Posted on January 28, 2023 in High Asset Divorce

Most people do not try to hide assets during a divorce, knowing that doing so can get them into a difficult legal position. If the court orders them to fully disclose the assets that they own and they intentionally leave things out or try to manipulate the numbers, they can be in violation of that court order.

However, there are those who decide that they are going to hide assets so that their spouse gets 0% of those assets, rather than the percentage allocated by the court. It’s important for you to know how this may happen and what tactics they could use so that you can see any warning signs in advance.

Examples of tactics people use

It is certainly important to remember that every case is unique and you know your spouse better than anyone else. That being said, here are some examples that people have used in the past, which you may want to look for:

• Getting a friend to agree to hold the money until after the divorce
• Making up fake debts or other financial obligations

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 Posted on January 19, 2023 in Family Law

If you’re getting a divorce and your children are in school, you may be considering telling their teacher about what’s going on. On the other hand, you may think that this is oversharing and that the teacher doesn’t need to know, or you may even feel awkward bringing it up because it is such a personal subject.

But it can actually be beneficial to tell teachers that you are getting a divorce. You don’t necessarily have to go into much detail. Making them aware can be helpful for a few different reasons.

Changes in the child’s behavior

For one thing, there may be some differences in your child’s behavior at this time. Divorce can be a bit stressful and children usually adjust very well to it after time, but those initial months can be hard. When a teacher knows why these behavioral changes are occurring, it makes it easier to navigate.

Teachers offer support

Furthermore, many children see their teachers as part of their support system. They trust them. They know them well. The teacher is someone they can talk to.

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 Posted on January 13, 2023 in Child Custody

Going through a divorce with kids involved can make issues more complicated. This is because you need to tell them about this significant change and watch them go through different emotions. Thus, you should approach the subject carefully to avoid negative effects.

However, besides being strategic in conveying your message, you need to know the right time to do so. Here is when to consider having a divorce conversation with your kids.

Not too soon or late

Once you and your spouse have decided to divorce, it will help to wait a bit longer before informing the kids, perhaps after you have figured out major issues like when the separation will occur or which parent will move out. Telling them months before separation may make things odd in the house, and your kids may overthink things.

Nonetheless, you don't want to do it late. Don't wait until one parent has moved out to inform them of the divorce. This may surprise your kids.

It will be best if your kids have a brief transition time. Not too early to increase their worries or too late to create an unexpectedness that makes it hard for them to adjust to their new life.

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 Posted on January 06, 2023 in Divorce

Divorce is hard on everyone in the family. The primary concern of any parent is how to safeguard and provide for their children. However, doing so frequently can result in you neglecting your own needs.

Despite the fact that it may seem like you don't have the time or energy, prioritizing your needs and engaging in self-care can enable you to better care for the children.

1. Make time for yourself

If you're just getting the hang of co-parenting and giving your kids emotional support too, you might find that you're busier than ever. Make sure you give yourself some breathing room and schedule time each day to do something just for you. There are a lot of free self-care choices accessible, so it doesn't have to be pricey.

2. Accept that your decision is necessary

You are neither a bad person or a bad parent if you get divorced. In fact, even though it's difficult to realize now, it might be the best choice for you and your family. There will be difficult periods, but you must always keep in mind to be gentle with yourself at these times. You're making the best of a challenging circumstance.

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 Posted on December 30, 2022 in Divorce

Divorce is never easy and can be tough to navigate if you have children. While you work through the details of your divorce and begin rebuilding your life, it's crucial to consider the impact it will have on your children. Too often, the focus is on the adults during a divorce, and the needs of the children are overlooked.

However, therapy can be a helpful tool for both you and your children as you go through this difficult time.

Divorce can be traumatic for children

Divorce can be a difficult and trying time for children who are involved. Many children have to adjust to a new home, say goodbye to extended family, and cope with the ever-changing dynamics between their parents.

Therapy can help children regulate their emotions by teaching them healthy coping skills during this tumultuous period in their lives. Participating in therapy provides a child with an unbiased environment in which they can openly discuss their feelings without being judged. It also helps them understand that all of us experience challenging times throughout life, helping to build resiliency. Furthermore, therapy helps to affirm that no matter how hard the divorce may be, it is possible to come through on the other side feeling fulfilled and valued.

