by Frann Setzer, Esq. MBA/Certified Family Law Specialist Lewis, Warren & Setzer, LLP It surprises me how many phone calls I receive from potential clients whose first question is, ‘what is your hourly rate?’ While I appreciate that legal help is not inexpensive, my experience is that receiving advice from a qualified professional is invaluable. My tax professional charges a similar rate to an attorney. While she is not the least expensive accountant, she has saved me thousands of dollars. Remember when you are speaking with a family law attorney for the first time, you are in fact interviewing each…
Read More →Among the many significant benefits of collaborative divorce is providing a framework for respectful, civil discussion between spouses about difficult issues. By remaining civil, emotional stress is lessened on everyone in the family, especially the children. Once the divorce is final, parents need to continue those respectful communication practices as they work together to raise their children. The positive aspects of collaborative divorce can be unraveled quickly when children witness their mother and father speaking harshly about one another, even if the conversation isn’t directed at the children. Conflict and the family stress it creates benefits no one in the…
Read More →By Garrison “Bud” Klueck Americans of a certain age likely recall a memorable TV commercial. The TV image is that of someone breaking an egg. The voice-over announcer says “This is your brain.” It then cuts to a very hot frying pan sizzling. The egg is dropped into the pan, where it rapidly fried. The voiceover says “This is your brain on drugs. Get it?” In other words, taking drugs fries your brain. The services offered by the professionals in a Collaborative divorce team have the opposite effect on clients going through the divorce process. Collaborative divorce “unfries your brain.” …
Read More →Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, Falcon Valley Group 619-997-2495 / gayle@falconvalleygroup.com (SAN DIEGO) – Family law attorney and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mediator and collaborator Hildy Fentin has been named President of the Southern California chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers for the 2014-2015 term. Fentin is the first attorney named to this leadership role whose practice is limited to Alternative Dispute Resolution. Fentin is Immediate Past President of CFLGSD and a valued member of the Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego. The AAML, founded in 1962, is recognized as the most prestigious national family law organization…
Read More →by Ginita Wall, CPA, CFP®, CDFA They say that a bad marriage is like a game of cards. You start out with two hearts and a diamond – but end up wishing for a club and a spade. When those feelings surface during a divorce, it leads to unproductive conflict and often results in a less than optimal settlement. In divorce it is important to focus on the real problems to come up with real solutions. If spouses are at war, they are likely to see each other as the problem and the divorce as the solution. But they won’t…
Read More →When a female celebrity making big money paid out spousal support, it made headlines: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Janet Jackson, Jessica Simpson. Now the trend is trickling down. Women are breaking professional and societal barriers at a tremendous rate today. Women professionals, entrepreneurs, military and organizational leaders are no longer considered unusual. Just as gender stereotypes are breaking down in other areas of American life, they are breaking down in divorce outcomes. If the wife makes more money than her husband, she faces the real – and fair – possibility of paying spousal support. If a spouse of either gender…
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