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I have helped clients through Divorce and other Family Law matters that have affected their life. I plan an individualized approach for your specific Family Law case which addresses your precise desires, concerns, and worries. I fight for you.
Having the experience of The Family Law Guru help you formulate a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement doesn’t mean that you don’t love or trust your spouse-to-be. It means that you would rather be in control of how your property is distributed, your assets and debts divided and who gets what in the unfortunate event of a divorce. It means that you are realistic planner for the reservations of what the future may hold and you do not want a California divorce court dictating how your finances, assets and debts will be separated.
A prenuptial agreement is simply put is a legally binding document that allows the spouses to control the manner in which the property and relationship will be addressed in a divorce. The Family Law Guru will also assist you in drawing up a postnuptial agreement, or a set of legal guidelines similar to that of prenup, but executed after the marriage has taken place. This kind of agreement requires a good deal of expertise because once you are married; you owe your spouse the highest duty of good faith and fair dealing. A postnuptial agreement can be set aside by one spouse if it was not executed properly.
Although prenuptial or postnuptial agreements are an alternative for any marriage, one or the other should be considered essential in the following situations:
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
Domestic Violence is not a situation to take lightly. The emotional damage that can be caused by Domestic Violence can last for years or even a lifetime. Individuals many times believe the first time with the apologies will be the last time and never occur again. That is usually not the case.
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
California family law requires that child custody orders be “in the best interest of the child”. As a parent of the child or children, sometimes the court orders may not seem reasonable. Child custody disputes are the most emotional and difficult issues for families going through a divorce, and can become litigious. Though child custody mediation, either through family court services or through private mediation, is often a mandatory first step in resolving the conflict, it is not always the final resolution. In cases where settlement of the custody dispute is not feasible, you want a family law attorney who will protect your rights and your children’s rights, while looking for a doable solution. Even if you agree on a basic child custody arrangement, whether that means sole or shared legal custody and sole or shared physical custody, you may need the services of a family law attorney to resolve critical details that may have long run implications for you and your children.
It is important to work with a local Rancho Cucamonga family law attorney who knows the law, the trends in the court system within your county and can apply this knowledge to the facts of your unique case. Have you had the majority of caretaking responsibility? Do you feel that your child would be safer with you than with the other parent? Are you concerned about visitation and parenting time? Is the current order or arrangement working or does it need to be modified?
I am experienced in helping families reach solutions in the following child custody matters as well as other matters:
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
Whether you are in need of spousal support to supplement your living or if you need to protect your assets against the issuance of an unsurmountable spousal support order, The Family Law Guru will audit all the pertinent facts that may affect a spousal support award or protect your rights either through negotiation or in court.
There are two types of spousal support – “temporary,” or “post-Judgment,” support.
The two types of support serve completely different purposes. Temporary support is intended to maintain the status quo in order to provide stability for both parties at the outset of a divorce action. Temporary support addresses the facts and circumstances of the parties at the time that a request for support is made. Typically, in California the court will plug the applicable figures into a computerized support software, and the amount that the program recommends is normally what is ordered. Temporary support will be paid until such time as the Judgment of Dissolution is entered. It is subject to modification.
Post Judgment support, however, is based on an analysis of a variety of factors found in the Family Code, and takes a longer view of the marital relationship when deciding on the appropriate amount of support to be paid.
Though the term “permanent” is frequently used to describe post Judgment support, spousal support orders are rarely truly permanent. The court usually styles an order for support to diminish over a set period of time and end upon a specific date. Certain various factors the court must weigh when awarding post Judgment support.
Factors a court evaluates in determining post Judgment support include the following: Each spouse’s income; Length of the marriage; Age and health of both spouses; Spouse’s marketable abilities; Standard of living during marriage; Debts and resources of each spouse; If one spouse quit his/ her job to care for children; If one spouse paid for the other to attend school; Earning power and ability to pay spousal support; Disrupting the care of the children; As well as any history of domestic violence.
The correct amount of income that goes into a calculation is complex, especially when a spouse is a business owner, is self-employed, or has worked for multiple employers. Income from investments must also be entered. The Family Law Guru is knowledgeable in all aspects of evaluating income available to pay support,
The Family Law Guru is skilled at defending against uncontrollable spousal support awards. If you are affected that a spousal support request does not accurately reflect the economic realities of your economic state, I will assist you in educating the court with the relevant facts to the spousal support decision, and make sure that you get all of the deductions that you are entitled to.
