Headline, May30, 2014

''' O'' LORD-GOD ! : SHOULD THE 

DEVIL TAKE THE HINDMOST? '''

NOW that Rome III has been stymied, a group of nine countries, led by Spain and France, is going ahead under a-

Provision in  EU  law known as  ''enhanced-cooperation''. This allows like-minded countries to work together, leaving the unwilling behind.

And still more international tidying-up operations are in the works. Another Hague Convention tries to harmonise arrangements on cross-border child-support payments -an area:

That tends to be a bit less contentious than divorce, where views of what is fair differ wildly.

Perhaps the biggest weakness of the system is the advantage that it gives to the richer partner when an international marriage breaks up. Experienced lawyers can operate, if necessary-

With high speed to help the poorer spouse  -for example, by putting the first hefty legal bill on the husband's credit card before he is aware of what his wife is up to.

In England, that may be followed by a swift move to initiate divorce proceedings, and then an emergency maintenance application that includes provisions for legal costs.

When the richer party has assets in the jurisdiction, a fair fight is possible. But Kerstin Beyer, a German-British divorce lawyer at the International Family Law Chambers in London, says-

The tables are often stacked against the poorer  -and usually less knowledgeable spouse.

Some husbands file for divorce abroad and simply fail to turn up at the English court, hoping that the cost and delay of enforcing the judgement abroad will lead their  ex-wife to give up.

A client of hers trying to gain the assets she had been awarded in Colorado was faced with a demand for a $15,000  upfront from a lawyer there: an impossible expense for someone of her means. 

Another has been pursuing, expensively and so far fruitlessly, assets in Luxembourg and Germany awarded by a London court.

Pensions are particularly tricky. Some countries split them between divorcing couples as a matter of course, others regard such requests from foreign courts very, very coldly.

More fundamentally, divorce arrangements in countries with English-style common law are still liable to be influenced by highly atypical fights between the super rich, who can afford to take the cases to the highest courts.

''In most marriages there is barely enough money to support one family in one country, notes Ms Spitz. Spreading that between two sides is a stretch, even without an expensive legal fight.

As house prices plunge and savings shrivel, divorcing couples are fighting over a shrinking cake.

To sum, I turn philosophic, and leave the world aglow: 

The miracles of the Lord God are everywhere. On landing, a beetle folds its wings like an Origami master; a lotus leaf sheds muddy water as if it were quicksilver; a spider spins a web to entrap her prey-

But somehow evades entrapment herself.

Since the beginning of time, people who have thought about such things have seen these marvels as examples of the marvels of God. In that, one finds great solace''.

With loving dedication to Student Ahsen Rohail Khan, LUMS - ''Lahore University Of Management Sciences''  and Student Armeen Rohail Khan. HeadStart, Islamabad, for presenting '' A LapTop''  to a deserving student from KPK.

'''Yes. giving away is a splendid gesture!'''.

For Richer, For Poorer! 

With respectful dedication to all the Happily Married Couples of the world. See Ya all  -folks on !WOW!   -the World Students Society Computers-Internet-Wireless:

'''The Origin'''

Good Night & God Bless!

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless