$20 billion oil fund to begin payments in August

Headline News

The $20 billion that BP has set aside to pay for losses caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill will start making payments in early August.

Ken Feinberg, who is in charge of paying individuals and businesses for lost income, told a meeting of government officials in Louisiana on Thursday that he expected a seamless transition from BP management to his administration.

"My goal is to improve that system," Feinberg said. "I'm determined to come up with a system that is more beneficial to the people using it."

BP currently has 35 offices in the Gulf Coast area accepting claims. The oil company will turn the entire operation over to Feinberg and not be involved in any of the claims against the $20 billion fund, except to supply more money if it's needed, Feinberg said.

The offices will be open for three years, and claims can be filed at any time, he said. Once filed, they must be paid within 90 days, Feinberg said.

The fund has not been tapped yet, but Feinberg said by the end of the first week of August his group would be ready to make payments.

There are still some issues to settle, Feinberg said. One of them is how much transparency the fund should have. Data from the program will be available, but there is still debate on providing names of people applying.

Related listings

  • Law firm offering reward for finding killer of UT student

    Law firm offering reward for finding killer of UT student

    Headline News 07/15/2010

    A local law firm is now offering a reward for information that leads to the capture of the person who shot and killed University of Tampa student Ryan McCall last August.McCall and a friend were walking near the campus when a man robbed and shot them...

  • Judicial Vacancies Slow the Wheels of Justice

    Judicial Vacancies Slow the Wheels of Justice

    Headline News 07/12/2010

    As the Senate prepares to vote on whether Elena Kagan should fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, there remain a substantial number of other vacancies in the nation’s lower federal courts that urgently need filling. Currently, there are about ...

  • $500K donated to Ariz. to defend law

    $500K donated to Ariz. to defend law

    Headline News 07/09/2010

    Retirees and other residents from all over the country were among those who donated nearly $500,000 to help Arizona defend its immigration enforcement law, with most chipping in $100 or less, according to an analysis of documents obtained Thursday by...

Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.

Business News

New York & New Jersey Family Law Matters We represent our clients in all types of proceedings that include termination of parental rights. >> read