Posted on November 22, 2019 in Uncategorized

While it is usually both rewarding and fulfilling, parenting can also be unbelievably challenging. This is particularly true in non-conventional families, such as those with post-divorce co-parents. Regardless of how your marriage came to an end, your ex-spouse should not sabotage your relationship with your kids.

Parental alienation occurs when one parent disparages, discredits or fosters hostility toward the other parent. Typically, these actions involve mental and emotional manipulation. Unfortunately, the effect is usually the same. That is, children prefer the alienating parent while rejecting the alienated one. Because parental alienation can cause life-long consequences, you must watch for its warning signs. Here are some of them:

Spying

Co-parents should not use the children to spy on each other. Unfortunately, this occasionally happens. If your former partner asks your son or daughter to engage in espionage, you may be the target of parental alienation.

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 Posted on October 26, 2019 in Uncategorized

All parents need to make adjustments the first year after finalizing a divorce. One of the hardest aspects to go through involves determining how to handle family holidays. There are few holidays as stressful as Thanksgiving.

If you thought things were stressful before, now you have to go through the Thanksgiving celebration with your family divided. This is an important moment in life after the divorce because you and your ex really get to show your kids your co-parenting skills. Here are some tips to make sure your first Thanksgiving in the wake of the separation lets everyone know things will be all right.

Acknowledge your children's emotions

A lot of parents try to spin things positively following a divorce. It is easy to say things like, "Look on the bright side: Now you get two Thanksgivings." However, these statements will not help your kids heal. You want to acknowledge their feelings by saying something like, "I realize you are upset you will not get to spend Thanksgiving with me this year." You want to make sure your kids feel understood.

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 Posted on September 26, 2019 in Uncategorized

Divorce is a tricky, complicated legal proceeding. You want to avoid mistakes, which one Texas man learned after he forged his wife's name on the divorce papers. However, something else you do not want to mess up is how you present the separation to any children you and your spouse share.

Talking to your kids about your intended divorce is one of the most difficult conversations a person can have. It is critical to do it the right way so your kids can work through their emotions while still respecting both parents.

Present the divorce together

Both spouses need to sit down together to talk to the kids about the divorce. The separation should not come across as though one party is responsible. You do not want to act bitter or accuse your spouse of anything, you just want to convey the information. Remember, this conversation is not about you and your spouse. It is about your children, and you want to act maturely the entire time.

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 Posted on September 13, 2019 in Uncategorized

Marriage means something different to every couple. While you may have chosen to marry your spouse for love or security, your marriage certificate is a legal contract between you, your spouse and the state. As such, to dissolve your union, you must divide marital property and obtain a court order.

Gone are the days when couples had little choice but to engage in a protracted legal battle. Nowadays, a growing number of divorcing spouses choose alternate dispute resolution, such as mediation, to wrap up their marriages. While there are many advantages to mediating a divorce, sometimes, it simply does not work. Here are three signs it may be time to walk away from your divorce mediation:

1. Your partner is trying to devastate you

>Divorce mediation requires both parties to make a good faith effort to dissolve the marriage. While any divorce is apt to have some acrimonious moments, your partner should not try to destroy you. If you suspect he or she wants to leave you in financial or emotional ruin, it may be time to explore other options.

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 Posted on August 30, 2019 in Uncategorized

Divorce mediation is gaining popularity for a few important reasons. While you may appreciate that mediation is often less expensive than a protracted court battle, you are also likely to enjoy the reduced stress that tends to accompany alternate dispute resolution.

As you may suspect, though, some divorce mediations are more successful than others. While working with counsel who understands how to mediate a high-asset divorce is critical, you also need to prepare yourself for the mediation process. Here are four tips for making your divorce mediation a success:

1. Decide what really matters

In divorce court, spouses often fight for the sake of fighting. That should not be the case with alternate dispute resolution, though. While you can likely expect some friction, you should decide what matters to you. By listing your priorities, you can choose both when to push back and when to concede.

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 Posted on July 30, 2019 in Uncategorized

Let us say that you and your spouse have amassed significant assets during the years of your marriage. Now your marriage is coming to an end and you face a high-net-worth divorce.

You dread the idea of an expensive, lengthy and possibly acrimonious court process. Consider mediation, an alternative to litigation that comes with benefits and puts you in control of your divorce.