Things change. If your situation has changed and a spousal support order needs to be modified, The Family Law Guru is exceptionally skilled at Post judgment modifications or enforcement of orders.
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
Circumstances change; the original child support, spousal support, custody or visitation orders that were put in place may need to be changed in order to meet current situations with the family’s existing financial situation. The Family Law Guru will help you modify any existing court orders to meet your needs. The process can be complicated but when the order is correctly modified you will benefit from a new court order that makes sense for you.
The Family Law Guru will handle modifications as well as enforcement dealing with Child support, Alimony/Spousal Support or Child Custody and Visitation Rights.
A Child support modification may be needed when the financial circumstances of a parent may change. Each parent may appeal a child support order if there is a change in their conditions like an increase or decrease in the incomes by either parent, or a change in the amount of time the child spends with each parent.
There are many reasons why a child support order may be changes. Should you need to modify your child support payments, The Family Law Guru can prepare your petition and help properly document your changed financial or health condition.
Spousal Support in California is considered final at the time of the dissolution of the marriage or divorce. California family law does allow for changes to spousal support when changes occur to the original facts used to determine that support payments happen. Modifications are typically based on changes in income and, like child support changes, either spouse can request a modification to a spousal support order. Whether you are the spouse making support payments (obligor spouse) or the spouse receiving payments (the recipient spouse), Vanessa Gnekow will assist you in obtaining a modification in line with your current financial circumstances.
Custody and visitation orders are based on conditions at the point of the divorce. The goal of these orders are to establish a schedule that is in the best interests of the children, while at the same time giving both parents the appropriate level of parental access. However, situations can change over time, and if those changes are substantial, this could be grounds to modify custody or visitation orders. The more common situation that may result in modification of custody is when one parent moves or relocates.
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow has have handled many of the aforementioned situations and she has the experience to handle the most complex modification situations, including interstate and international moves.
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
With the Enforcement of Court Order(s) you need the help of an experienced Rancho Cucamonga family lawyer to help you traverse the mine field of issues that may come up enforcing a Court Order.
The Office of Vanessa Gnekow has years of experience helping their Client’s with the enforcement of Court Orders.
Court Orders can deal with the following situations:
Child as well as Spousal support are not voluntary, but support orders are not self-enforcing. If one parent fails to pay a court-ordered child or Spousal support, it is up to the other parent to enforce that order. California law requires an earnings assignment for all child support orders. This means the spouse’s employer must pay support directly to the other parent. A writ of execution enables the parent receiving child support to request the court to order the liquidation of the other parent’s assets and have the funds transferred to the supported parent.
The spouse who fails to comply with support orders may be required to pay reasonable attorney’s fees incurred by the beneficiary spouse in the action of a collection proceeding. The court will determine the amount that would constitute rational attorney’s fees. The above methods for obtaining support are also among the remedies for enforcing child custody and visitation orders, or property division orders.
A legal separation is appropriate only in a narrow set of situations: divorce is against your religion and neither of you plan on remarrying; you need to remain married in order to be eligible to claim an interest in the other’s Social Security benefits; one of you have significant medical issues which prevents him or her from obtaining private medical insurance; or you have not lived in the state long enough to file a regular divorce action. No matter your reason for separating, a Rancho Cucamonga family law attorney is here to help you get a fair agreement.
A legal separation is very similar to a divorce or dissolution of marriage. The grounds for the legal separation are similar to that of a divorce, either citing irreconcilable differences or incurable insanity. Irreconcilable differences is the no-fault divorce option where neither party must prove fault of some kind by the other party. The second legal ground for legal separation requires professional medical or psychiatric testimony and evidence.
However, there are significant differences between a legal separation and a divorce. Both parties must agree to a legal separation. If both spouses do not agree specifically to a legal separation then proceedings automatically become divorce proceedings. Remember, both parties do not have to agree to a divorce. There is no waiting period in California for a legal separation; it can happen immediately, while it takes six months for a dissolution of marriage to be finalized. Finally, there is no residency requirement for a legal separation. You do not have to live in the state for six months before filing the action. But the most important difference is that technically, you remain married, which means of course that you cannot marry someone else.
The Petition for Legal Separation is filed and personally served on the Respondent.
