Tips for Moving on After Divorce

By Admin Admin | December 13, 2023
Two women talking over coffee.

While divorce may seem like an ending, it can be a gateway to a new beginning. It might be hard for you to know where to start. If you’re looking…

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How Can a Financial Specialist Help in Your Divorce?

By Admin Admin | October 10, 2023
Accountant sitting at desk

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…

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Financial Steps to Take When You Are Divorcing

By Admin Admin | September 12, 2023
Woman sitting at table managing finances

Divorce can be financially challenging, but you can navigate it smoothly with the right steps, especially through mediation. At Peace Talks, we specialize in helping couples achieve amicable divorces, including…

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Should You Use Social Media When Going Through a Divorce?

By Admin Admin | May 10, 2023

As digital devices and social media have become a significant part of life, smartphones and social media platforms are also integral part of our everyday lives. People frequently want to…

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Money Mistakes to Avoid When You Divorce

By Admin Admin | March 9, 2023
Woman calculating finances

When couples are divorcing through a litigated court divorce, there is most often chaos and a lot of uncertainty – emotions can run high and hot. But when you and…

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Takeaways From a Pandemic Divorce

By Admin Admin | February 8, 2023
Face mask with rings laying on it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous changes and challenges to our daily lives, and the divorce process is no exception. When you utilize the collaborative divorce model, you have access…

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Creating New Holiday Traditions for Your Family After Divorce

By Admin Admin | December 14, 2022
Baking cookies

Facebook and Instagram would have everyone believing that everyone’s holidays are jolly, bright and perfect! And that can be so very far from the reality of what the holiday season…

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Reasons Why Baby Boomers May Choose Collaborative Divorce

By Admin Admin | October 13, 2022
Man and woman sitting across from one another.

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…

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Why You Shouldn’t Hide Assets In Your Divorce

By Admin Admin | August 10, 2022
Figuring assets

If you are looking to divorce your partner using the collaborative divorce process, it is important not to hide any financial assets and be completely transparent.   Couples agree to…

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Importance of Child Therapy During Divorce

By Admin Admin | July 13, 2022
Little girl sitting talking with therapist.

Children are not always open books; it is quite hard to read their emotions sometimes, and they don’t come with an instruction book. And when your family is in the…

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How to Keep Conflict Low During a Divorce

By Admin Admin | January 12, 2022
Woman and man standing back to back

While going through a divorce can be one of life’s most stressful events, that stress can be reduced by keeping the conflict low.  The first step in keeping conflict low…

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Things Parents Should Consider When Divorcing

By Admin Admin | September 8, 2021
Little girl holding mom and dads hand walking down the sidewalk.

When you and your spouse decide it is time to start the divorce process, there are many things to think about and add to your to-do list.  And when the…

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Professional Roles in Collaborative Mediation: Lawyers

By nickeyh | September 6, 2021
Lawyer sitting at desk.

You and your spouse have decided to separate, and you are looking for an amicable split.  What is the best approach? Collaborative Divorce is an alternative option to litigation that…

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The Stages of Grief During Divorce

By Admin Admin | August 12, 2021
Man sitting and thinking.

When going through a divorce, your emotions can feel like a never-ending grief rollercoaster and the ups and downs of this emotional journey can be hard to understand.  What you…

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Tax Filing Status: How will it change with divorce?

By peacetalkadmin | July 1, 2020
Tax Filing Status: How will it change with divorce? - Peace Talks Mediation Services - taxes, tax filing, divorce, collaborative divorce, finances - Photo by Olga DeLawrence on Unsplash

When you and your spouse decide to utilize a collaborative divorce approach, both of you will have access to neutral financial mediators. Financial mediators can help prepare schedules that project…

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Alimony – How New Tax Rules Can Affect It

By peacetalkadmin | June 6, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal tax filings have been extended until July 15, 2020. Often couples are blindsided by the tax impact of getting a divorce, but when you…

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Helping You Divorce During the Coronavirus

By peacetalkadmin | March 18, 2020

Going through a divorce can be difficult enough, but adding the Coronavirus to the mix can make it more challenging. Peace-Talks Mediation Services is here to help you through this…

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How a Co-Parenting Plan Can Help You

