Since the passing of Michael Jackson on June 25^th, there has been a myriad of information being strewn throughout the internet, across media channels and laden in the majority of conversations of Jackson’s past.

Topics ranging from his undeniable brilliance in music with the lasting mark he made on contemporary music to the less than kind allegations and whispers of misconduct which hovered over Michael for a number of years.

In most conversations surrounding Michael Jackson there is bound to be chatter concerning his private life: finances, family, misconduct and marriage.

The latter being of the least popular topics, it was and remains to be the most convoluted.

Both marriages for Michael Jackson ended in divorce with only one of them producing anything other than PR speculations.

Jackson’s most scrutinized marriage, to which both supporters and critics of Michael Jackson stood in amazement and bewilderment as they learned of the union was that of his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley. He later married Debbie Rowe, which also made headlines with the critics.

Jackson and Presley were married in De La Vega, Santa Domingo in 1994 under a shroud of secrecy. Many believe that their marriage was a PR stunt to cast Jackson in a better light after allegations of sexual molestation charges involving a 13-year old boy surfaced.

Whether a public relations maneuver to outshine rising public speculation of sexual misconduct or a less than traditional (Jackson proposed to Presley over the phone) marriage of two relative pop culture icons, the marriage did not last long.

Their marriage ended after a brief two-year stint with both parties citing irreconcilable differences.

The two remained friends following their divorce and remained in contact up until Jackson’s death.

Recently commenting on Michael Jackson’s death, Lisa Marie Presley was gracious in saying:

“I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much … I became very ill and emotionally/spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him. I was in over my head while trying … He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together.”

Source: Brian Orloff. “Lisa Marie: Michael Would Talk About His Death.” People.com. 6/26/2009.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

As the world awaits the autopsy results for the late Michael Jackson, the rumors, hushed conversations and occasional clamoring over Jackson’s past continue to traverse the populous.

Of the numerous topics of interest which tell the Michael Jackson story what seems to be of the least prioritized to most is that of his unsuccessful attempts at marriage.

Jackson’s first marriage to Lisa Marie Presley (daughter of Elvis Presley) lasted just under two years and was seen more of a public relations stunt than a union of hearts.

On November 15, 1996 Jackson’s marriage to Debbie Rowe, a former nurse, took place at a hotel suite in Sydney, Australia.

She knew Jackson for 15 years before they were married, and was apparently six months pregnant at the time of their marriage.

The Jackson – Rowe marriage seemed to produce the largest amount of scrutiny, as there was not a clear line of intent or relationship to draw the two together.

Even though Jackson and Rowe were friends for 15 years, all who knew the two were just as shocked as the general public over the marriage.

Seemingly, the obscure actions and events which constantly colored the life of Michael Jackson had then bleed into the confines of marriage.

To no one’s surprise the marriage between Jackson and Rowe, again cited with irreconcilable differences as a reason for their divorce, ended in 1999.

To add further obscurity to the marriage is the testimonial of Rowe during Michael Jackson’s trial on 4/27/05 that “[we] never shared a home; we never shared an apartment.”

Further adding to the trauma so often produced from a divorce, Rowe admits of being strong-armed in her visitation rights of their children (Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr: Born in 1997, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson: Born in 1998) following the divorce stating that she had not seen her children in more than two years.

Debbie had been limited to seeing her children only every 45 days, and then for only eight hours under the supervision of a nanny.

Whether this is a result of Rowe’s inability to secure the same level of legal counseling that Jackson maintained- thus be overpowered in the legal proceedings- or it is more a situation of subservient agreements funded by the Jackson camp, one thing is for certain the children of the Jackson – Rowe marriage lost every time.

As for Rowe, following her divorce, she received a $1 million home in Beverly Hills, but had to sign a confidentiality agreement stating that she couldn’t speak to the press or anyone in the public about “Michael, the children or our lives together.”

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Michael Jackson’s death will be one of the biggest news stories of the year, decade and maybe even the century. Millions of fans were shocked when they heard the King of Pop was declared dead at 2:26pm at UCLA Medical Center on Thursday, June 25.

Jackson first came onto the scene with his brothers in the Jackson Five; however, within three years Jackson was singing solo. He was launched into fame and recognized for reinventing the pop industry with his song and music video “Thriller.”

Throughout the years, the public has witnessed how fame can wreck havoc on a person’s life. To say the least, Jackson led a troubled life, dealing with a dominating father, health issues, vicious rumors and criminal accusations.

Many people, critics, fans and professionals alike, questioned Jackson’s sanity as they witnessed the madness of his world. However, none of us will fully understand how the troubled yet talented man truly felt because we only saw half of the story.

