This story on Austin, TX’s “News8Austin.com” site is some good news about Collaborative Law getting some coverage.
Collaborative Law is a process where the parties to a case, which is often a divorce case but doesn’t have to be, decide to commit to resolving the case outside of court. That commitment is documented in the “Collaborative [...]
Category Archive for 'Divorce'
No Comment On Iverson
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Domestic Violence on Mar 4th, 2010
Today’s big divorce news is that Allen Iverson’s wife filed for divorce.
This story gives the rundown: Iverson and his high school sweetheart (Tawanna) married about 9 years ago. They have five children, the oldest of which is 15, and so there are parenting and child support issues. There are homes to allocate and Tawanna has [...]
New News is Good News
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership on Mar 4th, 2010
This story cites newer studies, the results of which are that living together before marriage doesn’t necessarily increase the risk of divorce. The old news was that having lived together before marriage meant that a couple was more likely to split up.
The take home lesson? “It’s couples who give into the urge to merge households [...]
Apologizing doesn’t always solve the problem
Posted in Divorce on Feb 26th, 2010
Tiger Woods made a very public apology for his infidelity, and if you didn’t happen to catch that anywhere else, you can find it here.
As you may have noticed, his wife Elin was not present.
After months of speculation as to whether she would (or wouldn’t) end the relationship, there haven’t been any divorce filings. This [...]
When your public life is very public, and your private life is public too…
Posted in Divorce on Feb 26th, 2010
Huffington Post has this story about the possibility that South Carolina’s Governor Sanford’s divorce proceedings may be televised. Live. (If you remember, Governor Sanford had said that he was off to hike the Appalachian trail when he was instead headed to South America to be with his mistress.)
It turns out that Ms. Sanford’s testimony was [...]
Although it’s been up for a few weeks, this article on MSN Money is still worth reading. It sums up the change in interests from keeping the family home to being free of the family home, and it points out a fact that clients are often surprised by. I’ll cut to the chase: Signing a [...]
Having just celebrated a belated Christmas with my family, I’m “ok” to revisit some UK holiday gift ideas.
Not sure what to get your friend or family member who is contemplating divorce? The UK firm of Lloyd Platt & Company offered divorce advice vouchers for sale prior to Christmas. The firm, which typically charges almost [...]
Dennis Hopper…wait, you knew this already
Posted in Divorce on Jan 20th, 2010
Today’s “big” divorce news is that Dennis Hopper has filed for divorce…well, he actually filed last Thursday. There’s gossipy speculation as to what (or who) prompted the decision if you look for it. The overview is here. Given that Hopper and his wife have a six-year-old daughter, and that he’s focused the rest of his [...]
Here and here are short accounts of the Wynn break-up. Steve Wynn is a Las Vegas “Casino billionaire” and his wife Elaine has served on the company board.
Not only is the story remarkable for the value of the stock being transferred to Ms. Wynn–about $741 million–it’s also interesting because it’s the second time that the [...]
No-fault divorce goes international!
Posted in Divorce on Jan 7th, 2010
In the UK, the headline is “Divorce lawyers launch campaign to help couples end marriages more easily“. These lawyers are saying that couples should be able to end their marriage without blame and on the initiative of just one of the partners.
I think they’re on to something…it’s known Stateside as “no-fault divorce”.
In Washington, couples who [...]
“Record 11th divorce granted“. BBC News is reporting that a 50-year-old man in Jerusalem has been granted his 11th divorce. His dubious honor? He set a new Israeli divorce record.
Maybe the dating pool is a little different in Jerusalem, however I’d be awfully skeptical about marrying a man who has been divorced 11 time, who [...]
Entrepreneur magazine has some helpful information for divorcing business owners. It’s in print in their January 2010 issue. It’s online at Ugly Breakup.
The headline is “Governor Jim Gibbons’ divorce case: New documents show alimony, property values are sticking points“. As someone in this line of work, I have to say that there are innumerable names that could be substituted for “Jim Gibbons”. It’s not surprising when divorcing couples disagree on spousal support or property values. In this [...]
