Collaborative Law Institute Blog – Family Law Attorneys & Professionals
Going Beyond the Label in Family Law
As a society, we are inclined to attach shorthand labels to everything from parenting (Tiger Mom, Soccer Mom, Helicopter Parents) to politics (Red States and Blue States, the War on Drugs). It’s a function of our human brains that we are wired to categorize...
Minnesota: The Best Place for an Ailing Marriage: Part 1
Because of our great medical facilities, people often say that Minnesota might be the best place in the world to get sick. What is less known is that Minnesota is rapidly becoming known as the best place for an ailing marriage too. Indeed, just as people travel all...
Getting Unmarried: Gray Divorces
According to a Bowling Green State University study, the divorce rate for those over 50 more than doubled between 1990 and 2009. The trend suggests that by 2030 there will be more than 800,000 divorces per year for the 50 plus age group. This unprecedented rise in...
Four Tips for Telling Your Spouse You Want a Divorce
People commonly worry about telling their spouse they want a divorce. It is obviously a difficult conversation to have. Some people are scared of the outcome or don’t want to hurt someone they care about. Other people just don’t know what words to use....
Five Tips to Protect Your Credit
A divorce can impact your ability to secure credit simply because you may no longer have the income you had when you were married. Here are five tips to maintain a good credit score and protect it for the future. 1. Know your credit score and what affects it. Your...
Innovation and Creativity in Divorce
This may sound like a joke . . . but it’s not. What do UPS trucks and collaborative divorce have in common? Both use innovation and creativity to solve standard problems in unique ways. Almost all turns (90%) made by UPS truck drivers are right turns. According to...
Legal Separation as an Alternative to Divorce
This article sprouted from a series of brainstorming meetings that I recently had with fellow Collaborative Attorney Bruce Peck. We decided to meet for coffee from time to time to discuss and share ideas for writing about any alternative topic that may come to mind...
Try to “Win” in Divorce Court: Unless You Want to Get a Better Result
With so much at stake in a divorce, it is tempting to think about how to “win”. Yet, the grim irony of divorce is that “winning” often leads to poor results. I know that seems like a contradiction, but most divorce lawyers who, like me, have spoken with “winning”...
4 Ways to Reduce Stress in Divorce
In the list of life’s most stressful events, divorce is near the top of the list. Divorce can cause health concerns, sleeplessness, job performance problems, distraction, and short tempers. It can damage relationships with others and, obviously, can be very hard on...
The Eulogy
After the service was over, my friend, Larry, came up to me and said, “When I die, I want you to do my eulogy!” “Then he’s going to have to spend a lot more time with you,” my wife chimed in. “He’ll have to learn a lot more...
