Collaborative Law Institute Blog – Family Law Attorneys & Professionals
Divorce: The Rule of Relationship is more Powerful than the Rule of Law
The “Rule of Relationship” is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. Often we are not even aware of its existence. In a divorce, it can be more powerful than the rule of law. Here is how it works. Let’s assume you and your spouse are separated but you do not...
Jazz, Medicine and Collaborative Practice
Stu Webb, who thought about collaborative divorce first in the early 1990’s, and is considered the founder of collaborative law, loves jazz. So do I. I listened to my 9th year of fabulous jazz music at the Detroit International Jazz Festival over Labor Day...
Getting Unmarried Part III: I’m off to talk with my spouse about divorce.
My previous posts have covered: Making the decision to get divorced and searching out the various processes on how to get divorced, including collaborative divorce. From my way of thinking, which is not necessarily how anyone else might think, the next step for me...
When Being Right Is Wrong: Lesson from a Dog
It turns out that dogs are great teachers about relationships. My dog recently taught me that I cannot get him (or anyone else) to do something simply by being right. Being right will not get you what you want in a relationship, and may even drive a deeper wedge...
The Best Solutions Can Sometimes be Found in the Bathroom Mirror
There is a very funny video making the rounds that shows a woman talking to her husband about this mysterious pain in the middle of her forehead. Early in the video we are shown that the pain is being caused by a nail in her forehead. When the husband gently tries to...
Answers to 3 Major Divorce Questions
A recent article in the New York Times suggests that big-money divorces provide lessons for less-wealthy couples. Regardless of a couple’s income or net worth, several questions are common to most marriage dissolutions, including: How can we create a parenting plan...
Top 3 Tips for Divorced Moms
Besides being a family law attorney, I am a divorced mother of a teenager. My daughter was 9 when her dad and I separated. Parenting is not for the faint of heart, even with a great kid. I cherish the fact that I have a strong co-parenting relationship with my...
Themes in Divorce From Movie Blue Jasmine
I recently saw the new Woody Allen film, Blue Jasmine. It stars Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin as a couple who live the high life and then the low life following divorce. The story line and themes in this movie seemed true to me based on my work with many divorcing...
Friends Don’t Let Friends Divorce Badly: 5 Ways to Help Your Friends During a Difficult Time
Divorce is never truly good. But a bad divorce can create many years of devastation. If you have a friend or family member approaching divorce it can be difficult to watch the economic and emotional turmoil unfold, particularly if there are children involved. As a...
3 Major Divorce Myths
Having consulted with hundreds of clients over the years, I have learned that there are many popular misconceptions about divorce. Acting on misinformation can result in long-term, unintended consequences for your family. I’ll address three such myths here: Myth #1:...
