Personal Property and Divorce: Family Focused Consignment Offers Solutions Guest Blog By Mark A. Roger Proprietor; Backroom @ WestClay Divorce brings with it upheaval and turmoil; navigating the dissolution of a relationship takes an emotional toll of both parties. The dissolution and assignment of property; and cost of establishing new residences compound the situation. Once…
Read More →Shared Custody Schedules. When you’ve been married you’ve been parenting together, the idea of seeing your kids on a schedule probably seems pretty foreign. It’s a divorce and separation reality, however. There are a few things to keep in mind to help you be successful at shared, cooperative co-parenting: It will take some time for…
Read More →Tips for Co-Parenting after Divorce This is a guest blog by Scott Morgan, a board certified Austin Divorce Lawyer. Co-parenting after divorce can seem daunting, but it is entirely possible to establish a healthy co-parenting relationship with your ex-spouse. The most important thing to remember is to put your children’s well-being ahead of your own…
Read More →More and more people are choosing mediation rather than litigation. Why it has taken so long to catch on, when the benefits of mediation are obvious, is beyond me, but better late than never. There are huge advantages when you mediate your divorce, family law, custody, child support, alimony, spousal support or modification issue. If…
Read More →There’s often a lot of grandstanding in divorce court proceedings. A lot of people say, “I’ll see you in court!” not knowing exactly what that means. In the moment, they don’t like what they’re hearing, whether it’s in mediation or around the kitchen table, so they say, I’m done with this!” not realizing that saying “no”…
Read More →Setting Clear Boundaries Often, your marital or domestic situation does not meet the level of serious violence where you have to flee, but you are subject to consistent intimidation or abuse. These actions are also a form of violence or battering, and also an indication of the deterioration in your relationship. Understand that when you…
Read More →Well, there’s really no improvements on divorce and custody litigation. But mediation is definitely a better way to go. Less costly, faster, confidential, on your schedule, tailored to your needs….the benefits of mediation are pretty clear. When you mediate your divorce, family law, custody, child support, alimony, spousal support or modification issue you don’t have…
Read More →Kids and Custody Do you remember being a kid? At my age it’s a little blurry, but I can tell you that adults often misunderstand how kids behave and think. Children are often smarter and more creative than we give them credit for. As a toddler I distinctly remember being able to understand that my…
Read More →I get asked a lot about Child Custody. It’s not surprising, since a parent’s love for their children is bigger than any financial settlement. Oftentimes, a parent feels that getting more time with the child is worth more than any divorce settlement can buy. Unfortunately, as a mediator specializing in divorce and child custody here…
Read More →Here at Peace Talks, we love Mediation. If you’ve spent any time looking through our site and blog posts, you know that already. It’s an easy sell, because, to us, it’s a no-brainer. Just look at a recent example: one couple came into our Los Angeles office looking to get a divorce settlement through mediation. …
Read More →As a divorce lawyer and mediator here in Los Angeles, California, I get the opportunity to see a lot of clients with varied backgrounds and personalities. There are common threads you can pick up on as a mediator that can help you diagnose each situation with just a short interview. This initial diagnosis allows me…
Read More →Choosing whether to proceed in court with a custody dispute is serious business. It affects your spouse, who you may be trying to deny custody altogether, but most especially, it affects your child or children, who may be forced to grow up without their birth father or mother as an active player in their on-going…
Read More →“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” That’s a quote attributed to Alexander Graham Bell and couldn’t be more true today. As a divorce attorney, you’re preparation is a lot different than it is as a Mediator. I would know, I am currently a Mediator dedicated exclusively to family law, divorce settlements and…
Read More →*FREE* Online Parenting Calendars Review by Janae Monroe Peace Talks Mediation Services peace-talks.com Juggling soccer practice, violin lessons, tutors, and everything else in between can be extremely difficult to manage for any family, but for divorcing parents it’s all the more challenging. Using programs like these will help give your children a sense of predictability.…
