June 2012 Archives

Everyone wonders where their kids are when they are no longer in sight. It's just what parents do. This being the free market and all, software developers have figured out a way to help parents, with kid tracking software.

If you wanted a job in espionage, but couldn't pass a security clearance, here's your chance. This software gives parents the super-human ability to know where their kids are at all times in both the physical and virtual worlds, reports The New York Times. So what are these tools and are there any legal ramifications?

Thinking about tying the knot in the near future? Have you looked into the marriage license requirements yet?

Well, you are in the right place, because below you will find out what you need to do to be officially married in the great state of Texas.

Texas is one of the most difficult states in which to get an abortion. It is one of seven states that requires an ultrasound prior to abortion, according to Time.

Now, Representative Bill Zedler, Republican from Arlington is trying to introduce new reporting requirements put into place through the rule-making authority of the state's health services agencies, according to the Austin Chronicle. The introduction of these reporting rules has been attempted in four previous sessions of the Texas Legislature. Zedler is trying an "end-run" around the legislative process to require more information from those seeking an abortion and those providing them.

Flavor Flav, a.k.a. William Jonathan Drayton Jr., is indeed an unforgettable character. The easily recognizable hype man for Public Enemy stands out anywhere while wearing his giant clock necklace. This piece of fashion stands out more than usual when Flav is in a courtroom discussing his child support payment with a judge, reports TMZ.

Flav was behind some $111,186 and facing 180 days in jail if he did not pay, according to the New York Daily News. Instead of paying a lump sum, the judge allowed Flav to pay $25,000 to the mother of three of his seven children, along with $1,200 a month to help reduce his debt.

Johnny Depp has separated from his longtime girlfriend and mother of his children, Vanessa Paradis, after 14 years together, according to the Houston Chronicle. You did read that right, Johnny Depp is single.

The two had been together for the past 14 years and have one 13-year-old girl and one 10-year-old boy, according to the Huffington Post. The couple had been battling rumors of their separation for some time, denying it as recently as May. Surprisingly, this separation will probably legally even easier than that of David Arquette and Courteney Cox.

Good ol' Maury Povich, he is looking out for the mothers and fathers of the world by helping them determine child support and paternity issues. A visit to Maury's webpage and you're immediately confronted with video about his next show asking “who is the father?” Now that Father's Day is over, it's ok to look into these questions about paternity in Texas again.

Well, it's probably in everyone's best interest to stay off the Maury show, unless you like to trade your dignity for cash (don't answer that). While one of Maury's questions of the day is whether a paternity test destroys all trust in a relationship, it is possible that there are more than relationship issues when you're talking paternity.

It finally happened, Texas' sexy screen idol Matthew McConaughey got married in Austin to his girlfriend of 6 years and mother to his children, Camila Alves, reports People Magazine. Sorry ladies, there might have been a chance when she was just his baby momma, now there is none.

The couple had a sunset wedding, which included John Mellencamp singing psalms during the catholic ceremony, reports the Houston Chronicle. There were other celebrities in the audience, including Kenny Chesney, Woody Harrelson, and Reese Witherspoon. The couple provided two person tents scattered across their property for the guests to use, according to People.

So now that Camila Alves is Camila McConaughey, let's see what else marriage in Texas has in store.

Unsurprisingly, DMX’s wife Tashera Simmons has filed for divorce this week after separating in 2010 and trying to reconcile on the TV show “Couple's Therapy,” according to the Houston Chronicle. DMX, a.k.a. Earl Simmons, learned the reconciliation did not work on the season finale of the show, where his soon to be ex proclaimed she wanted a divorce, writes the Chronicle.

Can't say that when you start on a reality show about reconciliation that there really is a chance of it, especially if you've already been separated for over a year. In fact, the producers probably had the feuding couple on the show because they knew they could convince either spouse to wait until the final show to reveal that a divorce was wanted.

Could this mean that DMX doesn't have to split the money he earned from taking part in the show?

When the big celebrities in Hollywood divorce, you expect a spectacle of blood and gore, similar to the Roman Coliseum.

This week, David Arquette filed for divorce from his wife Courteney Cox Arquette after being separated since 2010, according to the Houston Chronicle. The two have remained friends after the split-up and continue to work together as TV and film production partners, reports the Chronicle. Arquette is also representing himself in the divorce and requesting joint custody of the couple’s one daughter.

Father's Day is this coming weekend, so make sure you've got your plans or presents ready to go before you check out for the week. While the day is meant to honor the other half of our chromosome, it can bring stress and sadness to those who are trying to become parents, same-sex or otherwise.

However, there is always hope as there become more and more options to becoming a father (genetic or not). In Texas, there are options for adoption or even surrogacy for same-sex couples who want to raise a child. One couple in Houston has successfully gone through the surrogacy process and has a blog tracking their path to fatherhood on the Houston Chronicle's website.

The Texas Monthly reports that while University Park's Patricia Walker was bedridden from a car accident, that not only did her husband cheat on her, but he cheated with her personal shopper from Neiman Marcus. According to the report, Walker's husband bought $1.4 million in gifts from the store for Walker, earning the personal shopper handsome commissions and a new lover.

According to WFAA, Walker's husband bought gifts that were not in Walker's taste and spent over 8 times Walker's average yearly spending of $100,000 at Neiman. Currently, Walker is suing Neiman for its failure to take the merchandise back, now that Walker is mobile again and after she divorced her cheating husband, according to WFAA.

Really, the question is whether Walker should have dealt with this during the divorce proceedings.

The Houston Chronicle reports that during the first week of June, six children watched their mother die when her SUV drove her over and dragged her into a house. According to KHOU, the woman's name was Cherie Rangel. Rangel was viewing a house to buy with her six children when she decided she needed to move her SUV to make room for the real estate agent.

Rangel stood outside the vehicle and put the SUV in drive, asking her 11-year-old daughter to press the brake when it had moved a few inches, reported KHOU. At that point, the 11-year-old mistook the gas for the brake and slammed on the gas, causing the SUV to jump forward, pulling Rangel under the SUV, rolling over her, and then dragging her into the house they were going to view.

This week marks some transitions in the family law world. Miley Cyrus announced her engagement to Liam Hemsworth, and Debra Messing from the show "Smash" filed for divorce from her husband Daniel Zelman, reports the Houston Chronicle.

According to People, 22-year-old Hemsworth proposed to 19-year-old Cyrus with a 3.5-carat diamond ring. On the other end of the spectrum, Messing claims that she has irreconcilable differences with Zelman, possibly stemming from a move to New York City, writes the Chronicle.

Seems like both ladies need to lawyer up.

It looks like Eva Longoria has attained the true best friend status from Victoria Beckham as she was chosen by the Beckhams to be their new daughter's godmother, reported the Houston Chronicle.

The Daily Mail reports that Longoria will be flying to London this summer for the christening. Longoria commented that she was "thrilled" to take on the role. The question that you may have is whether there is any legal consequence to being named a godparent.