By peacetalkadmin | March 11, 2020

Divorce can be extremely emotionally draining on the spouses, but more often than not, the toll it takes on the children in the family is often overlooked. But did you…

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Creating a New You After Divorce

By peacetalkadmin | February 19, 2020

“Out with the old, in with the new” is a famous quote that refers to a person making personal changes in their life. After a divorce, many people struggle to…

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Starting a New Year After Divorce

By peacetalkadmin | December 23, 2019

As 2019 wound down, and your divorce was finalized, you may find yourself asking many questions, some of which may be: How can I make the most of 2020 as…

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Tips on How to Tell Your Children You Are Getting a Divorce

By peacetalkadmin | June 19, 2019

One of the hardest moments in a divorce is sharing with your children that you and your spouse will be separating. It’s so hard to know how to start and…

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How Does A Divorce Change Your Finances?

By peacetalkadmin | May 22, 2019
How Does A Divorce Change Your Finances? - Peace Talks Mediation Services - Divorce, Divorce Mediation, Finances - Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

Are you in the very beginning stages of getting a divorce? Concerned at what your financial landscape will look like once your separation has been finalized? One thing is for…

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Tax Breaks for the Divorced Circa 2019

By Stephanie | March 5, 2019

“Lower tax-refunds” has been a subject in the news a lot recently. It is something that that’s a real issue for most people paying taxes. The fact that less tax…

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Divorce Mediation Primer

By Stephanie | January 29, 2019

I came across a nice synopsis of why mediation for your divorce may be the smartest choice. It is safe to say that most couples facing divorce expect the experience…

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Creative Co-Parenting

By Stephanie | January 24, 2019

One of the great dynamics that we participate in at our Divorce Mediation sessions at PeaceTalks is the age-old mantra “necessity is the mother of invention.” Once we’re able to establish…

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Amazon Fairness and Divorce, Oh My!

By Stephanie | January 21, 2019

For anyone who can’t let go of that “Money=Happiness” thing, just read and be kind of glad that you don’t have so much money that God borrows from you. The divorce…

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Less Painful Divorces

By Stephanie | January 21, 2019

With just less than half of married partners ending in divorce, therapists over time have developed some suggestions for making the process possibly less painful for everyone. You will see…

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Divorce Mediation Means Talking

By Stephanie | January 21, 2019

In getting to a mutually agreeable divorce settlement we make progress, literally, by getting couples to communicate with each other. Many couples find it difficult to communicate. Our therapist mediator will…

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Amazon Fairness and Divorce, Oh My!

By Stephanie | January 17, 2019

For anyone who can’t let go of that “Money=Happiness” thing, just read and be kind of glad that you don’t have so much money that God borrows from you. The divorce…

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Change In Divorce Mediation for 2019

By Stephanie | January 3, 2019

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a new law that changes the California Evidence Code that requires attorneys representing clients in mediation to provide disclosures in writing about mediation confidentiality. The…

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Post Divorce Portfolio Balancing Act

By Stephanie | December 31, 2018

All investors review their investments annually, and in light of the market’s recent volatility, it would be wise to review your investments soon as the new tax laws may affect…

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Should We Try Mediation?

By Stephanie | December 28, 2018

The following was excerpted from an article in the Boston Herald by Wendy Hickey Should We Try Mediation? The answer is yes for most people. The majority of couples we see…

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Take A Cell Holiday

By Stephanie | December 24, 2018

Impossible as it sounds there are people that swear by this strategy, even for short bursts of time, to alleviate the insidious stress of constant interaction and relentless, shifting deadlines.…

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Christmas Magic Before and After Divorce

By Stephanie | December 20, 2018

There are some great points in this article (link below) that are very relevant to both children of the before group as well as those dealing annually with the “split family” holiday…

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More Divorce Mediator Tips

By Stephanie | December 18, 2018

Here’s a couple more tips from the article I saw by Oren Kaufmann on the Mediate.com website. Don’t be penny wise and pound-foolish. Imagine the following not so unusual scenario. You…

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Mediator Tips On Divorce Difficulties

By Stephanie | December 13, 2018

There are a lot of commonalities with divorce and lessons from shared experiences can be extremely helpful when going through extremely stressful situations like divorce negotiations. Some great suggestions were…

