Mediating Conflict,
Embracing Peace
Many pet owners consider their creatures to be family, not property. And yet, pets are most often treated as a matter of property division in divorces, not as subjects of custody disputes. Certainly, some courts treat pets more like children than property. But this...
Every year in America, approximately 250,000 children are the victims of parental abduction. While "abduction" sounds frighteningly close to "kidnapping" and makes most of us recoil in horror, many of the parents involved are sincerely trying to do what they believe...
It has been said that hindsight is 20/20. And yet, one cannot fully understand life experience until related experience has been lived. There is therefore no way to benefit from hindsight until it is achieved. This can be a maddening reality. After all, it would...
Licensed attorneys are professionals. Each of these individuals has been extensively trained in federal law and in the state law for whichever state he or she is licensed in. In addition, most attorneys receive education on numerous client-related matters that are not...
When couples decide to divorce, the first questions that go through their head as they relate to property division are often "who gets the house?" or "who gets the car?" However, for those couples who have invested significant time, money and energy into building an...
Tomorrow is Halloween. Adults and children alike will turn their attention to sweet treats and spooky fun for an evening before November dawns. November heralds the beginning of the holiday season. First, the nation will observe Thanksgiving, then winter religious...
A recent article suggested that couples going through a divorce should start first with conversations about the emotional side of this life transition, rather than the paperwork. That’s not to suggest that complex legal issues aren’t often raised by...
Regarding property division in a divorce proceeding, perhaps no aspect is more emotionally fraught than the issue of the family home. Many happy memories and associations may be tied to a physical space. For a spouse that gives up real property in a divorce, that...
In community property states like Washington, marital assets and debts are generally divided down the middle between the divorcing spouses. Matters become more complicated, though, as assets become more complicated. If you and your soon-to-be ex have real estate,...
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her Coldplay-frontman husband Chris Martin made waves earlier this year when they announced their intention to – "consciously uncouple" (aka "divorce"). Though divorce in Hollywood is nothing new, nor is it exactly newsworthy around the...