Facebook made me do it…or not?
Posted in Divorce on Dec 22nd, 2009
Divorces blamed on Facebook is thesun.co.uk’s headline. ZdNet.com puts it as “Does Facebook really lead to divorce?”. Well, does it?
Apparently, the social networking site has been named in divorce petitions as a reason for splitting. I’m really curious to know where the researcher (hired by Divorce-Online) found these petitions; in Washington State, all the Petition [...]
I often quote my mother, who has said that “Truth is stranger than fiction”. In Tennessee, a divorce case inspired a movie script.
In this case, it sounds like an enterprising individual felt that his case had so many “twists and turns” that it would make a good movie script. The individual, John Lewis, has teamed [...]
Getting divorced? Do your homework!
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Financial, Mediation, Parenting on Dec 16th, 2009
Do your financial homework before divorce is a recommendation that I can’t repeat often enough. While the piece was written by a CPA rather than an attorney, it’s got some helpful general advice, including thinking through the following questions before meeting with an attorney:
If you have children, what are your wishes regarding custody, visitation, and [...]
Not unforeseeable
Posted in Divorce, Prenuptial/postnuptial on Dec 16th, 2009
The AP is reporting that Tiger’s wife Elin is seeking divorce. Citing ABC News, NBC News and People Magazine, the story reports that Elin Nordegren Woods intends to end her marriage to golfer Tiger Woods. Given the volume of news reports about his infidelity, as well as his own admission, it’s not a surprising choice.
An [...]
The first story on this page is a synopsis of case in North Dakota where that state’s Supreme Court is considering whether the $5,000 that Erik Isaacson spent on breast implants for his wife should be counted in their divorce settlement.
What I’d like to know is: How would you value implants? Fair market value upon [...]
Here is a story about the highest-value divorce award in Canadian history. A 61-year-old woman has been awarded $110,00 per month following the end of her 33-year marriage. While this sounds like a lot, her husband earns $4 million per year (or $333,333 per month). The judge stated that Ms. Elgner “should not have to [...]
DNA Testing Can Change Things…or Not
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Parenting on Nov 19th, 2009
Here is a New York Times story about fathers who have opted for DNA testing to get a definitive answer as to whether they are truly the fathers of the children they believe are theirs. Particularly with divorcing families, and the requirement that parents support “their” children financially, this raises some tough issues. Read the [...]
Here is a story that’s showing up a few places, including this story on ConnPost.com. The headline? “Govt may get billions under Forbes’ divorce decree”. It’s rare that divorce is business news!
Apparently, a Connecticut court has ordered Walter Forbes’ ex-wife to transfer ownership of two homes, as well as half their jewelry and art, back [...]
This is a story of “he said”/”she said” that must have more to it than the media is reporting.
A Pakistani court found in favor of “Zakia of Bund Road” and granted the divorce that she requested. Her allegations were that her husband, Pervaiz, was not treating her well. His version of the story is that [...]
Connecticut Divorce, Larger Than Life
Posted in Divorce on Oct 22nd, 2009
Connecticut is a small state; it’s ranked 48th in the U.S. in terms of the area it covers. However, it seems to have more than its fair share of dramatic divorces. (I’ve written about some others, and I’m tempted to create a Connecticut tag for entries because I know there will be more.) This particular [...]
Technology + Divorce = Nothing George Orwell Imagined
Posted in Divorce, Offbeat, Prenuptial/postnuptial on Oct 22nd, 2009
This story is a short update on the Smith and Walsh-Smith divorce and, despite the title, YouTube has a minor role in the update. The news is that, on Wednesday, New York’s Appellate Division upheld a lower court ruling that granted the couple’s divorce and found their pre-nup valid.
If you’re an internet regular, you probably [...]