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
Unlike issues in most Family Law matters, the issue of child support is rather rigidly defined. Whether you are navigating your way through a divorce, a legal separation, a paternity action, or trying to modify an existing child support order, the amount you pay or receive in support is dictated by the child support “guideline” established by the California State Legislature, and set forth in California’s Family Code. To discuss your case and the next best step, contact your local Rancho Cucamonga family law attorney today.
Both parents have a co-equal responsibility to provide financial support to the children. Guideline child support payments are generally based on factors including, but not limited to, number of children, gross income of each parent, and the percentage of parenting time each parent enjoys with the children. In general terms, if you are the paying parent, the more time your child spends with you in accordance with the parenting plan, the less support you may be required to pay. The opposite is also true – the less time the parent receiving child support spends with the child, the lower the support he or she will receive. Additionally, the court ordinarily orders each parent to pay one-half of any work-related daycare incurred by either parent, and one-half of any medical costs not covered by insurance. While both parents are expected to contribute financially to the direct support of the children, only one parent will actually be required to make a guideline child support payment to the other parent on a monthly basis. The other parent, most often the primary residential parent, will be responsible for the day-to-day management and spending associated with support of the children.
Some parents also agree on additional child support “add-ons.” Commonly agreed upon add-ons include extracurricular activity expenses, school tuition, travel expenses and any other expense associated with raising children. These expenses may or may not be ordered by the judge depending on the financial circumstances of the parents.
While the child support guideline is mandatory, exceptions to the imposition of a guideline order do exist in the Family Code that can have a significant impact on the amount of child support awarded. If you are subject to, or expect to be subject to a child support award, you should consult with an experienced Rancho Cucamonga family law attorney to ensure that you and your children are being treated appropriately under the law.
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
Not every divorce requires a lawyer, but if you are looking for a Rancho Cucamonga Family Lawyer, possibly one of the following has occurred: Your spouse hired a divorce attorney; There may be a custody battle for the children; You feel you are being taken advantage of; You need to protect your assets and your business; You require a post-Judgment modification; or You may fear for your life and need a restraining order.
Divorce is never stress-free, but for you, the stakes may be particularly important. You need an experienced family law attorney to explain what is happening legally and why, so that you can prepare for the process. You need an attorney who is seasoned who will understand your business and financial needs. You need an attorney who partners with you to help you achieve an equitable resolution and a conclusion.
My approach to family law comes from a place of balance. I have helped clients through a divorce to understand that this is a “no win” situation for anyone. I offer flexibility to formulate a personalized methodology for your specific family law case which will attend to your exact needs, issues and fears. However, being flexible doesn’t mean that I don’t fight for you.
Should you have any of the following issues call today for a thorough explanation of how my firm will provide the solutions to any of the following family law issues:
At The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow you have the benefit of Small Firm agility that responds quickly to the situation, I am your advocate throughout the process so that you are able to arrive at the end with stability.
The Law Office of Vanessa Gnekow is able to provide Family Law Services to all of California, with a focus on the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Fontana, Ontario, and San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.
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Full credit of this article goes to Peter Dunn at USA Today Dear Pete, I have nothing. My husband of 37 years filed for divorce, and I have nothing. I felt like we always seemed to have money, but apparently not. He says I’ll receive about $50,000 of his retirement account, but [...]
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To children, those fateful words can mean a range of things, depending on their age. A baby or toddler won’t understand them at all but may pick up on your somber tone and be confused or frightened by it; an older child may worry that she’ll wind up like a friend at school who sees her dad only [...]
Five Out-of-the-Box Ways to Serve Someone Divorce Papers If you find yourself dealing with a partner that is making the service of the divorce paperwork difficult, you might want to consider getting a little creative in order to catch them off-guard. Below are five great ideas for serving your [...]
If you live in California and were hyped on having your hot affair with your attorney, you might have to do that before the new California law that would ban sex between lawyers and clients is passed. The state bar commission has proposed the modification to the ethics rules that would join at [...]
We love our pets, and it seems crazy to think that California law views them as property to be divided in the event of a divorce. My dogs, Murphy and Wykid Angel, certainly don’t consider themselves property – they are completely offended and horrified at being categorized as such. So how do [...]
The U.S. divorce rate has fallen for the third consecutive year, to its lowest level in more than 35 years, according to data released Thursday. Meanwhile, marriage is up a bit, at 32.3 marriages for every 1,000 unmarried women age 15 or older last year, from 31.9 in 2014. It was the highest [...]