One aspect of Jackson’s life that was a major question, was his love life. Jackson was typically be surrounded by children. And although there were many accusations and rumors that Jackson had illegal relationships with children, some felt children were who he could relate to the best.

The Ladies in His Life

Everyone was shocked when they found out Jackson had gotten married – to another music legend’s daughter no doubt. In May 1994, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of America’s rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley.

Jackson, 37 at the time, and Presley, 27 at the time, were married in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Many questioned the marriage to be a publicity stunt to help salvage Jackson’s reputation, which had just been drug through the mud when a 13-year-old boy accused the star of molesting him.

“Just think – nobody thought this would last,” Jackson said about the marriage.

But just 20 months later, Presley filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.

In 1996 Jackson married a nurse named Debbie Rowe, who was supposedly six months pregnant when they married. It was speculated whether two really consummated the marriage or if the pregnancy was from artificial insemination. Either way, the couple had two children, a son named Prince Michael and a daughter named Paris.

In 1999, Rowe and Jackson divorced. Jackson was granted child custody of the two children, and Rowe only was allowed limited visitation rights while being supervised by a nanny.

In 2002 an unidentified woman gave birth to Prince Michael II, Jackson’s second son, after being artificially inseminated. Many people remember the infamous revealing of the baby boy in Berlin, when Jackson held him over a balcony with his face hidden under a blanket.

Sadly, within hours of Jackson’s untimely death, the legal battle of Jackson’s children and property are brewing. Check back to find out what will happen as the custody decisions unfold.

Learn more about Jackson’s life beyond the music – check out the Total Injury blog to read about his settlement and the Total Criminal Defense blog to find out about his legal legacy.

Sources: CNN, The Chicago Tribune

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Bob Rohrman, president and owner of Rohrman Auto Group in Chicago, is suing Dr. Sami Bittar for stealing the romantic interest of his estranged wife. He is seeking more than $50,000 in the lawsuit.

“It is with much regret that I was forced to exert my legal rights against the doctor, but his pursuit of my wife and alienation of her affection for me was more than I would tolerate,” stated Rohrman in a news release from his lawyer.

According to Rohrman, Bittar, a plastic surgeon, “solicited and initiated a romantic and sexual relationship” with Rohrman’s estranged wife, Ronda.

The couple met Bittar in early 2008 when a family member was getting plastic surgery. Starting in April 2008, Rohrman contends that Bittar was seducing his wife with expensive dates and gifts. Bittar had “sexual relations with Ronda on multiple occasions and in multiple locations.”

On June 23, 2008, Bob filed for divorce from Ronda in Tippecanoe County, Ind. Ronda filed for divorce on April 29, 2009 in DuPage County. The couple were married Dec. 28, 2002 in Hawaii, the lawsuit states.

Source: The Chicago Tribune

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Massachusetts managed a victory in child support enforcement. On Monday, June 22, one of the state’s most wanted child support delinquents agreed to pay $15,000 in child support to the mother of his son.

Gilbert Allen Smith pleaded guilty to criminal nonsupport in a hearing in Northampton District Court. Smith received three years on probation.

In February, the Department of Revenue released a “10 most wanted” poster of fathers who hadn’t paid child support. Smith was ranked seventh.

Mary A. Likins will receive the entire $15,000 by Friday of this week. The couple, who never married,  have a 16-year-old son together. In 1994 Likins separated from Smith, and he stopped paying child support in 1995.

Judge Richard J. Carey also ordered Smith to pay $80 a week in child support and an additional $1,500 every six months to cover the $44,315 in unpaid child support he owes.

Source: The Republican

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Last night TLC aired the show where Jon and Kate made a life-changing announcement, telling the world what most people already knew: The Gosselins are headed for divorce.

In separate interviews, both Jon and Kate expressed how hard it would be for both of them, but they will continue to work together for their children. Jon and Kate worked out a parenting plan that keeps the children at the house while the parents rotate days.

Halfway through the interviews with Jon and Kate, a statement was displayed announcing the couple were filing for divorce to end their ten-year marriage, as of Monday, June 22.

But the Show Must Go On

The Gosselins have already committed to a full season of 40 episodes, which started the fifth season on May 25.  Both Jon and Kate said in the interviews that they will continue to film with the children but not together.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight first aired in 2007. The series was picked up by TLC after the family were the center of attention on “Surviving Sextuplets and Twins” on Discovery Health in 2006.

Sources: The Associated Press, CNN and LA Times

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Could Jon & Kate Plus 8 go from a reality show about a twins and sextuplets to a reality divorce feature? Rumors have been circulating the couple have hired divorce lawyers and will be making a life-changing announcement on tonight’s show.

