A recent Forbes Magazine article offers advice specifically to women about assets in a financial portfolio that they might overlook when working on the division of those assets in a divorce. From a practical standpoint, it’s true that people don’t always clearly identify or think about all of their “assets” at the time of divorce. But those of us involved in the Collaborative Divorce approach believe the focus of a divorce should not be on “stuff.” Advocates of Collaborative Divorce focus on the process of making good decisions without alienating one partner from the other and coming out at the…
Read More →Divorce is a life change and transition that challenges the emotional, interpersonal, and cognitive functioning of those experiencing it. These changes impact all members of the family–not only the parents and the children involved, but also members of the extended family. Divorce is a life experience like no other. Divorce is not an event–it is a process that unfolds over a period of time. Learn about the distinct phases of divorce and how they progress in this article by CFLG San Diego members Justin A. Reckers, CFP, CDFA, AIF, director of financial planning at Pacific Wealth Management and managing director…
Read More →By Shawn Weber, CA State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist Past President, Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego Board Member of Collaborative Practice California My life as a family law attorney changed with my first Collaborative Practice case. I was moved by the idea of leaving the adversarial process that I found so harmful to families and children and engaging in the solutions-oriented, mutual and respectful collaborative model for families transitioning through the divorce process. I had seen too many situations in court where I felt we were doing more harm than good. While litigation is necessary for some,…
Read More →by Susan Rapp, CLS-F, Family Law Attorney There are a number of ways to resolve parenting, property, debt, and support issues in a divorce. These methods include Collaborative Divorce, hiring an attorney and attempting to settle issues outside of court, going to court and litigating unresolved issues, and working with an impartial mediator, with or without attorney involvement. I have been a family law attorney for over 25 years. No matter which approach you take, there are several things you can do to reduce attorney fees and costs, minimize feelings of a loss of control over your life and the…
Read More →CFLGSD member Constance Ahrons, Ph.D., rofessor emerita of the University of Southern California and the former director, Marriage and Family Therapy Doctoral Program, is quoted in a recent article written for Pacific Northwest Magazine, which appears every Friday as part of the Seattle Times. In the article, Dr. Ahrons explains what it means to have “a good divorce,” a phrase she originated to describe the type of divorce made possible through the Collaborative Divorce process. It’s always good news when people are given an opportunity to learn more about Collaborative Divorce through articles like this one, featuring experts like Dr.…
Read More →There is a new and surprising reason not to take on too much college debt. A survey by Harris Interactive conducted for the American Institute of CPAs found 15 percent of college graduates have postponed getting married due to their student loan payments. This is a significant number. Almost 39 million U.S. adults had student loan debt at the end of 2012 – 70 percent more than in 2004, according to statistics from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Financial stress and difficulties remain a leading cause of divorce. CFLGSD member Myra Chack Fleischer of Fleischer & Associates wrote…
Read More →Divorce is never a happy situation. But it can be especially difficult for women who would like to become mothers and face an expiration date on their fertility. Reproductive medicine provides many more options for people who wish to become parents. But this can also complicate a divorce. Fertility preservation could now become an issue in divorce if a New York family law case sets a precedent. CFLGSD member Mel Mackler shares this article from the New York Times on September 7 about the case; read it at this link. How do you see this playing out in the courts…
Read More →Many parents are working through the transition in their lives created when their children leave for college. As CFLGSD member and family law attorney Julia Garwood notes, things change. They no longer know when the kids are home, whether they are eating or sleeping properly, who they are hanging out with, and other everyday activities. Many couples find themselves in the situation where the kids are gone and they are left with a spouse that they no longer know – except in relationship to the children. It can be a crucial time in your marriage. Unfortunately, some empty nesters find…
Read More →A record 8% of households with minor children in the United States are headed by a single father, up from just over 1% in 1960, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Decennial Census and American Community Survey data. The number of single father households has increased about ninefold since 1960, from less than 300,000 to more than 2.6 million in 2011. The entire Pew Research study can be found at this link. There is a tremendous amount of data offered in this study which could be useful to anyone dealing with issues affecting families including divorce, custody and…
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