Why Mediate Maintenance?
{3:00 minutes to read} I was at a mediation conference recently and listened to a presenter talk about the new spousal maintenance guidelines. This got me thinking: a spouse who chooses to not work, or [...]
Is “Fair Enough” Fair Enough?
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. –Socrates {2.30 minutes to read} Divorce is arguably one of the most difficult things [...]
Who Enforces the Parenting Plan?
{3:42 minutes to read} In my blog post Child-Centered Parenting Plans, I discussed several things that my clients address as they come up with a plan for raising their children in separate households. One of [...]
He Will Make It Work, If It Is What She Wants!
{3:54 minutes to read} I worked with a couple recently, Sam* and Avery*, on a plan that included: One of them moving out of their home; A parenting plan for their children; and A monthly [...]
Creating Clarity in Agreements
{3:00 minutes to read} At the beginning of a divorce, many couples have not considered the long-term changes that may unfold months or sometimes years down the road. When my clients are working toward an [...]
Flying Blind
{1:52 minutes to read} In my last blog, I talked about contingency plans. Some couples come to mediation looking to come up with a short-term plan that they put into place while they sort out their [...]
We’re Not Sure If We Want a Divorce . . .
{1:42 minutes to read} Some couples who come to mediation do not know if the final result will be a divorce. What they do know is that their current situation is not working for them, [...]
The New Reality After Divorce
{3:06 minutes to read} When couples are going through the divorce mediation process, they are sometimes in different places. Even though they know the marriage is over, for some individuals, this change in marital status [...]
Child-Centered Parenting Plans
{2:42 minutes to read} When I work with couples who have children, we usually spend a significant amount of time coming up with a parenting plan. The focus of this conversation is not only how [...]
When the Values of the Mediator and the Client Conflict
{2:54 minutes to read} Recently, I was reading a discussion on a divorce mediation group’s listserv about weapons in a mediation room. A mediator met with a couple, and one spouse, a police officer, was [...]