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A Potential Tax Move For 2018 Divorce

By Stephanie | December 10, 2018

As the commercial says “I’m not a tax advisor and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night…” but a piece by Dan Caplinger from The Motley Fool might…

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Divorce Mediation Misconceptions

By Stephanie | December 8, 2018

I came across an article in Divorce Magazine by Susan E. Guthrie that echoed familiar misconceptions that we come across at PeaceTalks, as do many of our colleagues. Here are a…

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Taking Stock In Your Divorce

By Stephanie | December 7, 2018

In light of the changes in the tax laws and the recent roller coaster volatility in the stock market it might be prudent to talk with your financial advisor about…

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Creative Not Clueless Divorce

By Stephanie | November 30, 2018

Besides the slight “Dog Bites Man” slant to another celebrity divorce, with the wife paying alimony, I want to highlight another example of the kind of “creative agreements” that PeaceTalks encourages…

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Overstaying In A Bad Marriage

By Stephanie | November 26, 2018

I came across this article and recognized some of the dynamics as themes that we see at PeaceTalks on a regular and all too frequent basis. It sometimes helps if…

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Celebrity Divorces and Mediation

By Stephanie | November 20, 2018

I came across an article by Jill Stanley, who covers celebrity legal stories, as to why some celebrities choose mediation for their divorce process. Using some couples from Malibu as a general…

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Quotes From Divorce Veterans

By Stephanie | November 14, 2018

There was an article in the Sunday LA Times by Ben Steverman of Bloomberg News with some very clear advice from some divorce professionals that have been doing this for…

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What to Ask the Mediator

By Stephanie | November 9, 2018

For people screening referrals they have received to mediation services some questions are best dealt with at the very beginning of the process. Even couples that may have already made…

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Co-Parenting Before and After Divorce

By Stephanie | November 7, 2018

From the time that the emotional separation begins on the path to a divorce there will be transition period while still sharing the house and marking the beginning of the…

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Divorce Last Minute Loophole

By Stephanie | November 7, 2018

For anyone that is still facing the December 31 deadline for filing here’s some possible relief from some of that anxiety. A lot of people have come to Peace Talks worried,…

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Divorce and IRA’s – Watch Your Assets

By Stephanie | October 25, 2018

Understanding different types of retirement assets, and the costs and taxes associated with each, when liquidated, can help you make informed decisions. Always consult with your financial and tax advisors during…

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Money, Debt and Divorce

By Stephanie | October 23, 2018

Dividing Debts in Divorce One of the bad surprises that we see in the divorce process is the amount of money that is owed by both parties as individuals, and…

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Divorce TV Style

By Stephanie | October 19, 2018

I get a kick out of how many people come to Peace Talks and talk about their divorce concerns and situations referencing plot lines from television shows. Being in Los Angeles…

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Divorce Lawyer Secrets

By Stephanie | October 18, 2018

Peace Talks, by definition, gives people the opportunity to talk about everything that is relevant to reaching an amicable agreement. This applies, as well, to all the legal advisors that come…

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Co-Parenting: Your Own Way Is Best

By Stephanie | October 11, 2018

Fortunately, most of the couples we see at Peace Talks are already focused on the common goal of an amicable agreement, the only choice that is always best for the…

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Divorce – Ready or Not?

By Stephanie | October 10, 2018

Recently, I’ve been encountering a lot of feedback related to people “rushing” to a divorce, before being informed, as to what needs to be done ahead of time. Here are some…

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Common Questions About Divorce

By Stephanie | October 4, 2018

Here are a few of the questions that come up most often when people are their evaluating their options in relation to the divorce process. If you have some questions…

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New Tax Law Prompting Flood of Accelerated Divorces

By Stephanie | September 27, 2018

New tax law prompting flood of accelerated divorces as Dec. 31 deadline looms David Garrick, The San Diego Union-Tribune The term “accelerated divorces” got my attention yesterday when an edited…

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Divorce Does Not Equal Failure

By Stephanie | September 26, 2018

Divorce isn’t a failure, therapists say. In fact, it could mean the marriage was a success. The overwhelming feeling of failureis almost impossible to avoid when divorce becomes a reality.…

