Collaborative Law Institute Blog – Family Law Attorneys & Professionals
Politics, Divorce and “the other side”
Frustrated with the world of politics today? Unless you are reading this from your hospital bed, having just awakened from a long coma, I am going to guess the answer is yes. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, it’s likely that you have about had it with all...
Take a Deep Breath: The Children are Listening
Children begin their lives constantly observing and emulating our use of language. A baby watches, listens and models her mother’s face saying “Ohhhh,” moving her own lips to form the shape of that sound. A toddler in his car seat repeats the word his parent...
Should I get Divorced During the Covid-19 Pandemic?
Divorce is never an easy topic, nor should it be an easy answer – but what about during a pandemic? Is disrupting your family’s life to separate into two households the right thing to do when a pandemic is taking place? There is never going to be a “right” time to...
Unbundling in a Collaborative World: Working to get the Best of Both Worlds
Collaborative Divorce is a method of divorce that started in Minnesota in 1990 and has now spread to more than 25 countries. The initial defining principle of Collaborative Divorce was that the lawyers would withdraw if the matter became adversarial and went to...
Marriage Story, Really?!
There has been some buzz about the new film on Netflix called Marriage Story about a couple, Charlie and Nicole, with a son, Henry, going through divorce. I decided to watch it since this is my area of practice and a prospective client referenced it last week in a...
Avoid Tax Surprises – Adjust your W-4!
It’s important for divorcees to review and adjust their W-4 payroll withholding or start to make quarterly tax estimates following their divorce. Often, they are so relieved to have reached settlement, they fail to think about these housekeeping items. If divorced in...
Notable 2019 Contribution Limits
As we move into 2019, it’s helpful to know contribution limits and Social Security changes. Individual Retirement Accounts: The annual contribution limits for traditional and Roth IRA’s have increased to $6,000, a boost of $500 over 2018 contribution limits. The...
Wouldn’t You Rather Divorce in a Conference Room Than a Courtroom
Wouldn’t it be great if families could complete their divorce in a conference room rather than a courtroom? That’s the thinking behind the Collaborative Process and what makes the Collaborative Law Institute of Minnesota so helpful to divorce professionals...
Tax Planning – Bonuses Gone Bad!
It is important to review and discuss tax planning for the year in which a divorce was completed, especially for high earning individuals who receive incentive compensation and plan to be divorced by December 31, 2018. As part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, many...
3 Life Insights from the Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos Divorce
One of the reasons that divorce is such a challenging life transition is its public nature. A couple might keep their problems private as they try to work through them. But if a rift opens that can’t be mended, the couple will have to share some very difficult news...
