Corrections or additions?
These articles by Barbara Fox and Melinda Sherwood were published
in U.S. 1 Newspaper on November 3, 1999. All
rights reserved.
Survival Guide
Top Of PageEquitable Vs. Equal
Equitable is not the same as equal, and that’s a common
misconception among women who enter divorce litigation, says Sudha
Tiwari Kantor, an attorney with Stark and Stark at 993 Lenox Drive.
“In actuality, equitable means fair,” says Kantor. Fairness
is determined case by individual case and by looking at the overall
picture of each family’s circumstances. Courts apply 15 factors, set
forth in a state law, to divide up assets and liabilities that the
parties accumulated during their marriage. These factors range from
the length of the marriage to the tax consequences of the property
distribution.
Kantor is one of the attorneys conducting “What Every Woman Should
Know Before, During and After Her Divorce,” on Wednesday, November
10 at the Stark & Stark Lenox Drive office and on Wednesday, November
17, at Freehold Gardens, both at 6:30 p.m. In addition to three
attorneys
(including Maria P. Imbalzano and Frances M. Merritt)
there will be financial planners (Neelam Jain of AXA Advisors,
Terri Simonds of Amper Politziner & Mattia, and Sharyn Maggio
of Rosenfarb Winters) plus therapists, Robert Rosenbaum of Bunker
Hill Consultation Center, and psychologists Henry Weistuch, Elaine
Hicks, and Amy Altenhaus.
The Stark and Stark program is geared towards women, says Kantor,
because “we don’t want husbands and wives to show up
together,”
but also because most of the inquiries come from women. “Men
usually
have attorneys that are available to them or friends who are
attorneys.”
A lot of women are thinking about divorce, but often they don’t have
access to informal consultation and they don’t have funds for money
o to their attorneys because every time they ask they get billed.”
The seminar is free. Call 609-895-7307.
Born in New Delhi, Kantor moved to the U.S. at the age of six and
her family still resides in Cherry Hill. She received a BS in
political
science from Rutgers, Camden, Class of 1990, and a law degree from
Rutgers in 1993.
The stereotype of the rich divorcee, says Kantor, represents a select
few women, says Kantor. Women still stand to lose the most in a
divorce,
particularly if they have spent some time out of the workforce.
“Still
to this day it’s the women who are lower income earners, and it’s
the women who are responsible for the day to day needs of the
household,”
she says. “When it comes to divorces, a woman’s quality of life
is more likely to decrease substantially and a man’s quality of life
to increase significantly.” They lose more than income, she adds.
“They give up health insurance benefits and a retirement plan
too.”
Even if a woman retains a certain amount of assets, she says, they
can still get hit hard. “A lot of women don’t understand the tax
pitfalls of getting the house, that they have to pay capital gains
tax,” she says.
Alimony is also taxed, and new laws and changing attitudes are
affecting
how these are awarded to women, says Kantor. “The changes that
I’ve seen occur in the last six years or so is that alimony is not
favored,” she says. “Less and less alimony is awarded, and
fewer and fewer men are willing to pay.”
Limited duration alimony — as opposed to permanent or
rehabilitative
alimony — is still relatively new in the courts, and it allows
the court to set a termination date on alimony payment. It is
determined
on a case by case basis, explains Kantor, taking into account the
following factors: a spouse’s need for living assistance, the ability
of the other party to pay, the duration of the marriage, the living
standard in the marriage, the joint acquisition of assets in capital
income, the history of the financial or non-financial contributions
to the marriage of the party, including contributions to the care
of children, and other income available to each party from other
investments.
The court can also determine a spouse’s eligibility for alimony, and
set the criteria, based on his or her age, physical and emotional
health, earning capacity and employability (based on absence from
the job market or training involved), education, parental
responsibilities,
and the likelihood that he or she can maintain a reasonably comparable
standard of living after divorce.