Read More →REVIEW: HBO’s DON’T DIVORCE ME Review by Janae Monroe Peace Talks Mediation Services peace-talks.com Divorce is difficult for everyone involved, especially the children. While parents intend to put their children first, sometimes finances and personal needs get in the way. Using interviews, drawings, songs, photos and handwritten rules, Don’t Divorce Me goes into the mind…
Read More →Staying Focused On What Matters This Holiday Season For most children, the holidays are an exciting time that they look forward to all year. However for some, especially those whose parents are separated, they can be dispiriting and difficult. For tips on how to keep your child happy and upbeat during this season, read the…
Read More →In response to the recession, Peace Talks now offers a couple of new services. I hope you’ll keep us in mind if you come across couples needing either of the following: 1) $995 paperwork only service: for couples who already have an agreement and who just need the paperwork, we’ll do all of that for…
Read More →I went to a meeting today with the Honorable Thomas Trent Lewis at the Los Angeles Superior Court. He wanted to update the family law bar, forensic accountants, and custody expert witnesses about what exactly is going on at the court given all the budget cuts. It was pretty interesting. Infuriating, but interesting. Background below.…
Read More →Peace of Mind Collaborative and the Los Angeles Collaborative Family Law Association are pleased to present a community-based series of Divorce Options
Read More →Low Cost
Read More →Personal Property and Divorce: Family Focused Consignment Offers Solutions Guest Blog By Mark A. Roger Proprietor; Backroom @ WestClay Divorce brings with it upheaval and turmoil; navigating the dissolution of a relationship takes an emotional toll of both parties. The dissolution and assignment of property; and cost of establishing new residences compound the situation. Once…
Read More →I went to a meeting today with the Honorable Thomas Trent Lewis at the Los Angeles Superior Court. He wanted to update the family law bar, forensic accountants, and custody expert witnesses about what exactly is going on at the court given all the budget cuts. It was pretty interesting. Infuriating, but interesting. Background below.…
Read More →I get asked a lot about Child Custody. It’s not surprising, since a parent’s love for their children is bigger than any financial settlement. Oftentimes, a parent feels that getting more time with the child is worth more than any divorce settlement can buy. Unfortunately, as a mediator specializing in divorce and child custody here…
Read More →Here at Peace Talks, we love Mediation. If you’ve spent any time looking through our site and blog posts, you know that already. It’s an easy sell, because, to us, it’s a no-brainer. Just look at a recent example: one couple came into our Los Angeles office looking to get a divorce settlement through mediation. …
Read More →As a divorce lawyer and mediator here in Los Angeles, California, I get the opportunity to see a lot of clients with varied backgrounds and personalities. There are common threads you can pick up on as a mediator that can help you diagnose each situation with just a short interview. This initial diagnosis allows me…
Read More →Choosing whether to proceed in court with a custody dispute is serious business. It affects your spouse, who you may be trying to deny custody altogether, but most especially, it affects your child or children, who may be forced to grow up without their birth father or mother as an active player in their on-going…
Read More →Why Your Kids will Thank you for Mediating By Alan Brady, guest blogger Finding a way to share custody of childrenafter a divorce can be an incredibly difficult task. In an ideal situation, each parent will behave with maturity and reason, focusing solely on the needs of the child or children involved and honestly…
Read More →TRUTH IS IRRELEVANT All the time. Not just for mediators, and not just for ADR Services. When we think of disputes, most people think that ascertaining the truth is the key to the resolution of a disagreement. Find the truth, and you have the resolution to the conflict. Yet how many of us see “the…
Read More →There are 8 peace practices which are free and easy to practice every day. They’ll help you stay sane no matter what, and we all know that sanity is at a premium at the moment. An excerpt from the 8 Peace Practices chapter of Making Divorce Work, our latest book, was published by Mediate.com. Click…
Read More →What Causes Divorce? When thinking about how marriages end, people often look towards distinct events like affairs or money-related problems. What we’ve found in our 20+ years of experience is that typically this is not the case. Divorces follow a more basic form of separation: when partners turn away from one another to seek gratification…
Read More →If you’re reading this, you’re probably not in such a good place right now. However it happens, realizing that your marriage doesn’t make you happy and that something has to change is a tough spot. You might be early on in the process. Or maybe you’re not looking forward to doing battle with your…