For two years, Armando told no one that he was living with a partner who subjected him to physical, emotional and psychological abuse. In 2007, after a severe fight with his partner landed him in the hospital, he finally had enough. There, he confessed to a police officer and a social worker [...]
A common Sunday night ritual for children whose parents are divorced is packing up the schoolbooks and soccer cleats for the weekly trek to mom or dad’s house. In a flip, some divorced couples are trying an approach they call nesting: Mom and Dad shuttle back and forth while the children stay [...]
It’s only logical to assume that a child should be given the opportunity to express their views wholeheartedly in children proceedings. However, the important question remains — just how much weight should the words of a child be allotted when making court decisions? Freedom of expression is [...]
Undocumented immigrant children can’t sue the U.S. government to have lawyers represent them in deportation hearings, an appeals court ruled. Tuesday’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco reversed a judge’s decision last year rejecting the government’s bid to throw out [...]
We know that parents have a profound influence on their child’s life, and increasingly, scientific research is connecting the dots between attention or neglect and behavior. Children who experience the loss of a father or mother early in life are more likely to smoke and drink before they hit [...]
Some couples divorce amicably. They recognize that their marriage is best ended, and they work to come to a fair resolution as soon as possible so they can get on with their lives. For other couples, divorcing is much more complicated. In these cases, greed, anger, and spite are primary motivators, [...]
Frances and Robert Dufresne hate each other; got it? Good. Welcome to Divorce, a caustic new HBO comedy from Catastrophe co-creator and star Sharon Horgan. Set in the casually wealthy enclave of Westchester County, Divorce tracks the escalating horror of Frances and Robert’s separation with a [...]
‘It’s up to us to speak up’ When I was four years old, my father cracked me over the head with a rum bottle. It’s one of my earliest memories. I was defending my mother from one of my dad’s drunken, abusive tirades, and I was bold enough to step between them to protect [...]
Each Friday in September, RaiseAChild celebrates foster and adoptive parents who have chosen to place the needs of children ahead of their own in a special “Let Love Define Family®” series for Huffington Post Queer Voices. This is the last of five special series installments. James McKinney [...]
Divorce in the U.S. surged in the 1970s and 1980s as the baby boomers reached adulthood. As they enter retirement, they’re still splitting up, and it’s having a disproportionate effect on women. Even as divorce rates for younger Americans have fallen, failed marriages among people over 50 [...]
The reality is that many families face domestic violence and child custody issues. In the United States, the statistics stacking up on beating, abuse and confusion among children have grown alarming. The impact of domestic violence can lead to post-traumatic stress that a child could manifest even [...]
Engaged couples aren’t likely to find “update the estate plan” on many prewedding checklists, but it’s an important to-do — especially if the upcoming marriage isn’t your first, or if you have kids from a prior relationship. Many Americans have made a second or third trip down the [...]
One of the greatest joys of working on a university campus is being surrounded by young adults full of ambition and promise. One of the greatest heartbreaks is knowing that many of them have been or will be the victims of one of the most serious public health issues of our time—domestic [...]
Barbara and David (who’ve asked that their last name not be used) weren’t just going to hire any surrogate when they were looking to expand their family. The couple, who were already parents to three children, wanted a woman who was in a happy marriage and also wished that both the surrogate [...]
If you’re thinking of tying the knot this Feb. 14, the Institute for the Study of Labor in Bonn, Germany, has published new findings that may curb your enthusiasm. That’s the lead story in this week’s research wrap, which also looks at how Britons struggle to make heads or tails of what [...]
Barbara Ballinger panicked when her husband of 29 years told her he wanted a divorce. At 51, she hadn’t seen the end of her marriage coming and wasn’t prepared to cover half the expenses for their five-bedroom home in a St. Louis suburb, their two daughters’ college tuitions, car and home [...]
Last year, when the Supreme Court made it legal for same-sex couples to marry nationwide, one might have expected the ruling to end thorny questions about the legal status of their 200,000-plus children. But as recent developments in a Tennessee court case have made clear, the religious right and [...]
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month in the United States. It is a subject that is largely ignored by mainstream media, given that three women are murdered every day in the US by their current and former partners, according to the Domestic Abuse Shelter. Some statistics show [...]
