How To Take Care of Your Mental Health During Your Divorce

Every year we learn more and more about how our mental wellbeing is vital to our long-term health and happiness. Back in the ‘30s and ‘40s, no one paid much attention to mental health issues, let alone the impact of how stress played out in our lives, including our children’s. But in today’s society, we have learned that the stress level of divorce is similar to the death of an immediate family member, and at times the stress can be crushing. With that level of emotional distress, the collaborative divorce process aligns well with helping families deal with the emotional […]

Divorce and Taxes: Who Gets to Deduct What?

Divorce and taxes can be two stressful situations to deal with and most couples are unsure how to complete their taxes once their divorce is finalized. The good news is when you and your spouse opt for a divorce through a collaborative process, you are supported by a team of experts, one of which is a financial neutral who can help you wade through and weigh out the financial changes that will occur, including your tax liability after your divorce has been finalized. Typical child expenses that concern divorcing parents include the following: Whomever your child lives with the most […]

How Does A Gray Divorce Affect the Family?

Divorcing over the age of 50, often referred to as gray divorce, can be extremely difficult to wade through for many reasons. Often in a court litigated traditional divorce, family members get pitted against each other. The long-term emotional fallout can be devastating to everyone involved and for generations to come. Gray divorces come through marriages that have many decades of marriage under their belt and adult children and grandchildren in their family unit. Adult children often feel blindsided because they never felt their parents would divorce after their years together. It can be a gut-wrenching experience for adult family […]

What Expenses Are Covered By Child Support?

Divorce can be messy. It’s a process that has many items to consider, and the most important part of your divorce will be how you and your partner find ways to support your children after your divorce is finalized. When you work with the collaborative divorce process, a team of experts will help you learn to communicate through co-parenting. Divorce coaches will help you learn to communicate with each other. You will also develop a child care plan that includes paying child support and what that will cover. During the collaborative process, our team of experts will work with the […]

How To Cope With the Stress of Divorce

Many equate the stress and grief level of marital separation close to the level of death of a loved one. There are many ups and downs and twists and turns during a divorce. Your emotional well-being is stretched very thin. But there is a process that can help. When you choose to use the collaborative divorce process, there is a team of experts that can help you, your partner and your children. They are a team of mental health experts, divorce coaches, neutral financials and attorneys who are well trained in assisting you and your spouse to work through your […]

Is a California “No Court” Divorce Right for You and Your Family?

It’s a question that is not easy to answer. There are so many shades of gray, and it’s rarely a cut-and-dry decision. There’s a lot involved in deciding which divorce method to choose. We suggest researching all of the options before you decide. Here are the 4 divorce options that are available to you and your spouse if you live in California: Traditional negotiation/litigation Collaborative Mediation Pro Se divorce Today, we will explore the first two options. A traditional litigated court divorce is often costly. It takes a great deal of time to finalize. When it’s all completed, the family […]

How Is Debt Divided in a Divorce?

There are so many issues to decide on when you and your partner are filing for a divorce. It’s hard to know what to consider first. But there is help available when you choose the collaborative divorce process. The collaborative process helps couples to stay away from litigated court divorces. Not only does it save time and money, but it also holistically works with the entire family while working toward a peaceful resolution. Often when our team begins to work with divorcing clients, the couple will ask many different questions, but the one we get asked the most often is […]

Surviving the Holidays During Your Divorce

“Tis the season to be jolly,” couldn’t be further from the truth because you and your spouse are divorcing during the holidays. Divorcing during the holidays can be extremely difficult, especially when you are in a hotly litigated court divorce that pits you and your spouse against each other and leaves your family in tatters, and you an emotional wreck. But did you know there is a better way? A way that works with an interdisciplinary group of professionals who are committed to working through your divorce in a non-adversarial method, without going to court. A collaborative divorce supports your […]

Divorce and Holidays: How To Help Your Kids Through

Getting a divorce any time of the year can be hard, especially during the holidays. Did you know there is a divorce process that can help your family deal with the emotional turmoil that often occurs during the divorce process during the holiday season? When you and your spouse decide to utilize the non-litigated, non-adversarial, confidential approach called the collaborative divorce process, your family will be supported by a team of experts whose primary goal is to work together as a team to help you and your family complete the divorce process and move forward after your divorce has been […]

Why Waiting to Divorce When the Kids Are Older Isn’t Always What’s Best for Them

We have seen this scenario play out way too often in many families – the couple stays married for the children’s sake. They feel that holding the marriage together will help their children. However, the reality is children can be hurt more often when this occurs. Divorce is hard, there’s no doubt about it, but subjecting children, no matter their age, to a high-conflict marriage for years on end can be harmful to children, and here’s why: Children grow best in a stable and structured environment, no matter their age Constant emotional turmoil makes children feel they are the reason […]