Read More →You never thought it would happen to you, yet here you are faced with divorce. Maybe you asked for the divorce. Maybe you’re the one who is being left. Even if it is something you and your spouse both want equally, you are facing a crisis. You may be wondering why we’re talking about resolving…
Read More →A Closer Look at Resolving Divorce Conflict Key 1: Be hard on the problem, not the people. We made this the first conflict resolution skill because it’s likely the first one you’ll put to use. Right now, it may be hard not to see your spouse as the problem, as the reason for your divorce. …
Read More →A Closer Look at Resolving Divorce Conflict Key 2: Understand that Acknowledging and Listening are NOT the same as Obeying You may be tempted to issue decrees as you deal with your spouse over your divorce. It might seem a whole lot easier to lay down the law and have those around you adhere…
Read More →A Closer Look at Resolving Divorce Conflict Key 3: Use I-Statements When you’ve spent the better part of your working life mediating and finding peaceful resolutions to conflicts, you begin to see patterns of both conflict and resolution. In our divorce mediation practice, we’re big fans of “I” statements. “I” statements are conflict resolution magic.…
Read More →A Closer Look at Resolving Divorce Conflict Key 4: Give the Benefit of the Doubt. It’s hard to say which of these keys to resolving conflict we like the most. They have all become repeatedly handy with our clients. Before, during and after your divorce, you’re going to have lots of opportunities to test your…
Read More →Staying Focused On What Matters This Holiday Season For most children, the holidays are an exciting time that they look forward to all year. However for some, especially those whose parents are separated, they can be dispiriting and difficult. For tips on how to keep your child happy and upbeat during this season, read the…
Read More →Why Your Kids will Thank you for Mediating By Alan Brady, guest blogger Finding a way to share custody of childrenafter a divorce can be an incredibly difficult task. In an ideal situation, each parent will behave with maturity and reason, focusing solely on the needs of the child or children involved and honestly…
Read More →Divorce Resolution Continuum By Diana Mercer, Attorney-Mediator, copyright 2013 The decision to divorce is followed by a number of choices for how a case might be filed and later resolved. Some of the steps are a loop, and others may be mixed and matched, but the general continuum, from least confrontational to most confrontational,…
Read More →Streamlined Collaborative Practice Protocols Training June 6-8, 2013 Skirball Center Los Angeles, CA The Marina Collaborative Divorce Practice Group along with Co-Sponsor, the Southern California Mediation Association, are excited to announce our upcoming Three-Day Collaborative Practice Training June 6-8, 2013 in Los Angeles, California at the beautiful Skirball Center. Why this training is different: This…
Read More →Personal Property and Divorce: Family Focused Consignment Offers Solutions Guest Blog By Mark A. Roger Proprietor; Backroom @ WestClay Divorce brings with it upheaval and turmoil; navigating the dissolution of a relationship takes an emotional toll of both parties. The dissolution and assignment of property; and cost of establishing new residences compound the situation. Once…
Read More →Uncontested Divorce in California is becoming more and more common. As more people embrace the idea of mediation, collaborative divorce, and even settling things themselves without going to court, more and more divorces are uncontested. It makes sense when you think about it: Courts…
Read More →There are huge advantages when you mediate your divorce, family law, custody, child support, alimony, spousal support or modification. If you’ve spent any time at all on our web site, you already know how passionate we are about mediation and its benefits. We saw a new couple this week for mediation. They’d already spent about…
Read More →The path to uncontested divorce in California, or anywhere else, is not always an easy one. Let’s face it, the thought of divorce can be pretty upsetting, scary, sad and everything in between. So sometimes divorces start with a bang–intimidating court paperwork which is sometimes served on the other party (who may be unsuspecting) in…
Read More →An accountant is helping one of our clients with some of the required financial documents for the divorce. “I don’t want to ruin your strategy,” he says, “but I really think the [other party] ought to know about this.” Strategy? How’s this for “strategy?” How’s about you do whatever is necessary to help people reach…
