Collaborative Law Institute Blog – Family Law Attorneys & Professionals
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...
Generalist or Specialist: Can an Attorney Wear Too Many Hats?
A friend of mine who knows I am intricately woven into the divorce-planning and alternative dispute resolution circles in the Minneapolis St. Paul metro recently asked me if I knew a certain divorce attorney. He knew of a person who was not feeling too well about...
3 Tips for Co-Parenting
Co-parenting can be exhausting, especially if your communication skills while you were married were not great to begin with. During your divorce you may have asked yourself, “If we couldn’t communicate effectively while we were married, how are we going to when we are...
Divorce: What’s Co-Parenting Got To Do With It?
Divorce is a crisis in the life of a family. It is not actually a legal crisis, though it requires this expertise to ensure that legal resolutions are reached regarding financial matters. It is not a theoretical crisis. It is a genuine emotional crisis. What does...
Budget Your Way to a New Life – Part Three: Daily Tips
Once you have created a budget and projected your expenses into the next 12 months, there are additional steps you can take on a daily and monthly basis to improve your cash flow. Remember your goal is positive cash flow that allows you to save money for short and...
Why You Can’t Afford “Free” Divorce Advice
The world is full of divorce experts willing to give you “free” advice about how to handle your divorce. Divorce is so common today that everyone from your hair stylist to your parents are likely to have advice about how you should handle your divorce. There are...
