Mediation Requires the Skills of an Educator
(2:42 minutes to read} As a divorce mediator, I find I am more of an educator than a lawyer. This is because I often work with spouses who each had a different role to play [...]
Informed Decision Making
{3:00 minutes to read} As I mentioned in my prior post, The Initial Consultation, I meet with all of my prospective clients before I begin the mediation. During this first meeting, one of the things [...]
The Initial Consultation
{2:18 minutes to read} It is my practice to meet with a couple when they first contact me about my services. I believe this meeting is so important that I require it for all of [...]
Power and Control
{2:09 minutes to read} When I first met with Tricia* and Brian*, they informed me that they had decided to end their marriage. However, since they were unable to afford to live separately, they had decided [...]
Sandy Hook and Child Support
{2:24 minutes to read} Sandy Hook has been on my mind lately. I’m sure you remember this tragedy that occurred three years ago when 26 people, including 20 young children, were murdered by a madman. [...]
Spousal Support in New York – Part 2
{3:18 minutes to read} In a recent post, I wrote about the new spousal support law that New York has adopted. This new law created a formula for determining spousal maintenance based on the income of [...]
Social Security Benefits for Children
{2:36 minutes to read} After years of trying to stay together, John and Mary decided to end their marriage. They had 2 children, and the agreement that they reached in mediation required John to pay [...]
When Is Your Divorce Final?
I was recently contacted by a client who was denied coverage under her husband’s health insurance plan. The reason for the denial was that her claim was for a service that occurred after the judge [...]
Spousal Maintenance
Spousal Maintenance is generally awarded to a spouse who sacrificed their own career for the benefit of the marriage. New York has adopted “guidelines” that were intended to standardize the amount and duration of Spousal [...]
The Not-So-Golden Years, Part 2
{3:00 minutes to read} In Part 1, I outlined a mediation I conducted whereby the wife had left the workforce for several years to care for the children, which left her in a very tenuous financial [...]