Notice I said “courthouse” and not “courtroom.” Most of us know what’s expected of us in a courtroom: hats off, gum out, manners on. We address the judge as “Your Honor” and are respectful to the other side – at least when the judge is actually in the room. What too many parties don’t realize...
It’s pretty common to keep a log during divorce proceedings. Jotting down notes about what’s going on with the children, visitation, the spouse’s behavior, etc.While that might help your attorney and your case, it’s probably not doing a whole lot for you emotionally during a challenging time. This is where journaling comes in. Even if...
If someone asks for your advice when they are contemplating divorce, respond if you like. Or if someone you are very close to is heading down a catastrophic path and you and other loved ones are trying to help, it’s your call whether or not to say something. But if a casual friend, acquaintance, co-worker,...
Conscious uncoupling? What? Are we talking about train cars here? Apparently not. Apparently ‘conscious uncoupling’ is a gentle, lovely term for an often chaotic, unlovely life situation. Divorce. But if we use unemotional words, maybe we can convince ourselves that this is an unemotional event, nobody will get hurt, and all will live happily ever...
There are whole books on testifying in court. There are numerous articles about what to say, what to wear, and how to behave. But there are also things that should NOT be said during testimony – especially in Family Court. Following are my top five things not to say in Family Court. 1. “To tell...
I spend a lot of time debunking myths about divorce from callers who have gotten bad information from a myriad of sources. Sometimes it’s a poorly written article or folklore. Often it’s from a well-meaning friend/relative/acquaintance who had a bad experience or dealt with a different fact pattern in their own divorce. Here are...
Your family law attorney has given you plenty of tips about how to behave in court – keep your cool, let him do the talking unless you are asked a question, dress conservatively. Really? How is that mundane behavior going to get the judge to notice you? And if she doesn’t notice you, however will...
Unless you have been married about five minutes, have no children, assets, or debts together, you first need to know how not to find a divorce attorney. You should not call: The attorney who has a sign staked to the side of the road which screams “Cheap Divorce” followed by a number. “Cheap” should...