Read More →California has its own personality with divorce. One of only 9 states that follows Community Property law, California seems intent on doing things its own way. But a divorce in California doesn’t need to be complicated. At least not the legal part. Mediation provides a way for couples to get divorced in a respectful, thoughtful…
Read More →More and more people are choosing mediation rather than litigation. Why it has taken so long to catch on, when the benefits of mediation are obvious, is beyond me, but better late than never. There are huge advantages when you mediate your divorce, family law, custody, child support, alimony, spousal support or modification issue. If…
Read More →There’s often a lot of grandstanding in divorce court proceedings. A lot of people say, “I’ll see you in court!” not knowing exactly what that means. In the moment, they don’t like what they’re hearing, whether it’s in mediation or around the kitchen table, so they say, I’m done with this!” not realizing that saying “no”…
Read More →Causes of Divorce “Seriously? You want to end this? You want a divorce? I mean, I know we’ve had problems. I’ve tried to change. I’ll be better. Is this really what you want to do?” If you’ve said those words or heard those words, it can be crushing either way you look at it. Divorce…
Read More →Putting a price on sanity? There have been so many articles on people who aren’t getting divorced because they “can’t afford it” that it’s making me a little alarmed. The monetary cost of divorce is one thing. Certainly, divorce mediation is a less costly alternative to fighting it out in court, especially when finances are…
Read More →Divorce in California Divorce law varies state-to-state, and California has the distinction of being one of 9 states that have enacted a Community Property law. As a divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, this actually simplifies things (at least initially) because California follows the 50/50 rule. Partners each get 50% of their collective property from the…
Read More →Well, there’s really no improvements on divorce and custody litigation. But mediation is definitely a better way to go.
Read More →I know it’s an oxymoron:
Read More →Family Mediation and Failure Many clients have told me that they viewed getting divorced as a their greatest failure as an adult.
Read More →Kids and Custody Do you remember being a kid?
Read More →What Causes Divorce? When thinking about how marriages end, people often look towards distinct events like affairs or money-related problems. What we’ve found in our 20+ years of experience is that typically this is not the case. Divorces follow a more basic form of separation: when partners turn away from one another to seek gratification…
Read More →I went to a meeting today with the Honorable Thomas Trent Lewis at the Los Angeles Superior Court. He wanted to update the family law bar, forensic accountants, and custody expert witnesses about what exactly is going on at the court given all the budget cuts. It was pretty interesting. Infuriating, but interesting. Background below.…
Read More →Divorce Advice I Give My Friends I’ve been a divorce attorney for 24 years (youthful appearance notwithstanding). As yo might guess, every single one of my friends (including Facebook friends) ask me for my advice when getting divorced. I’ve written a couple of books about divorce, and that’s where the official advice is. This is…
Read More →Choosing the right mediator is important. You’re going to be talking with your mediator about everything you care anything about in the entire world: Your future, your kids, your home, your job…..and so you want to choose someone you feel comfortable with. Mediators are all trained in basically the same way, but each person has a different…
Read More →You Want an Uncontested Divorce….but how do you get there? The concept of divorce mediation is relatively new, but recently it has been getting a lot more attention. Especially in Los Angeles, more and more people are starting to appreciate the benefits of an uncontested divorce. Collaborative divorce and other divorce alternatives, once considered fringe,…
Read More →I get asked a lot about Child Custody. It’s not surprising, since a parent’s love for their children is bigger than any financial settlement. Oftentimes, a parent feels that getting more time with the child is worth more than any divorce settlement can buy. Unfortunately, as a mediator specializing in divorce and child custody here…
Read More →Here at Peace Talks, we love Mediation. If you’ve spent any time looking through our site and blog posts, you know that already. It’s an easy sell, because, to us, it’s a no-brainer. Just look at a recent example: one couple came into our Los Angeles office looking to get a divorce settlement through mediation. …
Read More →Eleven years ago, I traded in my fancy shmancy car for a used Honda Accord. It wasn’t just a symbolic act; I knew I was going to need the money I would save on car payments. You see, I had just made the biggest decision of my professional life. I had decided to become a…
