March 30th Notes

Litigation Specialties: Family Law
March 30, 2010

NEWS
She teaches first 5 classes than another teacher does the next 5 classes
No final, No exams, All projects

Law Tech:
-Adobe Standard, Word Savvy, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Hot Docs, Cloud Computing
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Class 1: Marriage
Historical Content
Betrothal
        -looking at Old English law
        -arranged and contractual
        -ways to get land or keep land in the family

Ceremonial Elements
        -wealthy would have a ceremony with witnesses
        -prevention on annulment and prevention of illegitimacy
        -peasants could easily marry, just as living as man and wife

Two Early Forms of Marriage
        1. Sponsalia per verba de praesenti
            -promise of marriage
        2. Sponsalia per verba de futuro
            -future promise to marry

Lord Hardwicke's Act 1753  
        -laws to regulate marriage
        -prevent family marriage in bloodlines
        -many of our laws came from this act

Rise of Catholic Church
        -increased church control
        -unit of production
        -unit of inheritance
      
Rules affecting the validity
    1. prohibition of blood relationships
        -most state prohibit blood relationships to second cousins
    2. infancy marriage
        -age for marriage raised
    3. ecclesiastical rules
        -impotence, prior marriage, infancy, fraud, duress, insanity, consanguinity, affinity
    4. court enforcement
        -can be void or voidable

Marriage defined as:
    -permanent, monogamous union between a man and a woman
        -divorce was not an option
        -object of marriage was procreation and land ownership
        -strong prohibitions against adultery and fornication
        -presumed they share the same domicile

Regulation:
  1. 10th Amendment delegation clause to the states
        -vary state to state
    2. DOMA (defense of marriage act 1996)
        -Full faith and credit clause
        -What one state does the other state must honor
        -This act allows states not to honor other state's marriage

Common Law Marriages
    -informal form
    -created out of necessity in the frontier
    -AL, CO, IO, KS, MO, NH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT, DC

Requirements
        -legal capacity to marry
        -intent to marry and agree between themselves
        -live together as man and wife cohabitation
        -represent themselves to the world and husband and wife
        -no time frame

Statutory Form: Ceremonial
    -Why? Proved the marriage existed
    -US State control
        -revenue producing
  
    Requirements
        -license to marry
        -waiting period before you can use the license
        -ceremony performed by authorized person
        -witnesses
        -record of marriage made
  
Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships
    -lesser rights and changing statuses

Breach of Promise to Marry
    -When marriage is called off
        -Heart Balm statutes
          
Prenuptial Agreements
    -came about due to the inheritance issues
    -used to avoid potential unfair consequences of inheritance laws due to new marriage

Uniform Premarital Agreement Act
    -regulation that allows the parties to choose the state's jurisdiction under which their contract will fall

WA Prenuptial Agreements
    -written and signed by both parties
    -highest duty of candor, good faith, sincerity
    -requires full and complete financial disclosure
    -requires meaningful opportunity (about 30 days) for independent legal advice for both parties
    -voluntary consent
    -spousal maintenance waiver may not stand up to scrutiny
  
Matson Test: 2 prongs
    1. Is the contract fair?
    2. If not fair, were they given an opportunity for review and legal advice?
        (procedural fairness prong)

    -Prenuptial, ante-nuptial (separation contracts) treated by same standards
    -Ante-nuptial agreements consideration?
        -continuation of the marriage?  no divorce?
    -What does "full disclosure" mean?
    -Valuation process
    -Need to worry more about businesses
        -especially privately held businesses
  
Prenuptial Considerations
    -Community estate
    -post marriage employment
    -education
    -children of prior marriage
    -outstanding spousal maintenance
    -length of marriage

Drafting
    -be careful of cut and paste use
    -be clear and explicit
    -video taping
    -document everything

Post-signing
    -inconsistent future conduct

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HOMEWORK
    1. Read 94-97
    2. Complete project 1
    3. Bring a copy of WA Community property statute to class
        -long doc so sharing is good or link to it during class