As have government entities in other countries, Malaysia’s state of Terengganu is now offering a three-day honeymoon package worth about $450 to help couples with marital difficulty reconcile and avoid divorce. While Malaysia did not reveal its divorce rate, the story describes the rate as “soaring”. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, and it’s for [...]
Spain’s Social Acceptance of Divorce
Posted in Divorce on Oct 14th, 2009
According to this story, Spain’s acceptance of divorce is only second to Brazil’s. The University of Granada’s Department of Sociology announced their finding that 79 per cent of Spanish people think that “when a couple is not able to solve their marital problems, divorce is the best solution.” Interestingly, based on the data in the [...]
Here in the Puget Sound area, many of the local counties require that parents in family law cases take a class to help them see things from the perspective of a child in the process, with the goal being that parents will know what to do to help their family successfully navigate the transition they’re [...]
Kate plus $180K
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Financial on Oct 14th, 2009
This story is the latest in the “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ (now “Kate Plus Eight”) divorce proceedings. While it sounds like the divorcing couple sought the services of an arbitrator to help resolve conflicts about how each used marital funds. However, Jon did not follow through on the arbitrator’s order to return $180,000 of [...]
Here is a little snippet about another way divorce is popping up in mainstream culture. Project Runway’s October 8, 2009 episode featured the challenge of having the designers cast on the show take divorcees’ wedding gowns and transform them into something new for their new life (after divorce).
If you want to spoil the surprise, you [...]
Blog-cation
Posted in Divorce on Sep 29th, 2009
Hello out there!
With some big professional and personal hurdles coming up (including the Portland Marathon on the personal front), I’m on “blog-cation” for the next 10 days.
Bored in the meantime? Just see what comes up when you Google “divorce news”.
See ya’ in a bit! Adrienne
I’m just guessing about those two attributions in the header, although if you read the interview here, I’m betting you’ll agree with me.
The Huffington Post has this story about a couple who is in love and who made a decision to divorce because, for this rare pair, it’s actually financially beneficial to do so.
Following a series of incredibly costly medical issues, the couple is broke. They actually declared bankruptcy even before having to pay for her breast [...]
The article title: “Drunk Hubby Defecates In Cooking Pot.” This may be the most unusual reason for divorce I’ve heard; it competes with that of the German woman who divorce her husband because of his cleaning obsession. (The full story is here.)
I don’t know what Nigerian divorce laws are like, and–if the prolific email scams [...]
From the lovely Susan Carroll, and posted here, is another example of the terribly public and embarrassing things that can happen on Facebook.
Eek.
I remember when the “Dummies” book series first came out. I worked at a bookstore, and it did seem puzzling to me that consumers would be interested in a book whose title seemed to belittle their intelligence. However, now that the series has been out for over a decade, I do respect the authors’ ability [...]
Good for them!
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Financial on Sep 9th, 2009
This story on the New York Post website claims that Jon and Kate Gosselin have made a “step forward” in their case. Considering that the story claims they’ll be finalizing the case at the end of the month, it sounds like they’ve made some significant progress in the case. (In Washington, this couple would need [...]
Divorce alternative, number two?
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership, Offbeat on Sep 4th, 2009
On the lighter side…
I’ve posted previously about a UK attorney who encourages couples contemplating divorce to take dance lessons. Today’s news bring this story about “divorce tourism” in India. Yes, divorce tourism.
On one hand, the cynic in me says that a couple who is having problems may find the stresses of travel to exacerbate tensions. [...]
Not for children
Posted in Divorce on Sep 4th, 2009
Cnn.com has this story about Nujood Ali, who has had life experiences beyond her years: Child bride at 10; child rape victim (by her much older husband); and now, at 12, a child divorcee.
Nujood lives in Yemen, where more than half of girls are married before the age of 18. The reason for marrying a [...]
When it rains, it pours…
Posted in Divorce on Sep 4th, 2009
Here, from the sunny locale of LA, is a story about divorce, infidelity, drug use and criminal prosecution in a matter where shareholders are demanding that Broadcom’s co-founder Henry Nicholas repay shareholders more than his net worth.
