Legal Advice vs. Legal Information
Are two attorneys better than one? This is the story of two couples who each wanted to end their marriage without becoming engaged in a lengthy and costly court battle. Unfortunately, they each obtained a [...]
The Three Legged Stool of Divorce
I have often thought that there are three components that need to be addressed when a couple is ending their marriage: Legal Financial Emotional All three need to be managed during a divorce or a [...]
The “Best Possible Outcome Under the Circumstances”
When I meet with prospective clients for the first time, I almost always hear them say that all they want is a “fair” agreement. Nobody ever wants to take advantage of their spouse or achieve [...]
The Limits of “Self-Determination”
I recently worked with a couple who wanted a divorce as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the wife was not working, had no means of supporting herself, was attempting to obtain disability benefits and the husband [...]
“Equitable” Does Not Mean “Equal”, Part II
In Part I of Equitable Does Not Mean “Equal”, I discussed how a couple whose financial goals were very different during their marriage reached an agreement when they ended the marriage despite having different ideas [...]
Legal Advice Part 2: Well-Meaning Friends and Family
I recently had a couple come to me where the husband said, “My wife and I aren’t getting along and there’s a lot of strife in the house so I’d really like to leave. But [...]
Legal Advice Part 1: The Internet Doesn’t Lie?
I saw a commercial on TV recently where a man and a woman are talking. She makes a comment about having seen something on the internet, which he tells her isn’t true. She responds, “It [...]
How Can I Help?
I recently co-chaired a conference for the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation that featured Diane Neumann, an attorney and mediator from Massachusetts who, at the conclusion of the mediation, prepares all of the [...]
Looking for “Fair”?
It’s not always found in the law! During a recent mediation Craig said it did not seem “fair” that he had to pay child support when the children were going to be with him half [...]
Equitable Does Not Mean “Equal”
During a recent mediation session Ellie was very clear that she did not believe it would be fair to divide everything equally. “You have not been working to your full potential” she told her husband, [...]