Monthly Archives: May 2015

May 29, 2015

What is a Collaborative Divorce?

Categories: Collaborative Law • Divorce • Family Law

Collaborative Divorce was started in Minnesota 25 years ago and has spread to more than 20 countries because it meets two basic needs felt by divorcing couples around the world. What does it mean to say that a divorce is Continue reading…

May 26, 2015

Statistics on Divorce

Categories: Divorce • Family Law

There was an interesting article in the New York Times regarding divorce statistics. It theorized many different reasons the divorce rate seems to be decreasing in the United States. Perhaps, the economic downturn has caused couples to stay married longer Continue reading…

May 20, 2015

Peace is Possible

Categories: Children in Divorce • Divorce • Family Law • Mental Health • Parents

Peace is possible though we are surrounded by conflict.  In the recent words of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, “The world is a mess.”  Messiness occurs when people are unable or unwilling to resolve differences without wars of words Continue reading…

May 15, 2015

Sufficient Conditions

Categories: Collaborative Law • Divorce • Family Law

Getting unmarried collaboratively is about having difficult conversations with one’s soon to be un-spouse in order to reach an agreement in which there is mutual gain – think of it as finding a way to divide a dozen oranges so Continue reading…

May 14, 2015

Don’t Forget About ‘The Team’

Categories: Collaborative Law • Divorce

I have finally fulfilled my responsibility as a new member of the Collaborative Law Institute to take the two-part training, known as the New Collaborative Experience. The training, which takes place over two Fridays a week apart, is generally offered Continue reading…

May 11, 2015

The Art of Present Moment Parenting

Categories: Children in Divorce • Divorce • Family Law • Mental Health • Parents

I have known Tina Feigal for about eight years, and over that time have talked with her several times about the unique work she does coaching parents to become effective while dealing with challenging children. In this blog I am Continue reading…

May 8, 2015

Getting Unmarried and Taxes

Categories: Budgeting • Divorce • Finances and Divorce • Money and Divorce • Taxes and Divorce

Getting unmarried and taxes can become a consideration in terms of whether to have a divorce final by year-end or final after January 1. I have worked on a number of divorce cases where this very topic deserved a thorough Continue reading…

May 4, 2015

Divorce, College Funding and FAFSA

Categories: Budgeting • Children in Divorce • Divorce • Finances and Divorce • Money and Finances

Parents with children who attend college get to take part in the annual ritual of filling out the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA can be nearly as difficult as Calculus 101, but unlike calculus this math, can Continue reading…

May 1, 2015

Appreciate the Good

Categories: Collaborative Law • Divorce • Family Law

Most of my work as a lawyer involves representing clients in Collaborative divorces, and most of those cases involve the use of neutral experts to advise the couple on finances, child development, and communication/relationship dynamics. The idea is to provide Continue reading…