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 'Mediation'
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 [...]
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: [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]