Divorce Tax Tip!
Debra Synovec 10/19/2009
The timing of your divorce could cut your taxes. Your tax bill could be significantly less or more, depending on your filing status as of December 31st.

Divorce And The House
Debra Synovec 10/12/2009
Divorce is usually difficult. Emotions run high and at the same time divorcing couples have the added problem of figuring out the property distribution. This is particularly challenging when the market is down.

New Approaches To Divorce Settlements In Times Of Recession
Richard Sharp 10/12/2009
Survey results published by The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts in June 2009, indicate that the way in which divorce proceedings are being handled are changing, due in part to the current economic climate.

Divorce Mediation: Is Separate Always Better?
Benjamin Papa, Kregg Nance 10/12/2009
It is our experience that the vast majority of divorce mediators in Middle Tennessee conduct all divorce mediations with the parties in separate rooms from beginning to end. This seems to be true regardless of whether the parties have children together, their ability to communicate effectively, or the general level of conflict they are experiencing. This article challenges the premise that “separate is always better” and asks whether automatically separating the parties in divorce mediation serves the parties well, especially long-term.

Book Review Of Collaborative Divorce Handbook: Helping Families Without Going To Court
09/25/2009
Forrest S. “Woody” Mosten has been a visionary trailblazer for over 30 years. The first time I heard Woody speak was in Denver in the late 1990’s. The topic was Unbundling Legal Services. I remember thinking, boy is he courageous! I contemplated the resistance he would surely face from the rest of legal community. When you get to know Woody, you quickly discover that he is a champion of the ones who have no voice, the client drowning in conflict; a change agent on a very large scale.

Who Decides Your Divorce...Umpire Or You?
Debra Synovec 07/27/2009
Clients often ask “Is mediation right for our divorce situation?” A better question might be “Is litigation right for our divorce situation?”

Co-Parenting After A Divorce—Tips From A Mediator
Brian James 07/13/2009
Co-parenting starts the day the decision is made to divorce has been made. Even the most amicable divorces need a plan for future co-parenting. Putting your children's best interests first, no matter how much you may dislike their other parent, is the key to co-parenting.

When Divorce Means Re-Entering The Job Market
Laurie Israel 06/01/2009
In working with divorcing couples, reemployment of an “at-home” spouse is a recurring theme. This is usually (but not always) the wife, who needs to enter the job market after the divorce. An analysis of the finances of a divorce case generally leads to the stark truth that the family unit (now divided into two households) cannot live on the earned income that was being brought into the household prior to the divorce.

Book Review: The Healthy Divorce: Keys to Ending Your Marriage While Preserving your Emotional Well-Being
Joan B. Kelly 04/10/2009
This book is an updated version of Between Love and Hate: A Guide to Civilized Divorce, originally published in 1992. At that time, I was troubled by the continuing portrayal by the American media and movies of American divorces as destructive, poisonous, hateful processes and behaviors reminiscent of War of the Rose, and widely recommended Lois Gold’s book to mental health and legal professionals and separating partners and spouses to educate them about a better way to separate and divorce.

A Glimmer of Light: Divorce & Breakups May Not Feel As Bad As You Think
Rina Goodman 03/16/2009
In the beginning, there is disbelief and fear. Questions such as, "What am I going to do?"; "How will I live on my own?"; and "How can I sleep without holding someone?" come spilling forth. The caller continues to speak, but I am not expected to answer. So I listen.

Finding Your Divorce Mediator!
Nancy Hudgins, Debra Synovec 03/03/2009
Locating a qualified divorce mediator is essential and significant to the process. The mediator is your guide throughout the divorce mediation process. At first locating a mediator may seem like looking for a needle in a haystack because divorce mediators have all sorts of backgrounds and abilities, from lawyers to therapists to financial professionals and many in between. One difficulty is that in most states anyone can hang their shingle and mediate. So how do you distinguish a really good mediator from a so-so mediator?

Working Together after Divorce – The Mediated Road to Success
Rikk Larsen, Blair Trippe 01/06/2009
The world of divorce is a place with an infinite number of stories that play out as a short list of common themes. The biggies: the well being of the children, how to divide assets, who gets the marital home and the complications of a parenting plan. We also know that divorces are rarely the end of the relationship in the sense that once they are final you never have, or need to have, contact with the other party again.

Mitigating High Conflict Divorce Disputes
Brook D. Olsen 08/24/2008
High levels of parental conflict have consistently been shown to be among the most destructive factors in both intact and divorced families. Currently, we have an epidemic of children caught up in the chaos and turmoil of parental conflict.

Calling all divorce mediators: inside the mind of a divorce lawyer
Geoff Sharp 07/21/2008
When next at mediation a jaded divorce attorney collapses in the chair nearest to you, remember this has been their journey; 'Dear client, I am pleased that you have hired me to represent you in your divorce. I'm pleased because I need the money you and others like you pay me. I'm tired of working with people like you who are always fighting and never happy, and often unhappy with me, but I feel trapped now and don't know how I could change my practice at this point in my career without a ...

Frequently Asked Questions about Children and Divorce
Paula Levy 07/07/2008
This article addresses the challenge of communicating with children about a divorce.