There is a Cure for the Summertime Blues . . .
Perhaps Summer 2022 will be the first summer for you and your co-parent to navigate. Or perhaps you and your co-parent had issues last year and you would [...]
You Can Be Right, or You Can Be Done
When clients are struggling with the emotional and financial toll of litigation, I tell them, “You can be right, or you can be done.” Sometimes, being done means reaching an agreement with their former spouse that may not include every single thing that was desired in a divorce settlement but means getting all of what’s really important. It means accepting a bit less than the ideal outcome. The truth is that asking the court to make a decision could result in an order that no one likes and everyone spends more money to get there. Resolving the case with a settlement agreement may mean taking less than the ideal solution but eliminates the risk that the solution determined by the court is far worse than what could have been negotiated.
What to Do with a Hesitating Child
Divorce can be hard on children. While parents have gone through the steps of grief at losing their relationship and creating a new home for themselves, it is their children who usually go back and forth – sometimes every few days – between each parent’s home. Many times, parents feel that the children need to see each parent frequently, but sometimes the constant state of motion causes a child to feel like he/she has no “home base,” and no time to relax. Also, as children get older and are more focused on friends, the parent who does not live near those friends, or is hesitant to permit the child to create social opportunities during his or her limited parenting time may also find that the child does not want to come for parenting time. Children continue to love both parents in each scenario but may express reluctance to participate in parenting time. While this hesitation can sometimes be expressed quite clearly, in other cases, it may come out as a child saying he or she has a stomachache, feels nervous, or starts crying. What is a parent to do when faced with a hesitating child?
We Want Prenup!
In 1920, the average woman would be married at 21 and men at 24. However, today's national average has increased to slightly below 28 for women and almost 30 for men. Waiting until nearly 30 for marriage means that both partners may be coming into the marriage with a significant work history and their own assets and debts. Marrying very young usually means that both bride and groom are starting out with nothing and both working to build a life together. But family businesses and expected inheritances can put a damper on even the most innocent of unions. Enter the premarital or prenuptial (sometimes also called an antenuptial) agreement.