Men are not the only ones who typically leave the courtroom unhappy,
says Kantor. “Women don’t walk away very happy either,” she
says. “When the parties are educated about what the laws are,
then their expectation isn’t like what happened on LA Law. They’re
more realistic. If he’s making $68,000 and she’s capable of making
$50,000, they’ve been married for a long time, and he’s accepted that
she’s not a worker, and that’s how they’ve developed their marital
enterprise, then that will continue basically. He will have to expect
that they will live off his $68,000.”
But a woman in her 30s who in a five-year marriage has two kids and
a degree in computer science is not going to get alimony for the rest
of her life. “She will get some help to reestablish herself in
the workforce, but she can’t sit back and watch TV. Now, depending
on her age, the court is going to say, `Look you had it good for all
of those years, so now you’re going to have to think about what you’re
going to do with your future.'”
Top Of PageSerious E-Commerce:Unified Approach
As retailers get revved up for a holiday season of
Web-shoppers
— the latest word is that footwear companies are finding Web sales
to be very profitable — two E-commerce seminars are scheduled.
Technology New Jersey has an ongoing series at Mercer County College,
and Amper Politziner Mattia has scheduled a seminar in Edison. A
division
of the accounting firm, Amper Consulting, presents “Effective
Implementations of E-commerce/E-business,” on Thursday, November
11, at 8 a.m. at the Pines Manor in Edison. Call 732-287-7849 for
free reservations.
“Unlocking Your E-Commerce Potential,” is the topic for
Jenifer
Williams of Sun-Netscape Alliance, and Phyllis Michaelides,
of AlliedSignal Inc., on Wednesday, November 10, at 8 a.m. at Mercer
County College. Cost: $45 for those who are not TNJ members. Call
Technology New Jersey at 609-419-4444.
Michaelides is manager of technology strategy and architecture
corporate
information systems. In “Building a unified E-commerce
architecture,
now and into the future,” she will cover everything from
mainframes
to handheld devices.
Williams is principal strategist of Worldwide Strategic Consulting
for the Alliance, formed last March between American Online and Sun
Microsystems. Its mission is to help companies “realize their
Net Economy vision — putting the power of the Internet in their
hands with the broadest and best Internet infrastructure and
E-Commerce
software and professional services.”
Williams has been a consultant at Ernst & Young and another
international
consulting firm. Working with senior executives at companies ranging
from Fortune 50s to start-ups, she has consulted on how to
revolutionize
a business and operations with E-business. She has also developed
digital strategies. Among her pointers:
Get input from all departments , because the digital strategywill impact your entire enterprise. It is more than just a web page.Align it with your traditional business, tying in your front and backoffices.Don’t base your digital strategy on how you do business todayin your traditional setting. Toys R S was very much focused ontheir traditional business, and now it is rethinking its strategy.Speed the implementation . Don’t wait until you have it100 percent worked out. Barnes & Noble is a good example; it willhave a difficult time catching up with Amazon.com. The first moveradvantage is very important in the Internet setting.Top Of PageInsurance vs AuditHonest mistakes in Medicare billing can result in a$10,000 fine, says Robert Schultz, vice president of PrincetonInsurance Company, on Alexander Road. The firm is sponsoring a freeseminar, “Government Billing: What Every Physician ShouldKnow”on Wednesday, November 10, in Cherry Hill. It will be repeated onNovember 11 in Whippany and on November 18 in Absecon. Call SandySchulz at 609-734-8461 for a reservation.Whistle blower rewards of up to $1,000 encourage Medicarebeneficiariesto report unscrupulous billing, whether real or perceived. Meanwhile,risk assessment software, which looks for likely candidates forgovernmentagencies to audit, does not distinguish between honest and dishonestpractitioners. His suggestions:Put in place a compliance plan , including written policies,training, and education of staff, self-auditing, and designing acomplianceofficer. Hire a consultant for about $1,000 to $1,500 or look foradvice from the American Medical Association(https://www.ama-assn.org/physlegl/doc1c.htm)Audit your own files regularly . Pull charts of 15-25 Medicarepatients and ask if they are legible, if documentation supports thebilling code, if the