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 […]

What Property Are You Entitled To in a Short-Term Marriage?

When you first heard the wedding bells ring for you and your spouse, you felt your commitment to each other would last forever, for better or worse, right? Unfortunately, as you and your spouse shared a marital home, it quickly became abundantly clear that your marriage would not last and the best path forward would be to divorce. When couples divorce after being married for a short period, we often get questions regarding assets and property division. Here is what we often share with our clients about property division when the marriage has not been long-lived: From the first day […]

Nesting… Is It Right for Your Family?

Have you and your spouse finally decided that your marriage needs to be dissolved? You may be overwhelmed with all the choices you have to make, including deciding on what divorce method to use. Both of you may feel that you would be able to co-parent your child, but you are unsure what that would look like and what it would involve. Both of you may be looking for a way to resolve your issues peacefully and respectfully. If so, the collaborative divorce process may be the right process for you. A collaborative divorce allows couples to work through their […]

What is Divorce Mediation?

Most couples only know about a court-litigated divorce – like the glamourous ones we read about or see in popular drama series. But did you know there are several divorce methods that you can use to dissolve your marriage? In addition to a collaborative divorce, another time- and cost-effective method of divorcing outside of court is through divorce mediation, and here’s why: A neutral third-party mediator will help couples reach an amicable divorce agreement without litigation or major delays Mediators can explain how the various methods of divorce work This process can help resolve issues without going to court – […]

ABD Retreats

In 2003, the Los Angeles County South Bay area collaborative practice group known as A Better Divorce began its continuing tradition of holding a retreat every two years. The accompanying photo shows the group in 2003 participating in our first retreat. The key to an effective collaborative divorce process is trust, and the group recognized early on that a biennial retreat would be a key building block in establishing trust among the professionals in the group—the attorneys, financial consultants, and mental health professionals. (Trust among ourselves is the foundation to establishing trust with our clients.) It has proved true, and […]

What is a Collaborative Divorce?

Divorce is often filled with roadblocks and detours, there can be so many gray areas that need to be worked through, and it can be financially and emotionally draining. But did you know there is a process that looks at the family as a whole? The goal is to help couples divorce amicably, co-parent together and keep the family unit intact for the future by not pitting couples against each other in a bitter court-litigated divorce. It is called a collaborative divorce. Let’s dive into the process to learn more about it. In a traditional court divorce, you will often […]