Collaborative Law Institute Blog – Family Law Attorneys & Professionals
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...
Plan for Tax Changes During and After Your Divorce
During and after a divorce, tax matters take on new importance since your financial circumstances have probably changed, as has your filing status. If you were in charge of tax returns during your marriage — and especially if you were not — keep these tips in mind to...
How to Find a Family Law Attorney
Many years ago when I had recently moved and was looking for a new dentist, I simply looked through the phone book and found a dentist that was located nearby and set up an appointment. Later, when I arrived at the dentist’s office for my appointment, the...
Summer Schedule Stress-Reliever: Effective Co-Parenting
For Minnesota families, summer feels different than other times of the year in more ways than just the warmer weather. Because most kids don’t attend school year round, the summer months can present unique scheduling challenges. This is especially true for...
The Great Mandala
Sometimes Life’s lessons are subtle and elusive. Other times, they’re less so. In mid-March, my granddaughter arrived “in the usual way”, big dark eyes and a head full of dark hair that had all the nurses exclaiming. My stepson was beside...
Collaborative Divorce: A Minnesota Model Changes the World
I just read a Forbes magazine article about the four methods of divorce: Do it yourself Divorce; Mediation; Collaborative Divorce and Litigated Divorce and it reminded of how lucky we are to live in Minnesota. Collaborative Divorce started in Minnesota in 1990 and is...
3 Ways to Deal With Stress During a Divorce
Divorce is one of life’s most stressful events. In fact, research shows that ending a marriage is second only to the death of a spouse as a predictor of illness. So in order to stay healthy, it makes sense to incorporate stress-reduction techniques early and often...
Life After a Collaborative Divorce: A Client’s Experience
Recently I received a LinkedIn endorsement from Christa, a client I represented in 2008 in her collaborative divorce. In thanking her for her endorsement, I took the opportunity to ask her how she was doing. With her permission, her response is reproduced below. ...

