Just when I thought I knew all there was to know about mediation, I learned something new. I know that mediation, the process of resolving legal issues with the assistance of someone trained to help warring parties find creative solutions, is often better for divorcing spouses than having a trial. I have served as a...
Teachers can be a Guardian Ad Litem’s best friend. When I represent a child whose parents are going through a custody battle, charged with the duty of investigating for the purposes of making recommendations to the Judge about custody and visitation, I look forward to talking to the child’s teacher. After reviewing all the court...
Dividing up property that was accrued during marriage is one more difficult issue that has to be dealt with during divorce. Understanding how the judge would do it and what your options are for doing it without the judge’s intervention can make a difficult task a little less difficult. In spite of the fact that...
For some, the party is already planned for the night the divorce will be granted. But for many, no matter how much they wanted or didn’t want to be divorced, the actual day the marriage is legally severed is a tough one. It’s not only the official end of the marriage, it is also the...
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...
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,...
Listening to children about how they feel as their parents go through divorce – and afterward – is very important. We need to hear them. Not only their words, but read their demeanor. And we have to remember how well they can hear us. How they can read between the lines to what’s really being...
I’ve talked to many children whose parents are going through divorce. I often serve as a guardian ad litem for children – a cross between an attorney for the children and an arm of the court charged with the task of investigating a divorce matter in order to make recommendations to the judge regarding custody...
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...
Thanks for stopping by to help me celebrate my first anniversary! It’s been quite a year. My husband and I lost precious loved ones, dealt with (and beat) cancer, dealt with other health issues and life challenges during this past year – as so many of you are doing. And through it all we continued to...
