Divorce

Jon and Kate Plus Eight = 0, Gosselin Custody Matter

Forgive the hokey math reference.  It is intended to show another family with children divorcing and the zero representing the losses associated with it.  For Jon and Kate Gosselin, arbitration may finally be putting an end to their marriage and avert a major public custody battle.  At the very least, if they are truly able [...]



Information: Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)

The equitable distribution process which occurs during divorce often includes provisions for the reallocation of retirement plans.  This often includes the retirement plans or pension plans of one or both parties involved in the dissolution of the marriage.
What is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order?
From the Department of Labor website comes the following explanation:
A “qualified domestic [...]



MA: Second Wives Forced to Pay Alimony to First Wives

A surprise to some, but not all, second wives are shocked to find that their income may be considered in the calculation of alimony payments to their husband’s previous wife.  Needless to say, they’re not happy about it at all.
In an effort to change Massachusetts divorce laws regarding alimony, this 2nd-Wives Club is teaming up [...]



Be Smart for the Children: Post-Divorce Best Practices

Though we wish we would see less of it in divorce circumstances, children end up the ultimate casualties when parents take their failed relationship to the ultimate battlefield - family court. While two parents who choose to actually act the part of the adults in the post-relationship years is the best situation, it only [...]



TX: Gay Couple’s Divorce Drawing National Attention

In what is soon to become a flood of controversy since the debates and discussions raged about the recognition of gay marriage - comes the downside - debates and discussions about gay divorce.
It will be interesting to watch how divorce and also custody issues shall be handled for same-sex marriages. One thing is for [...]



Divorce - Arguing Over Things? Try Making Equitable Distribution Simple…

Oh how the high-conflict divorce situation brings out the worst in some personalities…
A long time ago, we heard of an idea that was so simple it seemed entirely too silly to work.  Of course, we know how litigation and the court system make their collective livings by making things as complicated and convoluted as possible.  [...]



Top 10 Commandments of Low-Contact With High-Conflict Personalities

When embroiled in a high-conflict divorce and custody dispute, we highly recommend no-contact.  When children are involved, no-contact is impractical, so we are proponents of what is often referred to as low-contact.  In keeping with this recommendation, we offer the Top 10 Commandments of Low-Contact:
#1 – THOU SHALT ONLY COMMUNICATE IN WRITING!
Communication between the parents [...]



NJ: Divorce Rates Decline in Poor Economy

This is not very surprising news.  This excerpt out of New Jersey shows that when there isn’t a “pot of gold” at the end of the proverbial rainbow - people don’t divorce.  Since women initiate more than 75% of all divorces, oftentimes without the husband ever suspecting it, often gain the most financially at the [...]



Does Your Divorce Attorney Understand High Conflict Custody Issues?

Choosing a divorce attorney is always a difficult process, whether you are filing the divorce yourself or trying to catch up with your spouse that has already decided the marriage will no longer work. When you are dealing with a high conflict spouse, and children are involved, choosing the right attorney is paramount. In a [...]



Communicating in a High-Conflict Divorce & Custody Situation

Always remember this:  “Anything you write can and will be used against you. Any conversations may be recorded and can and will be used against you.”
When it comes to communicating with your ex-spouse or ex-partner, hereafter referred to as the “ex,” anytime you must communicate, it is absolutely critical that you do so in [...]