by Michele Sacks Lowenstein, Attorney, California State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist, Lowenstein Brown, A.P.L.C. Trying to negotiate a divorce in a conference room with either a mediator or two attorneys is hard work. However, the result can be worthwhile if you bear in mind that you are a parent forever and the story of your divorce will, ultimately, be your child’s story as well. An important component of successful negotiation is the use of language during these negotiations. Words express how we think about and see life. The words we use are symbolic of our perspective on life. Some people…
Read More →
by Meredith G. Lewis, Esq. Certified Legal Specialist-Family Law Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Lewis, Warren & Setzer, LLP For the first several years of my family law practice, I represented clients who were looking to the judicial system to make decisions regarding their children, finances and property. These clients felt it appropriate to provide a judge who didn’t personally know anything about them with complete control over their future and that of their family. A release of such control never seemed natural to me. As I slowly transitioned my practice to only Alternate Dispute Resolution (“ADR”), I saw a much…
Read More →CPCal working to meet the needs of the modern family Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR 619-997-2495 or gayle@falconvalleygroup.com (SAN DIEGO) – Collaborative Divorce professionals throughout California will focus on broadening the reach of the Collaborative model to an increasingly diverse array of families at its statewide conference April 25-27 in San Francisco, California. A team of ten members from the Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego will take a leadership role in the conference, including attorneys, financial specialists, and mental health practitioners. They include Julie Mack, attorney/mediator and President of CFLG San Diego; attorneys Adryenn Canton, Hildy Fentin,…
Read More →The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas recently held its annual conference in Dallas. As part of the conference, a panel of collaborative divorce practitioners participated in a discussion on KERA Public Radio in North Texas. It is an illuminating discussion we found worth sharing with you. The discussion identifies three main reasons people seek a Collaborative Divorce. Please listen to the discussion at this link. Do you agree with the reasons presented in the discussion? What is your experience? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Read More →by Craig B. Grether, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist, Collaborative Coach and Past-President of the Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego The Stress Effect Divorce ends what was supposed to be our most intimate life-long relationship. It is one of the top ten stressors on all life event stress scales, ranking close to the loss of a loved one and serving a jail term. The stress of marital separation and divorce can be acute, (short-term) or chronic, (long-term: greater than six months). The health problems from separation and divorce are both psychological and physical. These effects are more severe for people…
Read More →by Nancy A. Taylor, Esq. Hargreaves & Taylor, LLP California State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist Member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers As soon as your friends and family find out you have filed for divorce, the first thing they will want to do is tell you their horror stories and/or how you and your attorney should be handling your case. They mean well, but the problem with their divorce stories is this: every case is different. You can’t expect to have the same outcome they experienced. Based on years of working with divorcing couples with no two…
Read More →by Robin DeVito, Attorney at Law One of the more difficult issues facing people getting divorced is the issue of spousal support. For both parties, questions generally focus on how much support will be, and how long is it paid. There are three types of spousal support orders. The first: Money is paid for spousal support for a period of time. The second: Money is not being paid for support, but the recipient spouse may go into court to ask for support. This is commonly called the court reserve jurisdiction over the issue of spousal support. The third: The right…
Read More →by Meredith L. Brown, Esq. Brown & Brown Many couples prepare Wills and Trusts in connection with a happy life event, such as the birth of a child. Frequently these documents are placed in a safe deposit box, never to be updated or even thought about again. When the unfortunate life event of divorce happens, couples often opt to defer consideration of their old estate planning. No one wants to think about their mortality on a good day, much less when divorce is on their mind. This decision is understandable, but it is probably unwise and potentially costly. First, a…
Read More →by Colleen A. Warren, Esq. Certified Legal Specialist – Family Law, LEWIS, WARREN & SETZER, LLP What did you do during the holiday season? Most of us enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Many people put their differences aside during the holidays and attempted to live together harmoniously for the sake of the children or their family, or to ensure no one else knows they are unhappy in their marriage. Many people wonder, “Now that I have made it through the holidays, is it the right time to tell my spouse I want a divorce?” Those same people do…
Read More →January 20, 2014 Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR 619-997-2495 or gayle@falconvalleygroup.com (SAN DIEGO) – The release of the new documentary film “Divorce Corp.” has generated renewed attention and focus on family law court proceedings involving divorce, child custody and child support issues across the United States. While the film offers a critique of the way that divorce is commonly handled in the United States, it does not discuss a critical and viable alternative for many families: the Collaborative Divorce process. The Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego (CFLG San Diego) is a non-profit group of legal, financial, and…
Read More →