CFLGSD member Shawn Weber of Brave, Mack and Webers reports that collaborative divorce was recently featured as a good alternative to the expenses of going through the court system to get divorced. Fox Business News recently interviewed attorney Randy Kessler, founding partner of law firm Kessler & Solomiany in Atlanta, Georgia, on tips for saving money on a divorce. Kessler recommends mediation or the collaborative process as the two cheapest ways to get a divorce. See the entire report here.
Read More →by Myra Chack Fleischer, CLF-S, Fleischer & Associates Making the decision to get divorced is never easy. If you have been there, done that, no matter when you file you know it can be consuming and is usually the result of a thought processing lasting weeks, months, even years. If there are children involved, it is even more gut wrenching. This is why our group so strongly recommends the collaborative divorce process to mitigate the impact to your children and your family as a whole. But once you have crossed that bridge in your mind, heart and soul, now is…
Read More →by Robert A. Simon, Ph.D. Concepts of what is best for children may seem obvious. But as I learned during the recent 6th World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights in Sydney, Australia, there is a surprising amount of variation. This conference, held every four years, is attended by mental health professionals, judges, attorneys and educators from around the world who share a common interest – the well being of children who face the breakup of their families or who are the victims of abuse, neglect or other forms of maltreatment. All of us at the World Congress are…
Read More →by Frank X. Nageotte, CLS-FL We will probably never know the details of the divorce case between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. That’s because celebrities and their advisors realize in ways the general public doesn’t always grasp that whatever is litigated becomes public record. Experienced family law attorneys usually encourage their clients to try to resolve their family law issues outside of the court system, whenever possible. All court proceedings are open to the public, and all court records (pleadings – including angry Declarations, filings, orders, etc.) are open to the public. The public includes the parties’ own children, who…
Read More →As reported in the Northwest Herald newspaper of McHenry County, Illinois, two proposed measures backed by State Senator State Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry and the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois aim to ease the emotional and financial burden that often accompanies divorce or separation. Illinois Senate Bill 31 and House Bill 1029 would pave the way for the Uniform Collaborative Law Act, which would outline the process of using a model of conflict resolution known as collaborative practice.View Post The newspaper has also published an editorial in favor of the legislation, stating in part “We think the ideas behind the…
Read More →by Mel Mackler, MA, LMFT Coaching and Education for an Emotionally Healthy Divorce When it comes to divorce, many people hire an attorney out of anxiety. They feel compelled to get advice or protection, often before they’ve discussed the situation with their spouse or partner. Once the discussion is on the table, a spouse may feel compelled to seek immediate protection. How do most people choose an attorney? It’s often by word of mouth: friends who have used an attorney, a friend who practices law, or a recommendation from a family member. While the advice may bring quick relief by…
Read More →By Julia M. Garwood, CFLS, Attorney at Law, Garwood Family Law and Mediation Spring break will be going on across the nation for the next month. Various schools will be getting out for one to two weeks. What do parents do when one parent wants to say “no” to their son or daughter’s wishes to go with their high school or college friends to vacation paradises in the United States, Caribbean or Mexico? The answer is: It depends. In California, the age of your teenager matters. In California, when your child reaches age 18, the parents really have no legal say. The child…
Read More →Family law attorney and CFLGSD member Myra Fleischer discussed a Kansas child support case making national news in this interview with NBC 7 San Diego. In the case, a man who participated in a private donation arranged via Craigslist to a same-sex couple is now being pursued for support after the biological mother applied for public assistance after being unable to work due to medical problems. Since the laws in Kansas and California are similar, while the case is unusual it could happen here. See Myra’s interview in the video window below. Famil
Read More →by Frank X. Nageotte, CLS-FL Faced over the last 30 years with rapid advances in the science of human reproduction and fertility, DNA analysis, and genetics, the equally rapid evolution of the legal rights of gay and lesbian individuals, and significant changes in social views regarding traditional marriage, same-sex couples, and families, the law throughout the United States has been forced to wrestle with the question of just exactly “who is a parent?” The traditional “nuclear family” consisting of a married man and woman with children to whom they are connected by either biology or adoption is no longer the…
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