Read More →“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” That’s a quote attributed to Alexander Graham Bell and couldn’t be more true today. As a divorce attorney, you’re preparation is a lot different than it is as a Mediator. I would know, I am currently a Mediator dedicated exclusively to family law, divorce settlements and…
Read More →I have a 25 hour beginning family law mediation course on DVD which I sell on my web site and Amazon.com. As a result, I get questions about how to mediate from some of the “students” of this taped course. One in particular, a lawyer up north, is my new pen pal of sorts. I’m…
Read More →Why Your Kids will Thank you for Mediating By Alan Brady, guest blogger Finding a way to share custody of childrenafter a divorce can be an incredibly difficult task. In an ideal situation, each parent will behave with maturity and reason, focusing solely on the needs of the child or children involved and honestly…
Read More →Divorce Resolution Continuum By Diana Mercer, Attorney-Mediator, copyright 2013 The decision to divorce is followed by a number of choices for how a case might be filed and later resolved. Some of the steps are a loop, and others may be mixed and matched, but the general continuum, from least confrontational to most confrontational,…
Read More →Streamlined Collaborative Practice Protocols Training June 6-8, 2013 Skirball Center Los Angeles, CA I’ve had a few people ask if it’s “worth it” to come to the Streamlined Collaborative Practice Protocols Training June 6-8, 2013. I wouldn’t plunk down $895-$1395 (depending on when you register) without asking a few questions, either. For Registration Click…
Read More →Streamlined Collaborative Practice Protocols Training June 6-8, 2013 Skirball Center Los Angeles, CA The Marina Collaborative Divorce Practice Group along with Co-Sponsor, the Southern California Mediation Association, are excited to announce our upcoming Three-Day Collaborative Practice Training June 6-8, 2013 in Los Angeles, California at the beautiful Skirball Center. Why this training is different: This…
Read More →Streamlined Collaborative Practice Protocols Training June 6-8, 2013 Skirball Center Los Angeles, CA The Marina Collaborative Divorce Practice Group along with Co-Sponsor, the Southern California Mediation Association, are excited to announce our upcoming Three-Day Collaborative Practice Training June 6-8, 2013 in Los Angeles, California at the beautiful Skirball Center. Why this training is different: This…
Read More →Personal Property and Divorce: Family Focused Consignment Offers Solutions Guest Blog By Mark A. Roger Proprietor; Backroom @ WestClay Divorce brings with it upheaval and turmoil; navigating the dissolution of a relationship takes an emotional toll of both parties. The dissolution and assignment of property; and cost of establishing new residences compound the situation. Once…
Read More →I know. It’s an oxymoron–nobody wants a divorce to begin with, so how could a divorce be good? There are a lot of ways to make the best of the situation when you’re faced with a divorce. I’ve been a divorce lawyer for 22 years, and expert on what works best for both parties when…
Read More →Choosing the right mediator is important. You’re going to be talking with your mediator about everything you care anything about in the entire world: Your future, your kids, your home, your job…..and so you want to choose someone you feel comfortable with. Mediators are all trained in basically the same way, but each person has…
Read More →If you’re reading this, you’re probably not in such a good place right now. However it happens, realizing that your marriage doesn’t make you happy and that something has to change is a tough spot. You might be early on in the process. Or maybe you’re not looking forward to doing battle with your…
Read More →REVIEW: HBO’s DON’T DIVORCE ME Review by Janae Monroe Peace Talks Mediation Services peace-talks.com Divorce is difficult for everyone involved, especially the children. While parents intend to put their children first, sometimes finances and personal needs get in the way. Using interviews, drawings, songs, photos and handwritten rules, Don’t Divorce Me goes into the mind…
Read More →My mother is dying of cancer. Yes, this is Diana Mercer, founder of Peace Talks Mediation Services, Inc., talking. She’s had cancer for 10 years but has been mercifully symptom-free. But now it’s in her liver and in her lungs. I got lucky. My parents updated their estate plan 6 months ago, before we understood…
Read More →Yes, I know, most people don’t think prenups are particularly romantic. But when you think about it, is it romantic to fight about money, how to raise children, or to wonder what would happen if you got divorced? That’s the reason we mediate premarital agreements. Sometimes, at the end of the discussion, the couple decides…
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