Nicholas and his former wife have over $1 billion in community property, which is likely the result of receiving [...]
I have an earlier post about tech-infused breakups, including those that happen by Facebook or by cell phone. Well, proving that the written word has power regardless of what medium it is transmitted through, Yahoo has this story about how passionate text messages sent to lovers can now be used as evidence against you in [...]
Parenting Without Conflict
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership, Parenting on Aug 20th, 2009
This story in the Chicago Tribune is about a six-week long class for divorced or separating parents, aimed at helping them focus on what’s best for their children. (Seattle’s King County requires parents to attend a four-hour class…I can only imagine what it would take to put together a six-week long class.) It’s great to [...]
Celebrity divorce, third time the charm?
Posted in Divorce on Aug 20th, 2009
Today’s celebrity divorce news is that Robin Wright and her spouse Sean Penn have decided to divorce. According to this story, they have filed for divorce or legal separation twice already in the 13 years they’ve been married. Will the third time be the charm?
“UPDATE”: If you’re interested, People.com has this story which claims to [...]
Opinions on American divorce
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership, Parenting on Aug 17th, 2009
“Americans Marry Too Much” is the title of this story on Newsweek.com. Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University, has written a book entitled “The Marriage-Go-Round” that cites Americans’ divorce and remarriage as the cause for disruption in their children’s lives because of a “revolving cast” of parents, step-parents and live-in significant others.
An interesting [...]
Divorce budgeting
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership, Financial on Aug 14th, 2009
Here’s a short version of some divorce budgeting tips. The longer version is here. While not all of these steps may be possible, particularly trying to stockpile savings when going from one household to two, it’s worth considering what steps you can take!
1. Make order of the bills.
2. Organize important records.
3. Determine spending each month.
4. [...]
Salvage the good stuff
Posted in Divorce on Aug 6th, 2009
“When a series used to be cute and happy but now awkwardly navigates marital tension and divorce, who wants to watch it?” asks Katherine Nichols in the Hawaii Star Bulletin. I’m standing by my opinion that, despite some of the not-so-wise choices that Jon & Kate are making, their televised experience of divorce is one [...]
Divorce, like cheeseburgers, not recommended for your health
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership on Aug 6th, 2009
This recently story in the New York Times describes the physical health impact of going from being married to being single (whether by divorce or a spouse’s death). Similar to some German research I heard about years ago, the impact of the loss of a spouse is one that lingers. And, apparently, it’s the loss [...]
It’s been a growing trend in America that adults “baby” their pets and consider them to be part of the “family”. I’m no different, although I do realize that the law treats pets as property in family law cases.
This story in the ABA Journal has the legal perspective on a recent court ruling regarding which [...]
Today’s posts are all over the map, both literally and figuratively. The first post of today was about the growing trend in an Afghan province of women choosing to divorce their husbands in a legal system where the men have nearly all of the control. Post number two is this collection of divorce cakes, which [...]
When divorce is a good thing…
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Violence on Jul 22nd, 2009
Yahoo News has this story about the plight of Afghan women with violent husbands, and the trend of these women seeking to end their marriage rather than end their life.
The topic of divorce often evokes mixed feelings in America, but with 50% of marriages ending in divorce, divorce is far from the taboo that [...]
Financial planning, post-divorce
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership, Financial on Jul 8th, 2009
Here’s some good, solid financial advice. It’s refreshing after the other two posts today about divorce drama and uncertainty. Here is a rundown of the helpful post-divorce financial planning steps.
Here’s the Cliff Notes version:
Start with a financial planner.
Talk with an estate planning attorney.
Make a guardianship plan for your kids.
Plan for special needs kids.
Re-visit insurance.
Review account [...]
More drama in Connecticut
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Violence on Jul 8th, 2009
I have a few Connecticut divorce blog posts so far, including a fairly recent one about Dr. Perricone and his wife (and the court’s decision to uphold the voluntary restraining order the former Mrs. Perricone signed) and an older one about round one of divorce proceedings in the David and Douglas-David case (where the UTC [...]
