Getting to the Settlement Table and Divorce
I recently read an article that indicated over 90% of divorces in California settle prior to going to trial. Most Courts in California have a requirement that prior to proceeding with a trial that the parties participate in a Mandatory Settlement Conference to...
Using Financial Professionals to Support a Healthy Divorce
Most people facing divorce think first and foremost to find a divorce attorney to move them through the process. I encourage couples to also look at hiring a mediator as a first resource. Whichever path is taken there are other professional resources to bring into...
Police Dogs, Bar Exams and Divorce Mediation
This past weekend I was cleaning up some old files and I happened across a copy of my old bar exam dated Tuesday morning, July 28, 1992. I didn’t even realize that I had kept a copy, yet here it was over 30 years later, reminding me of my beginnings in the law. At...
Credit Card Perks and Divorce.
In a recent study it was reported that nearly half of American households use credit cards to earn perks such as cash back, points to use toward purchases, and travel miles. Credit card companies entice users to run up debt so that substantial interest can be earned...
Divorce and the Needs of Adult Children.
For many of us parents who have adult children we recognize that our children don’t magically become fully self-sufficient when they turn 18 and graduate from high school. When couples divorce in California the legal requirement to support them (unless they are...
Full Disclosure and Divorce.
In my ongoing efforts to simplify the process of divorce, I have boiled it down into four basic steps. First, getting educated on the law and the issues. Second, the exchange of a thorough and complete disclosure. Third, resolving the issues through settlement or...
Untangling and Divorce Mediation.
When we get married we make a conscious decision to become entangled with our partner. As they say, we “tie the knot.” We move from being individuals to being a partnership. We entangle our personal lives, our finances and our assets and obligations. We may...
Hello, Goodbye and Happy New Year!
I have always loved New Years. Earlier this month I wrote about making resolutions and reflecting on the year gone by. I continue to be one of those people who likes to stay up until midnight and count down the arrival of the new year, bang on pots and pans, give big...
Decisions and Stepping Into your Higher Self
I spent a number of years serving as a board member for the school that my children attended. It was our practice to start off each meeting with a selected study for about 20 minutes or so, focused on either further educating our work as board members or seeking to...
Goals, Resolutions and Divorce.
Each year around this time I spend some time reviewing my New Year’s Resolutions from the past year to check in and see how I did and then consider if I want to continue chasing those that I have not yet attained, or whether I want to build some new ones. I have...