Lincoln Legal Issues Blog

Some Nebraskans who go through divorces view the process in terms of winners and losers. It is important for them to understand, however, that no one wins in divorces. It is better for people to approach their divorce cases with their focuses on the future rather than on the past.

When people meet with their divorce attorneys and certified financial planners, they should be prepared to ask them important questions about their finances, whether they can close joint accounts, how they might divide assets in a way that will protect them the most and whether or not they should keep their homes or downsize to smaller residences.

After a divorce in Nebraska or any other state, it is critical that parents do what is in the best interests of their children. This may include putting aside their own differences to make this happen. It is important to note that parents do not need to do this on their own. Parent coordinators can help them overcome conflicts such as how rigid a parenting plan should be or how to resolve other problems related to raising a child.

Those who are raising children after a divorce should understand that the child's other parent has value. Therefore, a child should have a relationship with both of his or her parents. This assumes that the other parent isn't abusing the child or otherwise putting a son or daughter in harm's way. If necessary, a parenting plan can help determine the extent to which each person has a relationship with a son or daughter after divorce.

Researchers are attempting to find out if domestic violence is more likely to occur in Nebraska and elsewhere during the summer. One representative from the Spouse Abuse, Sexual Assault Crisis Center said that this is likely happening as there tends to be more people at the facility during the summer months. She cited an increase in drinking and people going out more to celebrate holidays as to why this could be the case.

The representative also said that partners may try to be more controlling over how people dress as the weather gets warmer. An officer from the Hastings Police Department provided official statistics: He said that about one-third of citations for domestic violence in 2017 occurred in May through August. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, about 33 percent of women and 25 percent of men have been victims of partner violence in their lives.

For most released inmates, the prison bars extend to cover the front doors of any job they seek. According to a recent article, 640,000 people are released from prisons across the U.S. each year and only one third find employment within the first year. As research shows, employment goes a long way to prevent recidivism. Furthermore, those employed shortly after release have even better odds.

The statistics supporting immediate employment of former inmates as a means to reduce recidivism are staggering. In one study in North Carolina, the statewide recidivism rate was 40.7 percent. When a population categorized by police as “…violent offenders who were most likely to re-offend…” received immediate job placements out of prison, that number went down to just five percent.