A third of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have no idea what ransomware is or how devastating the malware can be, highlighting a series lack of understanding which could seriously harm today’s companies. According to new research released by antivirus firm AVG on Tuesday, too many [...]
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s split has dominated the news cycle for the last few days, shocking fans and close friends alike. While this celeb breakup may seem surprising and awfully sudden, chances are, trouble’s been brewing for a while. Most divorces—celebrity and mere mortal [...]
Federal law is supposed to protect the privacy of your Social Security number from government inquiries — but apparently that doesn’t extend to a check on whether you’ve paid back taxes and child support. In a decision with worrying implications for those who oppose a single national [...]
Communication. Hobbies. Date nights. All are theoretically important for a healthy marriage — and often unattainable when we’re mired in the humdrum cycle of daily life and dirty laundry. Let’s face it: For most of us, marriage isn’t a Viagra commercial packed with sun-kissed picnics on [...]
In the world of conventional wisdom, there are “women’s issues” and there are “economic issues,” and never the twain shall meet. The right to college, economic; college sexual assault, women’s. Affordable health care, economic; access to abortion, women’s. Livable wages, economic; the [...]
Julia was not yet a teenager when members of Mara Salvatrucha in her small hometown in central El Salvador began to threaten her with sexual assault. Her neighborhood had always felt quiet and safe, she said. But things started to change when she entered fourth grade and her classmates began to [...]
Zhou Yahui, the chairman of online gaming firm Beijing Kunlun Tech, has agreed to transfer hundreds of millions of shares in the firm to his wife, Li Qiong, according to a stock exchange filing this week. The huge settlement has made headlines in Chinese state media, which have described it as [...]
Divorce among couples near retirement age has its own custody complications: how to divvy up the retirement accounts. For baby boomers, divorce is soaring. The divorce rate among adults over age 50 doubled between 1990 and 2014, according to a report by the National Center for Family & Marriage [...]
In the United States, shared parenting has been strongly encouraged. Missouri is the latest state that has passed its shared parenting bill into legislation, where an egalitarian approach to child custody and visitation are highly recommended. Aside from Missouri, the states of South Dakota, [...]
Divorce among Baby Boomers is growing and is having an impact on retirement savings, according to new research. The divorce rate for those ages 50 and older doubled between 1990 and 2010, according to a Bowling Green State University study. According to the results of a recent survey from the [...]
California would no longer prosecute minors for prostitution under a bill in the state Legislature, a move law enforcement agencies say would make it more difficult to prosecute pimps. Supporters of SB1322 say many children caught selling sex are the victims of human traffickers and that [...]
There’s long been evidence that there are certain times of year that are popular for divorce. But passive-aggressive Facebook drama isn’t exactly quantifiable data, so a new study from the University of Washington has provided some actual numbers to support the trend. Researchers from the [...]
1. If you are living with someone else, your financial need has likely been reduced or eliminated, thereby reducing or eliminating your need for spousal support. 2. If you are living with someone else, accepting (or taking) spousal support is, in essence, double-dipping. 3. If you are living [...]
Sheri Atwood is the rare Silicon Valley entrepreneur whose pitch includes intimate details about her family—namely, how it was broken up. Twice. “My parents had a horrific divorce,” says the 36-year-old former Symantec Corp. executive. “It felt like the only time they communicated was in [...]
I will never forget the first time I answered a phone call on behalf of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. I was covering the lines so that our staff could enjoy our annual holiday party. The call was from a microbiologist who was in an abusive relationship. She kept saying, “How did I get [...]
The post-vacation hangover may be dangerous for your marriage. Filings for divorce spike twice a year, in March and August, according to a new study. University of Washington sociology professor Julie Brines and doctoral candidate Brian Serafini found divorce filings seem to follow the annual [...]
Most people with a smartphone are constantly tapped into some form of social media. Sharing cute pictures of kids and pets is simply a routine part of life these days. Some people even use social media to vent frustrations or look for advice. In a divorce case, however, shares on social media [...]
3% of all alimony recipients are men. When alimony reform comes to Florida, it may be too late for Tarie MacMillan, a 65-year-old who runs a jewelry business near Tampa. MacMillan was ordered to pay her ex-husband $7,000 a month 15 years ago. Even so, she has joined the crusade to lobby state [...]
