Maine Divorce Law Blog

Maine Governor Signs Gay Rights Bill Into Law

Governor Baldacci surprised lots of folks by signing into law the right of gays to marry in Maine.  By doing so, Maine becomes the 5^th state in the U.S. to legalize same sex marriage.

Opponents vow to have a petition to force a state-wide referendum on the issue.  They hope to overturn the Governor’s decision and the vote of the Maine House and Senate.

According to the Press Herald, if opponents get the necessary signatures (about 55,000) to hold a referendum in November, the law won’t take effect until it is upheld by the popular vote.

My prediction is that the vote will be close — very close.

 

Gay Marriage Bill In Maine Gets Nod

The Maine House enacted a bill allowing gay marriages in Maine by a vote of 89-57 today.  This follows a vote in favor of the bill last week by the Maine Senate. 

Now the bill is sent to Governor John Baldacci for his signature.  The Governor has not indicated for certain what he’ll do.  If he signs it, Maine will be the 5^th state in the country to allow gay marriages.

Governor, the ball is in  your court.

California Says No to Gay Marriage Ban

The California Supreme Court has struck down the ban against gay marriages in that state.  Now both Massachusetts and California allow same-sex marriages.

Will Maine be far behind?

Never Too Young For The Pill

My hometown of Portland, Maine is getting some national ink because of a decision by the School Board yesteday that allows the birth control pill to be distributed to in a local Middle School. 

This means that girls in the 6 – 8 grades, typically 11 to 15 years old, will be offered a complete range of contraceptives, including the pill, patches or injections, and the morning-after pill.  The school had already been providing condoms.

The full article in the Portland Press Herald is here.

What do you think about this?

Protection From Abuse For You And Your Pet

Maine is the first state in the country to enact a new law that allows judges in Protection From Abuse cases to include pets in the order.  As reported in the Press Herald, the law would allow judges to include the pets of those who have been battered so that the person leaving can take the pet with them or else come back to the residence and retrieve the animal.  Police and others think that it’s not unusual for abusers to harm or threaten to harm pets.  It can be another method of keeping someone from leaving an abusive relationship.  The law allows fines or jail time for violators and goes into effect in 90 days.

Do You Need To Hire A Lawyer To Get Divorced In Maine?

Do You Need To Hire A Lawyer To Get Divorced In Maine?

No.

Should you hire a lawyer to get divorced in Maine?

Ah, that’s a different question.  If you’ve only been married a short time (1–2 years), and you have no children, no real estate and no significant assets or debts, and you both agree on the terms of your divorce, you can probably get divorced without hiring an attorney. 

When should you hire a lawyer for a divorce in Maine?

I always advise hiring a lawyer in these circumstances:

• Your spouse has hired an attorney; or
• You can’t agree on all the terms of your divorce; or
• You have a long-term marriage (10 years or longer); or
• You have minor children; or
• You jointly own real estate; or
• You jointly own other significant assets or debts.

Getting divorced is one of the most difficult emotional and financial situations you’ll ever face in your life.  It will profoundly affect your life — probably for a significant period of time; perhaps, even, for as long as you live.

There’s an old saying that “a person who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.”

Be smart and hire a lawyer when one is needed.  I know it can be expensive and you’re often hiring someone when you can least afford it.  Believe me — if you do it yourself and it doesn’t get done correctly, the cost of hiring an attorney later to fix it — if it can be “fixed” at all — will be far, far more expensive.

It’s like most things in life.  Do it right the first time and save yourself the hassle, fees and stress of trying to do it over again later.