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 Posted on December 29, 2022 in Divorce

If you’re in your 50s or older and divorcing, you may be grateful that your child is an adult so you don’t have to deal with things like child custody and support agreements and making sure their life isn’t upended any more than necessary. There are still things you need to be mindful of even though your child is on their own and maybe living hundreds of miles away.

Parental divorce can have a serious effect on adult children – particularly if the parent-child bond is strained by parents who see them as confidantes rather than the product of both parents who likely cares about both of them. Here are a few ways to prevent that.

Don’t talk to your child as you would a friend

If you and your child have a close relationship, you may feel comfortable sharing the details of what went wrong in the marriage and more specifically what your spouse did wrong. However, doing that crosses a line and can potentially damage your relationship with your child. While your child has a right to know, at least in general terms, what happened, the details should be saved for friends, therapists, siblings and attorneys.

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 Posted on December 27, 2022 in Divorce

Generally speaking, when two people get divorced, they will sell the house so that they can split any profit that they make from that sale. They can then use this money to buy new houses or apartments for themselves. They don’t stay on the mortgage together for their family home.

However, there are some cases in which couples will consider doing this. Perhaps the market is down, and they want to own the house for a bit longer to see if the value goes up. Perhaps the children don’t want to move out of the house, and they’re considering keeping it until the kids are done with high school. There are reasons that this happens, but is it something you should consider?

Remember your financial obligations

The big thing to consider here is that if you’re not going to be living in the house, staying on the mortgage with your ex means that you are still obligated to make those mortgage payments. Both you and your ex will continue to have that liability.

If your ex is staying in the house, they may tell you that they’ll have no problem paying the mortgage on their own. In fact, some people don’t want to refinance in their own name because they wouldn’t be able to qualify for the mortgage, even though they think that what they’re paying currently is affordable. However, if your ex is wrong and they start to miss payments, remember that you could end up having to pay what they can’t or see your credit rating suffer.

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 Posted on December 15, 2022 in Alimony

If you were ordered to pay child support, you know that it’s probably going to last until your child turns 18 – unless there are other reasons why it should continue. But what about alimony? If you have to pay alimony to your spouse, who is already an adult, then does it just last forever?

The good news is that it does not last indefinitely. When you get divorced, the court will determine how much alimony you have to pay and for how long. There are a lot of factors that have to be considered, such as the length of the marriage, how realistic it is for your spouse to re-enter the workforce and how long that is expected to take.

How do these factors apply?

For example, if your spouse has spent the last 20 years raising the children and hasn’t worked at all, while you have earned millions of dollars per year, you could be ordered to pay a substantial amount of alimony for a significant amount of time. But if your spouse simply makes a little less than you do and you haven’t been married for very long, your obligation shouldn’t be nearly as significant – if it exists at all.

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 Posted on December 08, 2022 in Child Custody

Co-parenting with someone for whom you likely have a highly conflicted mixture of feelings can be difficult. Newly separated or divorced couples sharing custody of their children typically do best when they focus more on their children and less on what their former partner is doing with their lives.

That means establishing some boundaries. Of course, that’s easier said than done. There are a lot of things that are no longer any of your business – and that goes for both of you. It’s easy to justify making them your business by saying they affect your child – and anything that affects your child is your business.

One crucial boundary that you both need to respect is your ex’s romantic life. Are they dating anyone seriously or more than one person casually? Have they introduced any new romantic partners to your child?

The less you pay attention to your ex’s social and romantic life, the faster you can move on. That means not looking at their social media pages. It also means not trying to get information from your child.

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 Posted on December 02, 2022 in Child Support

This time of year can be particularly challenging for divorced parents. If you’ve got a co-parent who is determined to get your child expensive, lavish gifts that you can’t afford or simply don’t think they need, it can be particularly frustrating.

Divorced parents shower their children with gifts for any number of reasons. Some just want to be the “favorite.” Others are relentlessly competitive. Sometimes, parents who feel guilty about the divorce or not being able to spend as much time with their kids as they’d like try to make up for it by buying toys, games, sports equipment, clothes, vacations and more.

Try to reach an agreement

As with most co-parenting issues, the best strategy is to try to talk about it and come to an agreement. You can ask your co-parent to commit to a spending limit for individual gifts and share the cost (and credit) for larger gifts – unless they’re coming from Santa. See if they’ll agree to a provision in your parenting plan about gift-giving.

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