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Stress Rehearsal

By Stephanie | September 17, 2018

Every now and then even a “general” survey can be of use for a “specific” purpose. Dr. Grande highlights four common stress sources, from the Harris Interactive survey, for couples…

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Some Co-Parenting Needs an Assist

By Stephanie | September 6, 2018

One of the most frustrating constants we see in Divorce Mediation is that a surprising percentage of the children involved will have adjustment issues that will need to be addressed…

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Notes On Divorce and Tax Changes

By Stephanie | August 30, 2018

This article by Dr. Halem seemed very timely as we hit the Labor Day weekend and all too soon will be staring Halloween and Thanksgiving in the face. I really…

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Divorced Dads and Poor Health

By Stephanie | August 26, 2018

This recent article from Divorce Magazine caught my attention because it highlights a very real problem that plagues a significant percentage of divorces in general. I have heard some long-time professionals…

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Divorce and the 2018 Tax Law Change Snapshot

By Stephanie | August 13, 2018

I came across this exchange with Jim Tankersley who covers economic and tax policy for The New York Times and Ailsa Chang from NPR. Jim gives a nice summary of the…

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Divorce And Suicide – All Too Related

By Stephanie | June 7, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney Even if you don’t shop for “Designer” fashions there’s a good chance the name “Kate Spade” is one you’ve seen somewhere before her recent suicide. Suicide is…

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Temporary “Phonelessness” Is OK

By Stephanie | April 10, 2018

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…

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The Small Outdoors

By Stephanie | April 3, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney Here it is again that time to start getting out and planning out some “away from the house” time. It seems to get tougher each year so…

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Unplugging To Connect

By Stephanie | March 30, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney Every family that I interact with has difficulty creating and managing their time together. By definition, Divorce creates two entities from one source. With our technology, it…

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March Against Madness-Madness Actually Responds

By Stephanie | March 26, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney Imagine Frances McDormand outside your house of white with 500,000 walking, breathing, two-legged billboards demanding action about the killing of her child. Apparently, if all politics are…

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Spring Cleaning

By Stephanie | March 20, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney As we finally are getting some much-needed rain I keep thinking about things, besides the social and political black holes, that are ripe for clean up. With…

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Crypto-Scams, or, Old Wolf New Online Sheepskin

By Stephanie | March 12, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney Every year around “Tax Time” consumers, across the board, get hit with opportunities to “turn that refund into a lot of money” and this year some of…

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Divorce Resource

By Stephanie | March 1, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney The more I read about how little time people have for things they’d like to do the question remains about how to make time for things they…

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Winter Olympics – Teaming Up

By Stephanie | February 19, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney Even if you don’t have “Olympic Fever” there are always some great moments worth watching.  Because I skated competitively growing up in Minnesota I’m reminded how important teamwork is to even…

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Don’t Overtax Yourself & Do It Now

By Stephanie | February 13, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney The new tax legislation will necessitate adjustments for many people dealing with alimony payments-both paying and receiving. When you start to factor in things like tuition and…

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If Wall Street Is Your Street

By Stephanie | February 10, 2018

by Stephanie Maloney If individual stocks or mutual funds are associated with your divorce, whether by mediation or litigation, don’t panic because of the recent market volatility. When people “inherit”…

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Abu Dhabi Lets Expats Bypass Sharia Law For Mediation

By peacetalkadmin | September 17, 2017

Recently Abu Dhabi broke from centuries of tradition and decided to allow non-Muslim expatriates to pursue a divorce through faith-based mediation. Though not a mirror image to western secular mediation,…

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Mediating The Settlement To Qualify For The Loan

By peacetalkadmin | August 28, 2017

As difficult as the divorce process can be there are many subtle financial hurdles that can prove problematic even for an amicable agreement. What happens after the settlement is reached may…

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A Paradigm Shift: Conscious Uncoupling

By peacetalkadmin | August 11, 2017

by Ali Marcelino Recently I completed a Conscious Uncoupling training course conducted by Katherine Woodward Thomas.  My intent is to introduce those principles into my practice here at Peace Talks…

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Collaborative Divorce Mediation: Is it the Right Choice for You?

