Collaborative Law Institute Blog – Family Law Attorneys & Professionals
Social Media and Divorce: An Ounce of Prevention
During my childhood, a common folk saying was, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Clearly this adage predated the internet age. Children can be hurt by words, and need our protection. Probably most people you know send...
Holiday Gift-Giving Competition
After your divorce, getting along at the holidays can be a stressful situation when you have kids. On top of trying to work out holiday visitation schedules and travel plans, you may also be worrying about what to get your kids. You might not have the resources to buy...
Can the Holidays be Affordable?
The holiday season is upon us with all of its beauty, tradition and unreal expectations. It can be a stressful time for even the most grounded person. For someone newly divorced and still sorting out their new life, the challenges that the holiday season imposes can...
Surviving the Holidays During Your Divorce
This time of year (between Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah) can bring extra challenges for couples going through divorce. Here are some things to keep in mind if you are in the middle of the process. Focus on the positives. Even though there may be conflict and...
Holiday Shopping Post Divorce
According to a Holiday Consumer Spending Survey by Consumer Affairs the average person celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa and/or Hanukkah will spend $804.42 on gifts this 2014 holiday season. If you are separated or going through a divorce, chances are that figure is...
Social Security and Your Retirement – Part 1: The Basics
Over the next couple months, I will discuss the various dimensions of Social Security. So many people look at the Social Security program as the simple process of going in to the Social Security Office to claim benefits sometime after age 62, when they decide to stop...
Divorce and Taxes
This time of year, it is often important to consider the tax implications of filing for divorce. In both federal and state taxes in Minnesota, you cannot file jointly if you are divorced before the end of the year. If your divorce is finalized in 2014 (signed off by...
The Power of Acceptance in Divorce
I find that what my clients want most is to return to a happy, peaceful life. Divorce is a place of upheaval with many unknowns. Will my kids be okay? Where will I live? Will I be able to make ends meet? Will I ever be able to retire? These questions and more...
The End is the Beginning
The secret to a constructive and respectful divorce is to start at the end and work backward. Ask yourself, “What do I want my life, my spouse’s life, and my children’s lives to look like when the divorce is all over? What is my vision for the future?” In fact, the...
Law, Like Medicine, is Reconsidering How They Do Things
Ask anyone who has ever gone through a divorce whether they have recommendations for how the process could have gone better and I bet they would have a list of ideas. They would likely identify a need for their legal counsel to have communicated more frequently with...