diagnosis matches the billing code, if the doctorsigned and dated notes for each visit. Is the patient identified bybirth date or account number as well as name?Don’t underestimate your chance of being investigated .For every $1 the government spends on audits and legal costs it isgetting $23.Princeton Insurance Company attaches “government billing errorsand omissions” coverage to its New Jersey physician and surgeonmedical malpractice policies. It provides up to $50,000 in legaldefensecoverage for inadvertent billing errors but does not cover claimsof intentional fraud.Top Of PageGood Marketing:Simple as PIE?The problem with marketers today is there is a lot ofimplementation but very little planning and evaluation. “Too manypeople skip over the planning and want to jump right to theimplementation,the ready, go, get set syndrome” says Brian Jud, presidentof Marketing Directions Inc.There should be an organized approach to product promotion, Jud feels,who uses the acronym “PIE” to illustrate three tenets ofmarketing:Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Jud will be extolling thevirtues of the “PIE” approach at the upcoming New JerseyCommunications,Advertising, & Marketing Association (CAMA) meeting scheduled forThursday, November 11, at 11:30 a.m. at the Doral Forrestal Hotel.Call 609-890-9207. Cost is $25 for members and $35 for non-members.Jud’s firm helps authors and book publishers with every part of thepublishing process, from editing, cover design, layout, printing,planning, and promotion. Jud feels that the best publicity is thekind that’s free. “I try to emphasize to my clients the valueof having third party credibility,” says Jud. Look at potentialopportunities from a reporter’s perspective. “Position yourcompanyor client to provide information that is useful to the reportersaudience.”Jud has written several career transition books and hosts the BookAuthority, a cable access television show on the book business. Judhas also produced a video program entitled “You’re On theAir,”featuring producers from Good Morning America, Larry King Live, andCNBC and focussing on ways to garner media coverage and credibilityas an expert news source. “An association of civil engineers usedthe tape series to help position themselves as experts on buildingstructure issues. The goal would be that the local media would seekcomment from a civil engineer following a bridge collapse, forexample.”There are many “little” things companies can do to keep theirnames in front of the press. Sometimes that can be as simple asconsistentlysending out press releases on client or company activities. But alack of coordination can derail even the best creative efforts. Judpoints out the importance of bringing together all aspects of amarketingplan: advertising, publicity, sales promotion (direct mail andgiveawayitems) and personal selling (trade shows). “If I’m doing a bookpromotion in Albuquerque and the book I’m promoting is not yet inthe bookstores there, it defeats the whole plan.”Jud is a 1972 graduate of the University of Cincinnati and has anMBA from Xavier. A resident of Avon, Connecticut, Jud has a backgroundof 20 years in corporate sales and marketing positions — startingwith Xerox. “That was really great sales training to have rightout of the box,” said Jud. After Xerox, Jud held several othersales and marketing positions before starting his own advertisingagency in Ohio. In 1980 Jud moved to Connecticut to join a Hartfordarea agency, Mintz and Hoke. He started Marketing Directions in 1990.Words to the marketing-wise? ” I can’t emphasize enough theimportanceof planning, of coordinated planning that is goal oriented andmeasurable.Good marketing can be as simple as pie but not as easy.”– Jeff LippincottTop Of PageBook Buying BenefitA mix of charity and shopping and entertainment isscheduledfor Saturday, November 13, at Borders Books & Music when PrincetonChamber members can get a 20 percent discount off purchases. Eachpurchase of books or music will benefit the Habitat for Humanity ofthe Trenton Area. And live entertainment is scheduled for all daylong: a story hour at 11 a.m., followed by magician Ed Smootat 1 p.m. and a booksigning by Eileen Marx, author of “WeavingFaith and Family” at 2:30 p.m.” An interactive musical performancefor children is at 4 p.m., Larry Garland plays pops at 5 p.m.,and Vince DiMura offers jazz at 7:30 p.m. Sales continue to11 p.m.In order to get the discount you have to get special coupons. Callthe chamber at 609-520-1776 or Kathryn Orrick at 609-514-0029to order the coupons. Provide the business name, address, phone,contactperson, and number of employees