Growing up with Siblings Lowers Risk of Divorce

If you have been lucky enough to grow up with multiple siblings, it lowers the risk of filing for divorce later in life. That finding comes from a new study that was conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, which also finds that the risk of divorce drops with the number of siblings that the person has.

The researchers found that there was no difference in the divorce risk of a person with just one or two siblings, and only child. There was no difference in the risk of divorce among these people. However, the picture changed dramatically when more siblings were added to the picture. When the researchers compared children brought up in large families with those who were only children, they found a significant gap in the likelihood of divorce.

This difference in divorce rates depending on the size of the family is not exactly surprising to Los Angeles divorce lawyers. If you have been brought up in a large family, you are used to frequently sharing space and attention with other siblings in the family, and will probably find it easier to navigate the sometimes difficult and muddled waters after marriage. You're probably more likely to compromise, and more open to looking at another person's point of view. That makes for a more successful marriage and a lower risk of divorce.

The researchers however were surprised at how significant the difference was between people, who have large families, and those who were only children or had just one or two siblings. The research was based on more than 57,000 adults across the United States.

Delayed Licenses Allow Teenagers to Bypass GDL Laws

According to a AAA study, the number of teenagers who choose to delay getting their driver’s license is increasing. That means that these teenagers will be able to bypass the provisions of the Graduated Driver Licensing Program when they do decide to get a license. That raises questions about the safety of these drivers, considering that they're able to speed ahead towards a driver’s license without going through any of the normal steps that are included in the California graduated driver’s licensing program.

California has some of the toughest Graduated Drivers Licensing laws in the country. Those laws establish strong guidelines and set restrictions for young novice drivers for night time driving and driving with teenage passengers in the car, besides other restrictions. Many accidents involving teenage motorists occur during nighttime, or when teenage motorists are driving with other passengers of the same age in the car. GDL programs have been widely credited for a drop in the number of teen driver car accident fatalities across the country over the past few years. 

However, in the case of a teen who decides to delay getting a driver’s license till after he finishes high school, many of those restrictions may no longer apply, because he may not be covered under the Graduated Driver Licensing program. An 18-year-old teenage driver may be able to get a license without going through any of the nighttime driving or passenger restrictions. That means that he doesn't have to go through the various steps in the process of obtaining a license, and is not subjected to any of the normal safeguards that the Graduated Driver Licensing program provides.

That could be dangerous, and therefore, the AAA is calling on all states that have graduated driver’s licensing programs to include older novice drivers also under this program.

New Bill to Help Employees Fight Age Discrimination

A new piece of legislation that has recently been introduced aims to modify a Supreme Court decision that made it very difficult for older workers to prove that they were discriminated against based on their age.

The bill is called the Protecting Older Workers against Discrimination Act, and has been sponsored by Senator’s, Tom Harkin, Democrat-Iowa, Chuck Grassley Republican-Iowa and Patrick Leahy Democrat-Vermont. The bill is designed to modify a critical Supreme Court decision that came in 2009 in Gross vs. FBL Financial Services Inc.

Prior to that Supreme Court decision, if a worker could show that there was at least one other motivating factor in a discrimination-related action in the workplace, then the employer had to prove that he would have taken the very same action even in the absence of the discrimination. However, after the Supreme Court 2009 decision, employees are now required to prove that the employer would not have taken the adverse action had it not been for the   employee’s age. That means a significantly higher burden of proof on the employee to prove age discrimination.

This makes it harder for older workers to be able to make their case when they want to sue their employer. The number of lawsuits being filed by older workers is only likely to increase as the senior workforce in the country increases.

The incidence of workplace-related age bias is especially high in California’s Silicon Valley, where employees in their 40s are judged to be aged, and therefore behind the times. According to some estimates, by 2016, as many as one- third of the American workforce will be above the age of 50.

Cohabiting Couples Show Lower Level of Commitment than Married Couples

The number of people who choose to cohabit without getting married has been on the increase several years now.  However, if you are part of a couple that currently lives together or co-habits, then you must know that your relationship has a higher risk of failure compared to married couples.  New research finds that unmarried cohabiting couples may not necessarily have a long-term commitment to each other.

The study by the Rand Corporation finds that unmarried couples living together have much lower levels of commitment to each other, compared to married couples who live together. 

That is definitely bad news for persons who are in cohabiting relationships.  These relationships can offer very low levels of protection and security for the partners involved, and if the relationship breaks down, the cohabiting partners may be at huge risk of financial stress and struggle, especially if they have not bothered to sign a cohabitation agreement.

