In 2009, Eric Stevens filed to divorce his wife Tiffany Stevens. Since then, close to 180 motions (filed by both parties) and rulings have gone into in the divorce and custody cases.
According to the Daily News, three years after filing for divorce, Tiffany allegedly tried to hire a maintenance man to kill her husband for a fee of $5,000. She was arrested in July 2012 and has been out of jail on a million dollar bail while her criminal case is still pending.
As a result of the 2011 divorce agreement, Tiffany had sole custody and Eric had supervised visits. After Tiffany’s arrest, her parents filed a motion for temporary custody of their only grandchild. The court later reduced the father’s initially court approved supervised visits to weeknight phone calls.
Evidence from the wife’s lawyers included a psychological examination of her ex-husband that indicated a personality disorder of depression with psychotic characteristics. She had obtained restraining order against Eric, which he violated. He denied her claims about the exam. He accuses his ex-wife of being a long-time drug addict.
Eric’s latest legal strategy was filing a complaint against the court appointed guardian ad litem for his daughter. He alleges attorney corruption and perjury and filed the complaint with the Statewide Grievance Committee in Connecticut, which handles lawyer discipline cases.
The above divorce and child custody cases are far from the norm, and most cases resolve much sooner and without this degree of complexity.
Find about your legal rights and discuss the actions you should take or not take with an experienced divorce attorney early on in your divorce. Following effective legal advice can make a significant difference in how your divorce unfolds.
Chris Palermo is a Suffolk County divorce attorney who has compassion for his clients and works closely with them to resolve issues effectively and protect their interests.