Blog

12/31/20

How children benefit when their parents share custody

Divorce means major changes to your lifestyle. If you divorce and have minor children, it may, too, mean you must adjust to a new custody arrangement. Spending less time with your child may not be your preference. However, you may find the transition to be easier if you consider how a joint-custody arrangement may benefit your son or daughter in the long run. According to Science Daily, children who spend time living in the homes...

10/30/20

Mediation is easier on children than high-conflict divorce

Studies show that high-conflict divorce has an adverse effect on children in a variety of ways. As compared with litigation, divorce mediation has steadily increased in popularity, especially for couples who find their children handle the process with reduced levels of anxiety and stress. Adversarial issues When high-conflict issues already exist between the parties in a divorce action, an adversarial court proceeding only exacerbates the problems. Studies show that children display less depression and anxiety...

10/5/20

3 signs your soon-to-be ex-spouse wants a friendly divorce

If your marriage is on track for an inevitable divorce, you may have some difficulty communicating with your husband or wife. You may also not know whether he or she wants a knock-down, drag-out divorce battle or is open to something less brutal. While asking your spouse is usually best, you can also look for certain clues to gauge your spouse’s receptiveness to mediation, arbitration or negotiation. Here are three signs your soon-to-be ex-spouse may...

9/12/20

Commonly overlooked issues in a custody dispute

Parents come to the divorce mediation table with a host of concerns. However, you may overlook some important considerations that impact your ability to coparent effectively. Ask yourself these questions as you prepare to When will child support end? Generally, the state decides the duration of court-ordered child support. When negotiating custody, consider whether you want to provide extended support for young adults attending college. In Pennsylvania, child support ends when a child reaches 18...

7/9/20

Three tips to create a better collaborative custody plan

Taking the collaborative path to divorce has many perks — from keeping discussions outside of a court setting to being able to create custom post-divorce plans. But sometimes having more freedom and input can also create more opportunity for tension to arise between you and your soon-to-be ex. The last thing you want to do have is stress having drama surrounding the custody plan. Rather, the goal and purpose should be creating a plan that...

6/23/20

4 characteristics of a good custody exchange site

If you and your ex-spouse share custody of your children, you must pick them up at the beginning of your parenting time and drop them off after your visit concludes. You should not, however, leave the location of the exchange site to chance. To minimize conflict, you should designate an exchange location in your 1. Convenience Because co-parenting agreements often split parenting time evenly, you may need to exchange your kids once or twice per...

6/18/20

Why are collaborative divorces generally faster and cheaper?

Contrary to what you often see in the movies, not every divorce turns into an ugly, acrimonious battle. Instead, many people walk away from their marriages while maintaining cordial relationships with their former spouses. If you think you may be able to do the same, consider embarking on a collaborative divorce. Unlike traditional, litigated divorces, Collaborative divorces may be more affordable Rather than pit yourself against your former partner, which might lead to fighting over...

4/28/20

A high-conflict divorce may be a mistake

High-conflict divorces often are a result of bad communication. It, therefore, makes it difficult to communicate effectively. When you cannot communicate in a divorce, it makes it impossible to reach agreements outside of the court. It causes stress for everyone, including your children. In the end, it usually means the court makes all the decisions in your case. For the good of everyone, it is ideal if you can avoid a high-conflict divorce situation. If...

4/7/20

How to protect your 401(k) during a divorce

Your wedding vows stated you would stay with your partner “for richer, for poorer.” Now you find yourselves in the middle of a divorce and fighting over every penny. You were not thinking of divorce while falling in love, so it is likely you did not take steps to protect your 401(k). Your retirement account is one of your most valuable assets. How your 401(k) is vulnerable At least part of your 401(k) is...

3/20/20

3 important advantages of divorce mediation

Marriages come to an end for all kinds of reasons. While many divorces you may see on TV or in the movies may involve long, drawn-out court battles, this does not necessarily have to be your reality. On the contrary, if you and your ex still have at least some degree of respect for one another, you may be able to save yourselves time, money and stress by opting for divorce mediation, rather than a...