It is highly recommended that you and your partner sign a cohabitation agreement that clearly outlines all your rights, obligations and duties in black and white.  A written, legal document like this is enforceable, and can help protect your rights if the relationship ends.

For instance, one of the more common issues that arise when a cohabiting relationship ends is the division of any assets that were accumulated by the couple during their relationship together.  Other issues may have to do with the custody of children that were born during the relationship.  These issues must be addressed much in advance, and San Jose family lawyers recommend that you deal with these matters in the form of a cohabitation agreement.

Age Discrimination Laws Failed to Protect Older Workers during Recession

Workplace anti-discrimination laws protecting older employees in the workplace failed to protect these workers during and after the recession.  That information comes from a new study that was released by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

According to the study, workplace anti-discrimination laws protecting older employees did nothing to protect these employees from unfair treatment during the recession.  In order to study the impact of federal anti- discrimination laws protecting older employees, the researchers focused on unemployment and job offers involving candidates aged 55 and above.  They looked at the data in various states before, during as well as after the recession.

They found that while there are federal anti-workplace discrimination laws protecting senior employees, many states have laws in place that do a much better job of protecting older employees from being fired.  They therefore focused on those states that, at least in theory, did afford better worker protections to older employees.  They found that although the laws were very effective in helping protect senior employees from age-based employment discrimination during normal times, they did not seem to work as well during a recession. 

At a time of recession, during large-scale layoffs, and massive job insecurity, these laws did not protect older employees from discrimination.  In fact, in some states, older employees seemed to be much worse off compared to before the recession, in spite of their state having laws protecting them from unfair firing and other wrongful practices.

Moreover, such unfair treatment often led to devastating consequences for the seniors.  When senior employees were fired because of large-scale layoffs, they were less likely to find another job after the termination.

University Of Southern California Professor Indicted on Sex Crime Charges

-->

Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation named a former University of Southern California Professor as one of the 10 most wanted fugitives in America. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has now announced that the man, Walter Lee Williams has now been captured in Mexico.

64-year-old Williams was arrested in Playa Del Carmen recently by Mexican authorities.  He has lived extensively abroad, spending most of his years in Polynesia and Southeast Asia.

He faces serious charges upon his return to the United States. He now faces charges related to the sexual exploitation of children, travel with the intent to conduct illegal sexual conduct, and engaging in illicit sexual relationships in foreign places. The Federal Bureau of Investigation says that it has identified as many as 10 victims who were exploited by Williams.   The victims are believed to be between the age of 10 and 17. Many of these victims are believed to have lived in foreign countries at the time that they were allegedly molested or abused by Williams.

The Federal Bureau Investigation says that Williams had very easy and convenient access to children, especially vulnerable children who are highly at risk for abuse.

Many of the sex crime charges against Williams are related to the collection of sexually explicit material involving children. For instance, he is accused of going to the Philippines in January 2011, and committing sexually explicit conduct with young boys, after which he took photos of these incidents with the boys. These photographs were then brought back to Los Angeles County. He fled Los Angeles soon after he was questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Williams has had a long, impressive career at the University Of California, and is a former Fulbright award winner and an author. That accomplished career looks set to be destroyed by these allegations.

Troubling Increase in Dog Bite Claim Values

While the numbers of dog bite claims that have been filed over the years have remained more or less constant with slight fluctuations, the value of these claims has increased substantially. 

According to the Insurance Information Institute, over the past decade, the value of dog bite claims has skyrocketed, accounting for $489.7 million in value in 2012 alone.  According to the data, which was released to time with National Dog Bite Prevention Week in May, over the past 10 years, the number of dog bite insurance claims has gone from 16,695 in 2011 from 16,459 in 2001.  That is hardly a statistically significant difference.  However, the picture is markedly different when you consider the value of the claims. 

In 2012, the value of dog bite claims accounted for approximately $489.7 million, accounting for more than one third of all homeowner’s liability insurance claims that were paid out in 2012.  In contrast, in 2003 the value of dog bite claims was approximately $324.2 million.  This is in spite of the fact that in 2003, there were actually a few hundred more dog bite claims than in 2012. 

The average claim payout increased from $19,162 in 2003 to a $29,752 in 2012.  That is an increase of 55%.

The Insurance Information Institute advises dog owners to be responsible with their dogs to avoid claims. Don’t assume that small dogs don't bite, and may not be involved in a vicious incident, resulting in a claim against you.  Even dogs that are normally docile can bite when they are disturbed, when they feel threatened or when they feel hungry.  Many owners of dog unfortunately get pets without bothering to understand responsible ownership practices.  This often has devastating consequences.