7 Tips for Handling Divorce Stress

We know that divorce is a stressful time. We know that it is not easy to love every minute of life while you are going through the divorce process. We certainly do not expect you to have it together at every moment. This is one of the many reasons why we recommend that couples consider getting a collaborative divorce, which can expedite the process significantly. No matter how long your divorce lasts, however, we Read More

What to Do if Your Business Receives a Foreclosure Notice

One of the most frightening experiences for a property owner can be receiving a foreclosure notice in the mail. Foreclosure is the process by which a lender can recover the amount owed on a property by selling the property itself. Basically, if you are significantly late on the rent, your home loan lender or bank can seize your property and sell it in order to earn back the money they lost. We tend to think about it Read More

How to Financially Prepare for Divorce

One of the things that holds people back from getting a divorce sooner is the fear of the unknown. They do not know what their life will be like after the divorce, living without their partner and in entirely new circumstances. A huge consideration in that fear is fear of the financial changes that will come along with divorce. No matter what lifestyle you are accustomed to in your marriage, it will be vastly Read More

Myth Bust: Dads and Divorce

Dads seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to divorce–or do they? Common myths about how the divorce process affects fathers in particular have been circulating for years, and rarely are they ever in dad’s favor. Today, though, we’re going to clear the air and tackle three of these myths about divorce and fatherhood. We want to dispel this misinformation so that dads going through a divorce can have Read More

Three Reasons to Choose Collaborative Divorce Over Traditional Litigation

Deciding to divorce is rarely easy, and the process itself can be taxing. Sorting out property division and visitation schedules can be especially difficult when emotions are running high. However, divorce is not the tedious, cut-and-dry process most people think it is. Nowadays, you have a few options when it comes to dissolving a marriage–and collaborative divorce is one of the best. Collaborative divorce works Read More

Divorce Law Gets Teeth

Not more than thirty years ago (I had barely hit puberty) the divorce laws in New York were radically different, beginning with the requirement that one of seven grounds must be plead and proved in order to be granted a dissolution of the sacred union. Prior to the 2010 enactment of N.Y. D.R.L. § 170(7) (“Irretrievable Breakdown of the Marriage Lasting More than Six Months”) unhappy couples  needed a really Read More

What Does it Mean to Be a Parent?

As a parent myself, I have thought about this question in philosophical and pragmatic terms.  As a parent, I must be present with and for my child.  I work hard to provide her with a comfortable life.  I listen to her problems and celebrate her joys.  I look her in the eye and put down my phone when she is telling me about her audition for the school play.  It means that I work from home when Read More

Mental Health and Child Custody

The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the right to marry, to have a family and raise them as we, as individuals, see fit.  These are only a handful of liberty interests protected by the Constitution of the United States.  Some of those fundamental rights were recently extended to same sex couples.  The  Obergefell v. Hodges decision was rendered last June (576 U.S. Read More

Why Do We Divorce?

Divorce is not an event we plan for or imagine as we dream of ourselves in an episode of “Say Yes to the Dress” or perhaps more appropriate, “Bridesmaids”.  Although the divorce rate has declined over the past twenty years, and varies from state to state, the national average ratio of marriages ending in divorce remains 40%-50%.  The statistic is higher for second time marriages, up to 60% of which end in Read More

Why You Need a Will and Health Care Proxy.

I recently visited with my parents out of state.  They are in their eighties, and sadly, health is beginning to decline.  My mother, who is now on oxygen around the clock broached the topic of amending their Will with me, which evidently has not been touched since 1977, and includes a clause for mine and my siblings care by a now deceased friend of the family.   In any event, she told me about her dear Read More