By peacetalkadmin | October 27, 2016

Divorce scenarios are typically stereotyped as long, drawn-out court battles over children and property. If you’re entering divorce proceedings for the first time, you should know there are other options…

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Divorce Mediation vs. Traditional Divorce

By peacetalkadmin | October 27, 2016

No divorce process is completely stress free, but if you choose mediation to settle your divorce case, you could save on time, stress, and money. While divorce mediation is not…

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Collaborative Divorce The Best Way To Divorce In California

By peacetalkadmin | April 10, 2016

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…

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Divorced or Divorcing – How to have Happy Jolly Holidays!!

By peacetalkadmin | December 2, 2015

At Peace Talks, we know that the divorce process is stressful and creates emotional turmoil. And we also know that experiencing the winter holidays for the first time as divorced…

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Writing Effective Emails during Divorce – The BIFF Method

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

During the period of a peaceful divorce and emotional confusion, we sometimes say and write things to our partners that are offensive and inappropriate. Instead of clearly communicating our thoughts…

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What Makes Divorce Expensive?

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

Let’s just get this out of the way from the start. There are many ways to get divorced. You can represent yourself – a kind of do it yourself method.…

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What is a Legal Separation?

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

In California, there are three ways to end a marriage: divorce, legal separation, and annulment. At Peace Talks we want you to know your options and we will focus on…

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Spousal Support- How is it calculated and how will I Receive any?

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

The issue of spousal support is always a part of any divorce case or mediation. The circumstances for an award of spousal support are evaluated individually and there is no…

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Child Support- How Is It Calculated and How Will I Get It?

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

The issue of child support is always a part of any divorce case or mediation. The amount of child support you will pay is explained and determined according to the…

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How does Team Mediation Work & Why is It So Effective?

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

Congratulations! You are considering mediation as the process for resolving your divorce. In contrast to litigation, mediation is the sane, efficient and cost effective way to work through your potentially…

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California’s Cooling OFF Period

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

While California may be a “hot” state, we experience “cooling off” periods too. In a family law context, this “cooling off” specifically applies to the amount of time that must…

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5 Reasons to Keep Your Divorce Out of Social Media

By peacetalkadmin | August 12, 2015

Today, communication is instantaneous. Like the phrase, “a shot heard around the world”, an online post is sent into the media stratosphere with the potential to surface anywhere, be read…

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How to File for a Divorce in California

By peacetalkadmin | August 11, 2015

At Peace Talks, an outstanding divorce mediation office, we feel it is very important that you know the California divorce family law process. Before we embark on explaining the California Family Law Court system, we want to make sure you know that going to court is not the only way to solve family law disputes. Divorce mediation at Peace Talks is an excellent alternative.

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Divorce Continuum

By peacetalkadmin | October 8, 2013

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.…

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Causes of Divorce Don’t Matter

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

Affairs don’t cause divorce. Financial arguments don’t cause divorce. Marriages break down through erosion. When you think about divorce, most people think that a divorce is one person’s fault, and…

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Uncontested Divorce California

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

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…

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Mediate! Don’t Litigate.

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

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,…

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Uncontested Divorce California Style, Part 2

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

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…

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Mediate for Success

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

I’ve been a divorce lawyer for 22 years (youthful appearance notwithstanding!) and I’ve learned a lot about what works and what does not work when you’re getting divorced. I also…

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Divorce Strategy?

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

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…

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The Huffington Post Divorce Blog

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

I’mhappy to announce that my Huffington Post blog, Insiders’ Divorce Advice, was published today! I love blogging for the Huffington Post.  You can read my by-line here:  Diana Mercer Huff…

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Insider Divorce Advice

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

Divorce Advice I Give My Friends I’ve been a divorce attorney for 23 years (youthful appearance notwithstanding).  As you might guess, every single one of my friends (including Facebook friends)…

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Divorce and the Economy

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

At what price sanity? I’m no stranger to divorce during bad financial times.  I was admitted to the bar in 1988, during a huge financial downturn. Pretty quickly after that,…

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Divorce and Graphotherapy

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

Divorce and Graphotherapy Guest blog post by Sheila Lowe, MS www.sheilalowe.com Divorce sucks. No point denying it. Whether you’ve grown to hate the person you once loved or the parting…

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Divorce in California

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

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…

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Shared Custody Schedules

By peacetalkadmin | July 25, 2013

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,…

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