Recent Posts in Paternity Category

Divorce attorneys in Pasadena wondered how long this would take: Former First Lady of California Maria Shriver has filed for divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger. The official filing comes nearly two months after news broke that Schwarzenegger had fathered a child outside their marriage - 14 years ago.

Shriver cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the divorce. In paperwork filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, she states she is seeking joint custody of the couple's two minor children, Patrick, 17, and Christopher, 13. The couple also has two grown daughters: Katherine, 21, and Christina, 19. Shriver is seeking spousal support and is requesting that Arnold pick up the tab for all legal fees.

According to reports, there was no prenuptial agreement signed when the pair married in 1986, so accordingly the family's considerable assets will be split 50-50. TMZ.com is reporting that sources close to the family say Arnold and Maria are on speaking terms and working together closely to resolve the issues as soon as possible. Maria allegedly informed Arnold of her intention to file for divorce beforehand and has told friends they are both committed to having an amicable divorce.

Within days of announcing their separation in May, news of Arnold's infidelity and 14-year-old son Joseph lit up gossip sites around the globe. Schwarzenegger allegedly carried on a brief affair with the family's housekeeper Mildred Baena. Baena claims that Schwarzenegger found out about Joseph only recently and that suspicions about his paternity were arisen after the child visited the family after a long absence last summer.

Back in May, Maria released a statement saying, "This is a painful and heartbreaking time. As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment."

After days of speculation, the truth behind the high-profile breakup of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver has finally come out. Divorce attorneys in Pasadena and celebrity journalists alike were stunned to learn on Monday that Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a longtime household staffer.

The former governor of California and action star released an exclusive statement this week wherein he admits to fathering a child more than a decade ago.

"After leaving the governor's office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger said Monday night in a statement issued to the Los Angeles Times. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry. I ask that the media respect my wife and children through this extremely difficult time," the statement concluded. "While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not."

Maria Shriver, according to reports, no longer lives in the family’s high-priced Brentwood home. She moved out after Arnold told her about fathering the child. Meanwhile, the mistress and mother of the child worked for the Schwarzeneggers for 20 years before retiring in January. At the time of retirement, the woman told the L.A. Times, "I wanted to achieve my 20 years, then I asked to retire.” She reportedly received a severance package from the family and “left on good terms with them." Schwarzenegger has taken financial responsibility for the child since birth and continues to do so.

Shriver also released a statement on Tuesday morning saying, "This is a painful and heartbreaking time. As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment."

Family law attorneys in Pasadena increasingly see information garnered from online social networking sites used as evidence in court. Social networking sites help people connect, but they also have a way of making people’s lives a matter of semi-public record like never before.

For example, let’s say a husband buys a new girlfriend an expensive gift and announces the purchase on Twitter. In court, he may be found to be dispersing marital assets to a third party. Or a wife may try to prove to the court that she is not capable of getting a job, but she may be found pursuing job interviews on LinkedIn, calling her truthfulness into question.

Divorce lawyers are always looking for evidence that might prove advantageous to their clients’ cases, and these days, sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are providing just such an advantage. One lawyer advises clients to screen their social networking pages for anything that could be incriminating while, at the same time, he studies the ex’s pages with a fine-toothed comb. Another lawyer notes that it has become routine to review a client’s web presence — along with that of the ex.

In another example, a mother assured the court that she hadn’t been drinking, but one of her social networking pages showed dated photos of her drinking and smoking. This was used in court to cast doubt on her truthfulness.

Sometimes, a divorcing couple’s children can be affected by the social networking pages of their parents, causing conflict with family law courts. Courts often attempt to stop parents from being disparaging about one another to their children by issuing restraining orders. On the one hand, this is a First Amendment issue because it calls into question whether Internet speech can be blocked. At the same time, it is nearly impossible to stop a child from accessing such information. Some cases have seen harassment campaigns by an ex-spouse on a social networking site that resulted in the issuing of a civil order of protection.

For better or for worse, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are playing a key role in family law courts.

If you’re seekingdivorce advice in Pasadena while struggling with a paternity dispute, you are not the only one. In fact, questions of paternity are not that uncommon for divorcing couples. High-profile paternity cases (think Eddie Murphy and Melanie Brown) have been on the rise for a couple of years. According to reports, actor Ryan Phillippe is the latest Hollywood star to be embroiled in a very public paternity case.

Phillippe, who divorced Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon in 2006, started dating actress Alexis Knapp in June 2010 and broke up with the starlet in October. Just as the tabloids started following Phillippe’s on-again off-again relationship with Mama Mia star Amanda Seyfried , news of Knapp’s pregnancy exploded. Speculation ran rampant who the father could be as both Phillippe and Knapp remained mum on the topic. Then last week, Knapp’s camp said that Phillippe was indeed the father. Alexis’ mother Marjorie Knapp told RadarOnline, “She told me right away that it was Ryan’s. They were in a relationship.”

Sources close to the family told People magazine that Alexis Knapp will not be pressuring Phillippe for financial or parental responsibility.

"She has never asked Ryan for any help, nor does she expect it," said a representative for Knapp. While a paternity test will indeed be taken, Knapp’s rep says Alexis will not be speaking to the press about this sensitive subject. "Alexis has maintained her silence and will continue to do so. Any 'source' claiming to have been her or her camp up to this point is false. She continues to appreciate the love and support of her family and friends."

Marjorie Knapp adds “the bottom line is that it's not about how you get here on earth. ... We will welcome the baby.”

Alexis will be seen in So Undercover with Miley Cyrus this Thanksgiving.

Phillippe has two children with Witherspoon, who is set to marry talent agent Jim Toth in the upcoming weeks.

If you’re seeking divorce advice in Pasadena, it doesn't matter what sex you are. Male or female, divorce is filled with emotional extremes and financial stresses. New reports, however, suggest that the divorce process is tougher on women than it is on men. With childcare responsibilities and fewer financial resources, modern women of divorce are still faced with challenges that their male counterparts are unlikely to encounter.

According to a report from Marie Claire magazine, a woman’s overall quality of life drops 45 percent after a divorce. Another study from Iowa State University’s Institute of Social and Behavioral research found that while divorce didn’t immediately affect a woman’s physical health, the effects on her mental health caused physical problems a decade after divorce. Social isolation and fewer job opportunities after divorce, according to the study, could be responsible for illness reported ten years later. Psychologists attribute stress as the cause of health issues after a divorce.

"It's very, very traumatic... they are so attached to the commitment. The forever of two lives is being upset, and all dreams and hopes, everything that you have thought about since childhood is lost. Even people who are very functioning are surprised at how hard it is just to do their daily activities," says Allison Pescosolido, a grief counselor and cofounder of Divorce Detox, a divorce recovery program for women.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, women are likely to respond to life-changing events like divorce in ways that prolong the stress and increase the risk for depression. Others say divorced women’s quality of life decreases financially because of the need for a clean break from their exes. Lawyer and author Stacy Schneider says women commonly make the big mistake of “wimping out” when it comes to protecting their finances and property and later pay the price. Most divorced women take on additional parenting responsibilities, which also lead to a more challenging daily life.

But there is hope for women who are divorcing. Not only do programs like Divorce Detox and trips to qualified therapists and counselors help, but the experience of divorce can help change a woman’s perspective.

"When I went through my divorce I was devastated," says divorced mom "Susan B" in an e-mail to ABCNews.com. "My children were 13 and 15. I had to sell my house and move to another town. My kids had to switch schools. But with all that being said, we are much better off. We have grown to appreciate things a whole lot more. Yes, we struggled, but we are stronger for it today."