Managing your financial situation becomes a central concern when you opt for collaborative divorce or mediation to achieve an amicable marital separation. In this article, we will explore the instrumental role of a neutral financial specialist, in these processes, who will offer insights into various financial aspects crucial for a harmonious divorce. Here are some…
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The holidays are a time for family and friends, not for turmoil, but when divorce is part of the equation, it can feel like peace will never be found. Social media has created a vision in our heads of how “the holidays should be” – you know fun-filled, always cheerful and delighting in every encounter…
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Baby Boomers were born between 1946-1964 and after World War II ended. They came after the Silent Generation and before Generation X. The Pew Research Center recorded that couples divorcing over 50 years of age have doubled, and over 65 – the rate has tripled. Studies show that boomers are choosing to dissolve their marriages…
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One of the questions that often arise during the divorce process is how spousal support will be handled and how it will affect the post-divorce financial landscape. When a couple decides to utilize the collaborative divorce process and avoid court litigation, they will have access to a team of experts such as a financial neutral,…
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The collateral emotional damage that divorce can cause is not just limited to the couple getting the divorce. It also extends to the family’s children, no matter their age. “It will be okay. Children bounce back,” could not be further from the truth. Children who are involved in a divorce where mental health is not…
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When you are a woman going through a divorce, you may find that you are financially impacted in ways your male counterpart is not, especially with a court-litigated divorce process. Often, we see that women are more financially impacted than men, and here are a few reasons why: Women are often the lower wage earner…
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It’s completely understandable to have a million questions swirling around in your head – divorce can be a lonely and grueling space to live in and sometimes you may feel unsure about everything. However, when you choose the collaborative law process, there is a team of experts willing to help you and your spouse navigate…
Read More →by Stephanie Maloney Co-parenting is tough enough without having to wonder if you’re one text away from that phone call from the Highway Patrol. Nobody wants to be the cop in the family even when it makes sense to everybody else. We all abuse the privilege of using the phone while driving so it’s tough…
Read More →Back in June there was a news story about Richard Williams, the father of Venus & Serena, seeking to evict his estranged wife from their Florida home. A few days ago the lawyer, Sandy Becher, for the wife spoke about the upcoming divorce in terms of new approach. “What’s next is we’ll take depositions of…
Read More →You have decided your marriage is not working out. You want to divorce, but your friends have told you horror stories about dragging your divorce through the court system. You remember reading an article about Gwyneth Paltrow’s “conscious uncoupling” and her decision to use mediation instead of litigation. Where do you turn?? To collaborative divorce…
Read More →Divorce Resolution Continuum By Diana Mercer, Attorney-Mediator, copyright 2003 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, is:…
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…
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