If your marriage is in trouble, but you are not sure if divorce is the answer, you may want to consider a legal separation. This means you and your spouse will live in separate residences. This gives you and your spouse many of the benefits of a divorce but will not mean the termination of your marriage. You may later decide to divorce or remain legally separated for an unspecified length of time. What Is Legal Separation? In Oklahoma, you can file a petition for a legal separation. You may file a separation agreement that resolves similar issues as in a divorce settlement agreement. If you a ..read more

For the many Oklahoma couples who divorce every year, the process can be simplified when there is a prenuptial agreement in place. Prenuptial agreements often get a bad rap but, in reality, family law attorneys find that couples who have a valid prenup in place divorce with less animosity than those who divorce and have no prenup in place. A prenup is like an insurance policy. For example, you may have car insurance. You hope you never have to use it, but if you are in an accident, you are certainly glad you have the policy in place. The same is true of a prenuptial agreement. The hope is tha ..read more

Administrative law involves any legal matter that is before an agency instead of a traditional judge or jury. These agencies can be both at the state and federal levels. They carry out laws created by Congress or the state legislature. Brown & Gould, PLLC can help clients with a wide variety of administrative law issues. Examples of agencies in which Brown & Gould PLLC have appeared include: Department of Energy Department of Transportation Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs Federal Communications Commission Federal Election Commission Drug Enforcement Agency Each a ..read more

If you are in a business disagreement, you likely want a quick, peaceful, and fair resolution. The law provides two main ways to formally settle a disputed commercial contract: litigation and arbitration. Arbitration and litigation are similar in many ways. Both seek to uphold justice, for example, and they do so by following applicable laws. Arbitration and litigation both use neutral third parties to decide the matter. In most cases, one party wins and the other party loses. While they share similarities, litigation, and arbitration are actually quite different, and understanding the differ ..read more

Fair competition between businesses levels the playing field and gives every company an opportunity to make a profit. Competition between businesses is legal, healthy, and usually fair, even though one party may suffer financial losses as the result of another business’s lawful actions. Reverse engineering of a competitor’s new product with the intent of creating a similar product is not unfair, for example, even though the other company may lose money. Some “bad actors” engage in unfair competition, though, and their actions can bring real harm to commercial enterprises. Legal professionals ..read more

Whether you are a custodial parent who wants to locate, or a parent who objects to the relocation, here is an overview of Oklahoma’s relocation laws. Legal Definition of Relocation Under Oklahoma’s child relocation laws, relocation means a change in the children’s principal residence if the new residence is 75 miles or more from the current principal residence. If the expected duration of the relocation is less than 60 days, it is considered a temporary absence and not a relocation. Legal Obligations Of Parent Who Is Primary Physical Custodian When Planning To Relocate If you are the primary ..read more

In simple terms, a party acts in bad faith when they do something dishonest or downright fraudulent during a transaction. Bad faith insurance is when an insurance company tries to prevent you from getting what you deserve in an insurance claim. If you are like most people, you buy insurance to protect yourself financially from personal injuries or property damage. In exchange for paying your premiums (which can be quite costly!), you expect your insurance company to uphold their end of the contract. Unfortunately, some insurance companies act in bad faith, and this can leave you in financial ..read more

Adoption is a complex and sometimes rigid legal process that permanently places a child with a family. Once an adoption is complete, the adoptive parents have the same rights, responsibilities, and duties to the child as the birth parents would have had. Adoption can bring peace of mind and a better quality of life for everyone involved. However, if done improperly, an adoption proceeding can end in heartache. Whether you hope to expand your family or are considering an adoption plan for your baby, it is essential that you understand the adoption laws in Oklahoma. In most cases, prospective p ..read more

Military divorce is a complicated process, especially in Oklahoma. Any civilians or members of the military can benefit from hiring a lawyer who understands the complexities of federal guidelines and state laws applying to these divorces. Here are 7 important things to know about divorce in the military.  1. In Oklahoma, the civilian spouse is entitled to some of the service member’s military retired pay The Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA) is a federal law that addresses many of the issues that come up when members of the military divorce. The USFSPA offers some ..read more

A Grandparent is an important part of every child’s life, which is why it’s vital to know about visitation rights.  Research shows that children who enjoy a high level of involvement with their grandparents have fewer emotional and behavioral problems. Unfortunately, divorce or other family issues can sometimes prevent a child from visiting their grandparents. The law favors parents when it comes to making decisions about who spends time with their children. What’s more, grandparents do not automatically have a right to see their grandkids – in 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sta ..read more