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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]