For many, the summertime is a breath of fresh air, but for divorcing couples with young children and those living at home it can present many obstacles, especially for newly divorced couples. Managing shared custody of kids over the summer can be stressful as you and your ex-spouse work to ensure you both get to spend time with the kids. Here are some valuable pointers for keeping the lines of communication open with your ex: Encourage early collaboration by incorporating your kids in planning to set expectations and get feedback. Recognize transition anxiety: Children of all ages might get anxious…
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California has a mandatory six month waiting period that must be completed before your marital status can be terminated, returning you to a single person. To start the waiting period you must file a Petition for Dissolution and then serve it on the other spouse. It is the day that the other spouse is served that starts the waiting period. It’s important to understand that you are not automatically divorced at the expiration of the waiting period. In order for your divorce to be final, you have to meet other requirements such as financial disclosures, entering an agreement, or having…
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If a couple has children, especially minor children, then one of their first concerns is “will our children be ok?” The simple answer is children take their cues from the grown-ups. Therefore, if you and your spouse can handle the divorce, and especially the child related issues, calmly, politely and with a focus on the children, they will be fine. The things that cause harm to children in divorce is ongoing conflict about the kids that involves the kids in that conflict. This is not to say the children won’t have their own feelings about the changes that come with…
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Divorce can be an emotionally challenging journey with many hurdles and uncertainties. It is understandable why divorcing is extremely stressful. When exploring collaborative divorce options, there are necessary steps and considerations you should be mindful of – here is a checklist to guide your first meeting: Focus on reaching an amicable solution over engaging in conflict. Consider carefully what co-parenting arrangement would work best with your former partner and create plans to ensure their children’s wellbeing. Communication strategies and decision-making procedures must also be in place. Be open to discovering new communication methods with your spouse when co-parenting. Create a…
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With summer around the corner, you and your ex need to create a co-parenting plan. Join us for the next Divorce Options(R) Workshop on June 3 to learn how to create a co-parenting plan for the summer. Learn more about our workshops and RSVP here.
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#1 Where do I start? Anyone who is contemplating divorce or who has been asked for a divorce, is usually overwhelmed. How do you wrap up a marriage? How do you take a family apart? Where will I live? Will I have enough money? How will the kids cope? Will I ever love again? Am I still lovable? Will I die alone? These are hard questions. There are many difficult, disorienting feelings to sort through. Where does a person even start. Over the next few weeks we will sift through some of these questions and hopefully, give you something to…
Read More →When you find yourself heading down the road of divorce, numerous decisions need to be made, and some of those decisions will directly impact your future after your divorce is finalized. We understand that it feels like you are drinking from a firehose in the middle of a hurricane, and being overwhelmed is commonly seen. When you choose the collaborative divorce process, you and your partner can access a team of experts committed to finding a peaceful resolution without going to court. Several experts will be on the team – lawyers, mental health experts, divorce coaches and financially neutral professionals.…
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The number of “gray divorces” has doubled in the past 25 years, they are becoming more commonplace in our society today. It is rising for many reasons, including the size of the baby boomer demographic, and this group not being concerned with the social stigma that divorce caused for their parents and grandparents back in the day. One aspect of the “gray divorce” is that couples who decide at this age to separate often have intermingled financial environment that can be difficult to divide using the ligated-court divorce model. Further there is an emphasis on conserving financial resources and finding…
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Are you considering a Collaborative Divorce? Get the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family. Join us for the next Divorce Options(R) Workshop on May 6 to learn more about a Collaborative Divorce. Learn more about our workshops and RSVP here.
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Filing taxes can be very confusing, especially for newly divorced couples who will be filing differently if their divorce was finalized the prior year. And it doesn’t help that the tax code keeps changing and adding new lines and forms. When married couples divorce, the tax laws change regarding to what each person can and cannot claim. To take some guesswork out of filing your taxes, we suggest detailing how your child’s tax deduction / exemption will be handled on a yearly basis. A neutral financial professional will be a part of your collaborative divorce team. They will help guide…
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