A possible (and unfortunate) exception
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Violence on Jul 8th, 2009
In general, I try to keep the tone of this site pretty light. My thinking is that getting through a family law issue is already tough stuff. There are silver linings to many clouds, and I try to show readers that lining when I can.
Unfortunately, however, there are some cases where the silver lining is [...]
Be careful what you sign: Installment One of Infinity
Posted in Divorce, Financial, Prenuptial/postnuptial on Jul 2nd, 2009
In this story, Bloomberg.com reports that a UK court upheld a prenuptial agreement between a German heiress and a former banker. The court found that the agreement was entered into “willingly and knowingly by responsible adults”. In addition, the court found that the husband–who was challenging the agreement–had a “proper” understanding of it.
While this is [...]
Discussing finances = good idea!
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership, Financial on Jun 26th, 2009
I like simple, helpful and easy-to-understand advice. MSN Canada features that in this story about how our global financial troubles are affecting newlyweds. Let me take their advice and make it even more simple…
Should a couple be:
Discussing financial compatibility before marriage?
Good idea!
Becoming more cautious about excessive spending that leads to high debt?
Good idea!
Averting problems that [...]
A British divorce attorney has apparently started advising clients to take up dance lessons if there’s a chance of reconciling. I’ll admit the Daily Mail headline, “The couple that sway together, stay together… TV divorce lawyer advises ballroom dancing to save marriage”, sounds like fertile ground for a number of snide comments (”TV divorce lawyer”–really?…”advises [...]
For the media sites I frequent, the “big” divorce news this week is that Jon and Kate Gosselin (of “Jon & Kate Plus 8“) are divorcing. The New York Times has a short story about it here. The story’s lede comments that “TLC is hoping there is happiness–or at least, good ratings–after divorce.”
While divorce is [...]
Send a text
Posted in Divorce on Jun 17th, 2009
“Breaking up? Pregnant? Want a divorce? Send a text!”
With such a string of phrases, I didn’t need to make up a title for this post. Instead, the title came straight from this Yahoo Finance press release by a market research company focused on wireless/mobile research. Here are their findings:
Nine percent of U.S. consumers have sent [...]
A restraining order is a restraining order
Posted in Divorce on Jun 17th, 2009
From the perspective of the Internet, divorce news out of Connecticut is always so filled with money (and drama).
On Monday, Yahoo News ran this story about what “anti-aging and skin-care guru” Dr. Nicholas Perricone’s ex-wife could say about their relationship. Apparently, back in 2005, Dr. Perricone obtained a restraining order against his former wife, Madeleine [...]
Have your cake and eat it too…
Posted in Divorce on Apr 17th, 2009
A co-worker of mine turned me on to Cake Wrecks, a website that celebrates professional cakes gone horribly wrong. The site is hilarious, and now there’s a new batch of cakes that may show up: Divorce cakes.
Getting a divorce is a signficiant process, both legally and emotionally. Some individuals mark the end of the [...]
Divorce “prediction”
Posted in Divorce on Apr 17th, 2009
I’ve written in a previous post about various claims by researchers that they can predict divorce. Apparently, a US researcher claims that yearbook photos may predict divorce. See the story here.
The study started with an e-mail to 18,000 alumni, with only 428 people completing the survey. Of those 428 respondents, 79 were eliminated because of [...]
The May 2009 issue of “O” magazine features a short story entitled “Divorce, Interrupted”. Print media has caught up with electronic media in reporting that the current economic climate is affecting couple’s decisions to separate. The piece, which offers advice for couples “stuck together in splitsville” offers a new term for the new economic challenge: [...]
If you haven’t heard by now, Robyn Moore has filed for divorce from her very famous husband, Mel Gibson. US News is reporting the story with the headline “Mel Gibson’s Divorce: Priciest in Hollywood History”. Gibson’s wealth is estimated at $900 million, which gives the divorce case the dubious honor of being the highest asset [...]
