV reports that Tahrick Perry took one of his babies to the doctor after he noticed that the child had a swollen leg. He said that one of his other children had fallen on top of the baby while they were in a car. A series of test showed that the baby had a broken leg, two skull fractures and seven broken ribs, which were not consistent with Perry's story. The father's biological children also said that they saw their father hit, shake and throw the baby for crying.

It some states it's rare for a person to be arrested for not paying child support. However, Texans should watch out because simply being delinquent on child support can mean serious business. The Cherokeean Herald reported that 20 parents in El Paso County were arrested earlier this week during a sweep, which focused on parents who are the subject of arrest warrants due to not paying their court-ordered child support.

The sweep kicked off at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday when Sheriff Richard Wiles dispatched six teams of law enforcement officers to arrest the deadbeat parents before they had a chance to leave their homes for the day. When a person is arrested in Texas for failing to pay child support and goes to jail, the bail bonds posted are paid to the custodial parents and children who are owed back child support.

The story of transgender Nikki Araguz, the widow of a Wharton firefighter killed in the line of duty, has drawn attention to people all over Harris County and family law attorneys across the country. The parents of the deceased firefighter are trying to annul his marriage with Nikki Araguz even after his death so that the widow won't get his $500,000 in death benefits.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Nikki Araguz was born a male, but had a court order to undergo gender surgery after being diagnosed with a genetic disorder that kept her from growing into a fully developed man. The family of Wharton firefighter Thomas Araguz III claims that their son never knew of his wife's sex change, which are grounds for an annulment.

If a non-custodial parent is having trouble making child support payments either because he or she is unemployed or because the parent earns a low-income, then the parent may be able to get help from the Non-custodial Parent (NCP) Choices Program in Texas.

The San Antonio Express reports that this program was implemented across the state of Texas in 2005 in hopes of helping low-income unemployed or underemployed noncustodial parents who are behind on their child support payments and whose children are current or former recipients of public assistance. The program is a collaborative effort of the attorney general's office and the Texas Workforce Commission.