Jobs have a greater effect on marriage than money, says study What causes marriages to crumble? Each couple is a little different of course, but are there specific work and financial pressures that seem to have a bigger effect on the soundness of any given union than another? A spate of new [...]
There’s been no shortage of high-profile hacks over the last few years — think Target, Sony and Ashley Madison — but one sector that hasn’t made as much news for breaches is financial. According to the Identify Theft Resource Center, out of the 781 data breaches tracked in the United States [...]
Dear Pete, I have nothing. My husband of 37 years filed for divorce, and I have nothing. I felt like we always seemed to have money, but apparently not. He says I’ll receive about $50,000 of his retirement account, but that’s it. I make $48,000 per year, and I have the option of keeping the [...]
Do you remember the childhood game, Mother May I? The mother directs thechildren to take a certain number of hops, giant steps or baby steps toward her. Each child must ask “Mother May I?” before moving. If they don’t, then they must go back to the start line. The first one to reach the [...]
Financial stress and fights over money can eat away at a marriage. But do they cause divorce? That’s a more complicated matter. A Harvard University study suggests that neither financial strains nor women’s increased ability to get out of an unhappy marriage, starting in the 1970s, is [...]
A newly discovered set of wireless keyboard vulnerabilities can let hackers take over your keyboard and secretly record what you type. It’s called KeySniffer, and it spells death for millions of wireless, radio-based keyboards. According to security researchers at Bastille, the so-called [...]
A coalition of Native American tribes from across California are calling on the state’s top law enforcement office to begin investigating what it says are be systematic shortfalls and violations of tribal civil rights relating to the Indian Child Welfare Act. Known as the Indian Child Welfare [...]
According to renowned marriage therapist John Gottman, there are four behaviors that can reliably predict the end of a marriage — and you’re probably guilty of them. For 40 years, the psychology professor and his team at the Gottman Institute have studied couples’ interactions to determine [...]
I didn’t think I would ever experience feelings like I did on the morning we left Ireland last summer. My wife clutched our 6-week-old son as I loaded our unending procession of suitcases onto the belt at Dublin airport. I could feel the sweat on my brand new shirt, but not from exertion. This [...]
The First Amendment Defense Act has been justly promoted as a means to protect religious people, as well as other conscientious objectors, against those who might wish to retaliate against proponents of male-female marriage through the federal bureaucracy (complaints, charges, lawsuits, claims of [...]
Paternity is a major problem area in family courts, whether you are talking about issues pertaining to fraud or biological fathers obstructed from having a relationship with their children. Unfortunately, there is little being done to fix these matters. This leaves millions of men and children [...]
The process of getting a divorce often leaves both parties wounded. However, there are a few things you can do right now to ensure that you are financially protected. 1. Gather your financial records The first thing you should do is to collect all of your financial records. Ideally, you will [...]
Last month, the White House hosted the first-ever United State of Women summit, an event aimed at celebrating women’s progress and highlighting the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender equality. Among the many topics covered, female entrepreneurship was a major theme. One of the [...]
A national legal panel that works to standardize state laws wants to simplify child custody rules for military service members, whose frequent deployments can leave them without clear legal recourse when family disputes erupt. The Uniform Law Commission, an influential group of some 350 [...]
Make no mistake about it, divorce is hard. Even if you and your spouse expect to have an amicable dissolution, the emotional and financial challenges that come with divorce can make it one of the most difficult things you’ll ever go through in your life. Many people are blindsided by divorce [...]
Dividing the family’s property during divorce can be quite difficult, especially if there are significant assets such as houses, rental property, retirement and pension plans, stock options, restricted stock, deferred compensation, brokerage accounts, closely-held businesses, professional [...]
Millennials, enjoy your nuptials as the summer wedding season hits its stride. While baby boomers may be hiring divorce lawyers. The statistic that half of all marriages fail, long whispered by wedding guests and worried over by reluctant brides and grooms, has garnered some new support. If [...]
Nearly two dozen states have been considering shared parenting after divorce or separation as part of a reform of current child custody laws, which could mean more shared time for noncustodial parents with their children. According to a press release from theNational Parents Organization (which [...]
At any age, a divorce can set you back financially, but ending a marriage later in life poses an extra threat: derailing a previously on-track retirement. As is true with younger couples, a divorce is likely to leave you with higher living expenses, lower in-come, and less wealth. But if you’re [...]
nly a third of children in sole residential homes see their other parent at least once a month. Another third have contact less than once a month. Half of these have contact less than once a year. A final third have no contact at all with their non-custodial parent. Fathers who never married the [...]