Making a clean start (bad pun)
Posted in Divorce on Apr 6th, 2009
This story is being reported by Reuters in its “Oddly Enough” section with the headline “Woman divorces husband for cleaning too much.” It’s a short story, so let me paste it here:
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German woman has divorced her husband because she was fed up with him cleaning all the time.
German media reported the [...]
It’s worth *what* now?
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership, Financial on Apr 6th, 2009
As of the end of the week, the stock market ended on an upturn. It gained for the fourth consecutive week, and it’s doing better than it has for the last seven weeks. I’m happy to hear this and I hope the trend continues.
Still, the market is down from its 2007 high of around 14,000 [...]
What not to do, in case you weren’t sure
Posted in Divorce on Mar 26th, 2009
In case you weren’t sure, it’s a bad idea to choke your wife, regardless of what your shirt says.
Does seeing something everywhere make it “news”?
Lately there have been many stories about the George David divorce trial, including this one in the Hartford Courant and this older one on the CBS News site. The back story on the case is that 67-year-old United Technologies Corporation Board Chair George David is divorcing 36-year-old Swedish countess [...]
“Some couples might as well get divorced right away”
Posted in Divorce on Mar 26th, 2009
This article states that a British mathematician has figured out a formula to predict whether couples are likely to stay together or divorce. In the piece, Oxford University professor James Murray is quoted as saying “some couples might as well get divorce right away”. He claims that his formula has a 94% accuracy rate based [...]
As those who have had parenting matters in King County, Snohomish County or Pierce County know, many Washington counties have local rules that require proof of a parent’s attendance at a parenting seminar. In King County, the seminar is called “What About the Children?” and the goal is to have parents think about what’s going [...]
The Hockey News is not the place I expected to find content for this blog, however this hockey headline is a reminder that folks who divorce are as diverse as our society as whole.
New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur just recently made headlines for breaking the NHL record for wins by a goalie. (It’s 552 [...]
With this post, I’d like to commend James Cook on using his own loss as fuel to take action to make things better for children and parents.
While driving home the other week, I heard this story on NPR (National Public Radio) about the death of James Cook. Known as the father of “joint custody”, Cook [...]
A healthy step to change an unhealthy situation
Posted in Divorce, Domestic Partnership on Mar 5th, 2009
In health news reported today, a researcher at the University of Utah has claimed that women are more negatively affected by a relationship marked by anger and arguing than men. While both men and women from such relationships were more likely to feel depressed than those in a happier marriage, it is the women in [...]
The main premise of SplitsvilleNews.com is that there is life after divorce. I suppose it’s a little like the notion “You can get there, we can help”.
However, a Canadian attorney has seen such hurdles for couples seeking divorce in Ontario that he decided to help in a virtual way. Robert Berman’s site MyOntarioDivorce.com is [...]
From time to time clients ask “What should I be sure to not do”?
Typically, these are very conscientious clients who are concerned about making wise decisions in light of the changes that come with a decision to divorce. Here’s a new one for that list, from the “truth is stranger than fiction” category:
Don’t declare that [...]
Is a faster divorce a better divorce?
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Parenting on Feb 27th, 2009
Is a faster divorce a better divorce?
The “60 Minute Divorce” is a service being offered by a New York City law firm. The premise is that you and your spouse go to their offices, that you work with a lawyer who gathers your information, and after a 60-minute wait–during which you may choose to go [...]
Tips for a good divorce…for a good life after divorce
Posted in Divorce, Financial, Mediation, Parenting on Feb 16th, 2009
Although the story isn’t new, I think it’s worth connecting back to a Washington Post story from December 2007 with tips for a good divorce. Here are the tips, all smart ideas and cost-effective ones:
1. Face facts.
2. But get second opinions…about your options and about the law.
3. Set the tone: Be rational and save the [...]
Life in a bad economy…more troubling than divorce
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Financial on Feb 16th, 2009
With the passage of the stimulus bill, there is hope that the American economy will start to show improvements rather than decline.