A popular option

Almost 50% of the marriages in our country end in divorce. Largely because mediation is less costly and time-consuming, it is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to litigation. The divorcing couple meets with a mediator, a neutral third party trained in this form of Alternative Dispute Resolution, whose goal is to guide them toward a mutually satisfactory divorce settlement.

Mediation benefits

To many wealthy couples, one of the most troubling aspects of a traditional divorce in court is that the whole process becomes public. On the other hand, mediation is confidential, a process handled in private outside the courtroom. Without a judge making decisions about their lives, the participants feel much more in control of the outcome of the mediation process. Issues to decide include spousal and child support, custody and parenting time as well as the ultimate distribution of assets. Because the couple works as a team in decision-making, there is less stress associated with the divorce not only for the couple, but also for their children. In this process, the foundation is laid for open lines of communication and a non-adversarial and continuous relationship.

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 Posted on June 26, 2019 in Uncategorized

If you are the soon-to-be-ex-spouse of a military member, you may wonder how property division will affect you.

Although property division in a divorce must follow Texas law, the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act also comes into play on your behalf.

The USFSPA explained

If, in the divorce order, the court awards you a share of the retired pay of your military spouse, the USFSPA ensures the enforcement of the order. Other military retirement benefits to consider include savings plans and survivor benefits. The USFSPA also enforces an order of alimony as well as current or overdue child support payments. However, to qualify for retired pay benefits, the length of your marriage must have been at least 10 years. During that time, your spouse must have served a minimum of 10 years 'credible towards retirement eligibility' per the military 10/10 rule.

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 Posted on June 10, 2019 in Uncategorized

Divorce is not an easy process. However, there are certain divorce tools that can help the process, such as mediation.

Before determining if divorce mediation is right in a situation, it is important to understand what the process entails. There are a few key facts to know.

What it is

In short, mediation is an alternative option to the traditional divorce litigation process. Mediation involves a third party, a mediator, working with the two parties to come to agreement about different divorce concerns. The mediator also completes the mediation form, which details the final decisions of the divorcing party.

The process

The divorce mediation process is quite different from divorce litigation. Whereas a judge makes the decisions in litigation, the divorcing parties work together to make their decisions in the mediation process. The mediator does not even have a say in the decisions; the mediator is there to help make sure the parties address all necessary topics. In some mediation cases, the parties are in separate rooms with their attorneys, and the mediator facilitates conversation between the two parties.

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 Posted on May 27, 2019 in Uncategorized

A divorce is going to take a financial toll on you, but you have some level of control over that toll. Not all divorces have to be long, contentious courtroom affairs. While where you live, geographically, will help determine just how much you spend on your divorce, so, too, will certain decisions you make about how to navigate the process.

While your divorce, itself, can cost a substantial amount of money, so, too, can rebuilding your life in the absence of your spouse. Finding and financing a new home, for example, is one such cost, and you will also no longer be able to split the cost of groceries and related expenses once you and your one-time partner split. So, what are some things you can do to cut costs and save yourself money amid divorce?

Consider mediation

Unless the situation between you and your former partner is particularly contentious, Forbes reports that you may want to think about whether you can end your marriage through mediation. Mediated divorces, which involve the two parties sitting down and working through issues with one unbiased mediator, typically save a lot of money. In fact, some estimates suggest that a mediated divorce can run you about $500, while a litigated divorce can cost $32,700.

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 Posted on May 03, 2019 in Uncategorized

Perhaps you have heard a lot about the benefits of mediation and want to give it a try, but certain myths are holding you back.

These are just three you may believe that are not true. The bottom line is mediation is usually the best choice.

1. You have less protection

Because mediation is not a court battle, you may believe your rights will not have as much protection. However, you have the same rights and protection. The only thing that differs is how you address them. The mediator helps you and your spouse communicate effectively and respectfully and focus on what is best for your entire family. The mediator can also review legal options with you to help you make informed decisions.

Because you two are involved in the process, it puts you more in control than if you were to fight in court, meaning you actually get more of what you want. Also, even though lawyers are not present during the sessions, it is still best to have your own attorney review the agreement before submitting it to ensure it is accurate and fair.

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