who need coupons. Borders will mailthe coupons to you.Top Of PageMaple Leafs’ ExportsRick Savone is the new Canadian Consul and TradeCommissioner in Princeton, and on Thursday, November 4, he is hostingan invitation-only reception to help launch the Canadian-AmericanChamber of Commerce. Michael B. Phillips, the Consult Generalof Canada, will introduce the newest members of Canada’s regionalBusiness Development Team. Steven Richman, an attorney withGallagher, Briody & Butler, chairs the Canadian-American Chamber ofCommerce.A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Savone majored in economics and businessat McGill, and worked in government before being recruited by theCanadian Foreign Service. He served in Algeria, where he wasresponsiblefor political and immigration programs, and came to Princeton thisyear. Like two previous consuls, he lives at 90 Westcott(609-252-0777,E-mail: rick.savone@dfait-macci-ge.ca). From there he operateswhat is considered the satellite mission of the Canadian ConsulateGeneral in New York (https://www.canapple.com).Because New Jersey’s riches are in the brains of its scientists –the state is said to have the highest concentration of scientificbrainpower in the nation — Savone’s export/import efforts willconcentrate on areas of biotechnology, information technology, andenvironmental technology.New Jersey is indeed an exporting state — the ninth state in termsof goods sent out of the country. Two-way trade between Canada andNew Jersey amounted to $6.7 billion worth of goods in 1997, andexportsto Canada amount to about 18 percent of the state’s total exports.Of this, 27 percent of the exports to Canada or $826 million werein the category of chemicals and allied products, such as plastics.Other major categories were agricultural products ($399 including$61 million of orange juice and concentrates), $342 million ofpersonaland household goods (including books), $353 million of transportationequipment, and $173 million of other equipment and tools, including$39 million of medical equipment.New Jersey imports such Canadian products as metals and basic metals,forest and agricultural products and seafood, equipment and officemachines. “There are about 20 Canadian firms with facilities inNew Jersey, and more than double that number of Canadian subsidiariesof New Jersey companies,” says Savone. “Through relationshipsfostered by groups such as the Canadian-American Chamber of Commerce,those numbers will grow.”Top Of PageY2K-versationSummit Bank is holding a forum on the Y2K problem onTuesday, November 9, at 9 a.m. at Brower Student Center of the Collegeof New Jersey. Participants in “New Jersey Y2K CommunityConversation”include Wendy Rayner, chief information officer for New Jersey,William Stone, vice president, Federal Reserve Bank ofPhiladelphia,and representatives of Summit Bank, PSE&G, and Bell Atlantic.”There has been solid progress in meeting the Year 2000 technologychallenge, but the general public remains uncertain about banks andother basic services,” says Larry Betsinger, executive vicepresident of Summit. “We hope to increase public confidence withour `community conversation’ about the Y2K issue, an event we aresponsoring as part of the national campaign advanced by thePresident’sCouncil on Year 2000 Conversion.” Call 609-987-3148 forinformation.Top Of PageCorporate AngelsStephen V. Sashihara, president of PrincetonConsultants, hosted a preview party for 100 people for “Dreamsof Lumiere,” the Eden Dreams fundraiser for January 22. Individualtickets will be $300. As the primary corporate sponsor of the event,Sashihara is encouraging those from small and mid-sized companiesto donate sponsorships of from $3,500 to $10,000. Those on the $5,000level are members of the honorary committee and are entitled toadditionaltickets, invitations to a VIP reception, and particular recognitionin the program booklet.Top Of PageParticipate PleaseThe New Jersey Environmentors Project seeks volunteersto help high school students design a scientific research projectto address an environmental problem. When the seven-month programis completed, the students present their fieldwork results to anelementaryschool class and at an EnvironMentors Fair. Volunteer mentors workwith matched pairs of Trenton Central and Princeton High students.Those interested in becoming a mentor with the Princeton-based projectshould contact Maureen Quinn at 609-252-1303, or Email:njenquinn@aol.com.For information see https://www.members.aol.com/njenvmntor.No prior mentoring or research experience is needed.Previous StoryNext StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