Some interesting news over the last few months has been that the bad economy doesn’t necessarily lead to divorce and that couples will stay together during difficult economic times. Gary Nickelson, president of the [...]
In Washington, an important part of dividing up the assets and debts is first determining what’s community and what’s not. (While clients often have a sense of what’s fair, and what they’d like to get out of the divorce, it is still important to understand the legal backdrop against which they’re making that agreement.)
In New [...]
Mediation can be a good way to pave the way for a happy life after divorce. These are the most important ingredients for mediation: the ability to keep an open mind, a commitment to being honest, and the willingness to participate in good faith.
As a mediator, I don’t expect clients to get along…otherwise they wouldn’t [...]
Because divorce is the legal ending of a marriage, there are some aspects of a case that must go through the court. The paperwork that you file to request a divorce must go through the court. However, options for having an amicable divorce do exist.
One way to help the divorce process be less stressful–and post-divorce [...]
Title isn’t controlling. What does that mean?
According to the law in Washington, property acquired after marriage is considered to be community property. Clients can sometimes find this surprising, especially when the legal title is held in just one person’s name. The determining factor, though, is not what the title says but when the item is [...]
In Washington, a couple can choose to file for legal separation or for dissolution of marriage. The paperwork for the two processes is nearly identical, and the outcome for both kinds of cases will include a division of property and liabilities, orders of spousal maintenance (sometimes referred to as alimony), and orders regarding parenting and [...]
Reason #3 why I think mediation is a good idea is a simple one: Cost. Even judges acknowledge that working with the court system can be very expensive for clients. Each side may choose to hire a lawyer, then each side may choose to hire his or her own expert, and then each side puts [...]
Why Mediate? Reason #2
Posted in Child Support, Divorce, Mediation on Sep 30th, 2008
First, to review: Reason # 1 to mediate is that it gives YOU control over the process and the outcome.
Reason # 2 to mediate is that it keeps your private life private. Whether you need to reach a short-term agreement, or whether you’re working out your long-term property split, mediation offers you the opportunity to [...]
There are a number of good reasons to mediate, and I’ll cover what I think are the top three in my next series of posts.
Reason #1 - It gives you control over the outcome. In Washington, the standard for dividing property and liabilities is “fair and equitable”. Sometimes fair is 50/50, sometimes fair is 60/40. [...]
Prenuptial agreements…smart planning for the future.
Posted in Divorce, Financial, Prenuptial/postnuptial on Sep 22nd, 2008
A prenuptial agreement, or “prenup” is a contract that you would sign in advance of the wedding. It can be smart planning for the future because it gives you and your honey an opportunity to decide now how you would like assets and debts to be handled in the event of divorce or death later.
In [...]
You can open your own bank account at any time, however…
Washington is a community property state, which means that–with a few exceptions–income and property acquired during marriage is considered to belong to both people in the marriage. (The exceptions are gifts, inheritances and compensation from a lawsuit for pain and suffering.) As long [...]
In Washington, the rules of professional conduct prevent a lawyer from working against the interests of his or her client. In other words, combo deals are good, just not in terms of sharing a lawyer.
The reason that using the same lawyer is a problem in the eyes of the Bar is that there is [...]
Washington’s law about spousal maintenance (which people sometimes call “alimony”) is written without respect to gender. Sometimes men will pay spousal maintenance to their ex-wives and sometimes women will pay spousal maintenance to their ex-husbands.
So, high-earning ladies, if you’re thinking about getting married: Choose wisely. In life after divorce, it could be that you [...]
Pets are property, sad but true.
Posted in Divorce on Aug 14th, 2008
In Washington, pets are considered personal property. Even though we get really emotionally attached to them, the law doesn’t deal with deciding who should get a dog or a cat any differently than it would deal with who should get the forks, the lamps or the couches.
But, just because the court isn’t required to [...]