Since making headlines about affairs and other family drama, season 5 has drawn the biggest ratings and most profit yet. But could the end of America’s most watched family and ugly divorce battle be the end of TLC’s big hit?

Aside from the news stories splashing Jon and Kate’s marriage problems and mistakes across the first page of many celebrity news sources, many are beginning to believe the family is exploiting the children. While there has yet to be a consensus on the accusation, one thing’s for sure, a public divorce aired on TV will not make life any easier for the eight children.

The couple has profited from the hit TV show showing Jon and Kate raising a set of twins and sextuplets through the years. Showing the struggle of providing for eight children on national TV has helped the couple live with money from sponsors, donations, gifts, perks and fees. How could a divorce affect any future income, and how would the divorce court split future earnings between the couple?

More importantly, who will get primary child custody? While it could be interesting to watch the legal decisions of the court and TV show develop, it will be hard to watch the children understand and cope with the divorce, especially so publicly.

Find out tonight what the big announcement is by tuning in to Jon & Kate Plus 8 at 9pm EST.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

The Hogan divorce battle makes headlines again. This time Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, is alleging his wife is receiving too much in alimony and is wasting it.

At the divorce hearing on Monday, June 15, Hulk had a witness testify on his behalf. Tracy Morgan, the couples hair stylist, testified at the hearing that she has cashed the checks for Linda so she could buy prescription drugs.

Morgan said Linda told her she was buying drugs with the alimony payments.

“The client [Linda Bollea] does a lot of drugs and is an alcoholic,” Morgan said. “She doesn’t have a good relationship with her daughter, with her son, and she’s wasting a fortune.”

After the hearing, Linda’s divorce lawyer denied the allegations, saying that Linda never trusted Morgan.

The court listened to two hours of testimony and four witnesses before ruling to resume the hearing in July since a resolution couldn’t be reached.

Sources: ABC Action News, MSNBC

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

When Facebook first launched, it was a social networking site for college students, but as the social network concept in Web 2.0 started to catch on, Facebook quickly became a site for the masses. Now almost anyone can set up a profile on Facebook and join a network.

To help deal with the privacy concerns people have had with posting their personal life on the Internet and not suffering consequences at work or with the law, Facebook established privacy settings everybody can set based on their own comfort level.

But even with privacy settings, you may not be entirely protected from embarrassment of having private aspects of your personal life flaunted on Facebook. Patrick found this out firsthand after he asked his wife, Tammie, for a divorce.

The IT worker in Florida talked to Time about his unpleasant experience with divorce and Facebook. Shortly after Patrick asked for a divorce, Tammie wrote about it on his wall, a section for public comments that friends and people within the network can see, depending on privacy settings.

Patrick didn’t want his marital problems to be public to his colleagues, clients, friends and family so he deleted the post and blocked his wife from viewing his profile. A few days later Patrick found out from friends on Facebook that Tammie had used a mutual friend’s account to look at his profile and e-mail women he had talked to through the site.

According to Patrick the message Tammie sent are defamatory, but Tammie claims she only told people Patrick was married with children because he didn’t include that on his profile.

While social networking can lead to your public life being broadcast to the world, divorce lawyers have found these sites possibly helpful in the divorce process. Personal information from these sites can be used by divorce lawyer to build or poke holes in one spouse’s case.

Social networking can also help people through the divorce, if you learn how to use it to your advantage, while being guarded about some details in your life. Since the divorce has become public, Tammie has received many encouraging message from friends and family offering support.

Patrick has also learn a lesson and understands social networks better: “It’s like putting everybody you know in the same room. I’m using it, but I’m much more careful.”

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Marilu Norden’s newest book recently hit shelves. Unbridled: A Tale of a Divorce Ranch depicts the divorce process for women living in the 1950s.

The story uses the author’s own experiences with divorce to tell a tale of a woman accepting the idea of divorce.

In the book, Lara Treadwell is facing divorce after giving birth to her second child. Lara agrees to go to the Desert Lake Ranch for a quick divorce. The ranch is one of Reno’s divorce ranches, which were popular for women to establish residency at while going through a divorce during the 1950s.

During the story, Lara sorts through her emotions and thoughts on divorce and moving on with her life, while trying to be a single mother and learning to love again.

Norden was sent to a Reno divorce ranch after the end of her first marriage. Her book explores how women work through suddenly finding themselves alone and feeling abandoned by the legal system.

Norden’s book is not only a good read to learn about the emotions felt during the divorce porcess, but also a way for people to learn about the improvements in marital law and women’s rights since the 1950s and the existence of divorce ranches.

Copyright © 2010 TotalDivorce, LLC. (as licensee). All rights reserved.