By the time their kids are ready for college, many parents are either divorced or in the process of getting one. Just from a financial aid perspective, that can actually be to their benefit. Students whose parents are divorced—or have been separated for at least six months—will in many cases [...]
In the room that would be the scene of Lisa George’s divorce in 2012, Ms. George, now 59, was seated on the same side of the table as her about-to-be-ex-husband. Each of their divorce lawyers slid into seats across from them. Between the lawyers sat Carol Hughes, a divorce coach in Orange [...]
Almost two years ago, my world was turned upside down. My ex-husband had confessed that he no longer loved me, and I learned the hurtful truth about our marriage. Sincerely believing that I was looking out for the best interests of our two girls, I immediately filed for primary physical custody. My [...]
Divorce is obviously a huge emotional experience for everyone involved, but it also takes a toll financially — often on both spouses. The immediate financial burden occurs due to the separation of the household: As couples split, they often wind up doubling their housing, utility, and other [...]
Most people need help to implement their divorce order properly. After a long, emotionally charged divorce process, you’ve arrive at a final divorce settlement agreement. It seems fair, reasonable and satisfying. You expect to receive what the final judgment states you are due. Brace [...]
Can I Check My Soon-To-Be-Ex-Husband’s Credit While We Are Getting Divorced? Q: My husband and I are in the midst of a very acrimonious divorce. I suspect he’s hiding financial information from me. Can I check his credit reports, and if so how? A: No, you can’t check your spouse’s (or [...]
As an increasing number of couples agree to live together rather than marry, attorneys are seeing more and more cases involving break-ups leading to the courtroom. According a recent survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), 45% of the members find that legal disputes between [...]
If there is one thing that everyone can agree upon when it comes to divorce, it’s that it is predictably unpredictable. Just when you think you have it figured out (to some degree) and you are on the path of recovery — wham! You walk right into another wall that leaves you feeling [...]
Love is said to be lovelier the second time around, but for an increasing number of older Americans, that second time around doesn’t always include re-tying the knot. In fact, people age 50 and up are the fastest-growing group of unmarried couples. There were 3.3 million Americans over 50 in [...]
Three years ago, my husband and I broke up after two decades of marriage. Our path since has been so gentle that we have been the cause of confusion and gossip in our little Colorado mountain town. Both of our cars are often in the driveway, meals are frequently eaten together and logistics make [...]
Ideally, the child support system should ensure all the financial necessities needed to raise a child are covered, with both parents providing fair and adequate contributions. However, time and time again the system fails in this regard. In fact, because of a number of outdated gender biases [...]
5. You curse repeatedly during the initial consultation. Divorce law is already tense and difficult enough. Lawyers must manage their cases as well as their clients’ emotions. But it is not what we are good at or what we want to do, so if from the first instance, our potential client cannot [...]
If you think prenups are just for celebrities or the super wealthy, think again. According to a new survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), 63 percent of divorce attorneys say they’ve seen an increase in prenuptial agreements during the past three years. What’s more, 46 [...]
I was super excited about doing my taxes this year. I got married last June and couldn’t wait to exercise that most glorious privilege of matrimony — the ability to file jointly. But after my wife and I filled out our tax return, I wondered … did we actually save any money, or did we, like [...]
It’s never just about the dirty dishes in the sink or forgetting to drop the kids off at soccer. When you’re married, the arguments you get into have history: You’re peeved that he left the dishes in the sink because he knows it bothers you and yet, he did it again. Each fight becomes the [...]
There are a lot of considerations to make when choosing a career, but most people don’t consider divorce to be among them. That may be a mistake, however, since there does seem to be an appreciable difference in the divorce rates of certain careers. Celebrities aren’t even at the top of the [...]
A divorce can be one of the most traumatic life events a person can experience. During and after the dissolution of a marriage, both spouses can have trouble coping with feelings of loss, failure, regret – and both can struggle financially as well. Legal fees, asset-division, child support and [...]
While there are many things you should ask your divorce lawyer, you should really also ask yourself many things such as simply “do I feel good about him or her.” There is often not much time to decide upon which lawyer to choose, so your gut instinct may be your best guidepost. But to help you, [...]
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