When I was seven years old, my parents divorced. My mother loaded us kids into the van and moved us 3000 miles away. I never saw my father again. Ever. Later, whenever I would ask for something that we could not afford, Mom would explain that my father never paid his child support and I […]
Traditional divorce processes are destroying the fabric of American society. Yet another tragic news story that didn’t need to happen: On December 4, 2013, a doctor attending mediation in Manchester, Tenn., was gunned down by his estranged wife in front of his lawyer’s office. Dr. Harry Bartee, 47, was shot multiple times by Brenda Bartee on the
I am one of those lawyers who believes in sharing my own story with my client, in part because I want each one to understand that we have something in common, and in part because it makes it easier for them to share with me. The following is one of the many true stories that
I began college when I was 16 years old, health before I actually graduated from high school. (Yes, years later, Vestal High School condescended to send me a diploma, but not until I had passed several courses at college to complete my high school prerequisites! Which my mother didn’t tell me about until many years
Good morning! Gossip Girl here. Your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. Did you hear about actress Kelly Rutherford? Kelly just filed for bankruptcy! She spent everything she had on her divorce, purchase plus some! And you won’t believe the juicy details, all of which you can find on-line
Collaborative professionals have long labored under the assumption that Florida law requires financial affidavits in every divorce case, even the collaborative ones. But, in Salczman v. Joquiel, Florida’s Third District announced that financial affidavits are not necessarily compulsory.[1] In that case, there were no children, and neither party had requested any form of permanent relief from
Are Financial Affidavits Mandatory in Every Divorce Case? Read More »
Why is a collaborative divorce better than a traditional divorce? 1 – A collaborative divorce is confidential. In the collaborative process, both the personal financial information and the private family problems (addictions, domestic violence, affairs, and mental health issues) can generally be protected from public scrutiny. The same is just not true in the traditional setting, where the law usually
For years, I had a horrible job. I was a great family law trial attorney. Traditional divorce in the courtroom is horrifying. For years, we trial attorneys have been doing it all wrong: going to court to dissolve marriages… taking our most personal, private relationships in front of a third party (the judge) who: 1 –
It is common in traditional divorce cases that someone close to a spouse, a parent, a friend, a new romantic interest, or some other person whom that spouse trusts, influences the case’s outcome. Some people are incapable of making critical decisions during this stressful process without input from their loved ones and other advocates. Often,
