You and your child’s mother have a good relationship – but you’re not married. Even if you’ve never been a fan of government intrusion into private matters, you need to take the extra step to formally establish paternity over your child. Establishing paternity secures your rights and responsibilities regarding your child, and that’s essential to protect both your relationship with ..read more

Most individuals focus on assets during the property division phase of a divorce, perhaps because they are easy to identify and evaluate. However, it’s equally important to consider and address debts that may also be subject to division, such as joint credit card debt, auto loans and mortgages. Louisiana is a community property state. Spouses equally own all the assets and liabilities acquired during a marriage, which means you may have to shoulder a portion of the community debt upon divorce. However, dividing these debts is not without its complications, as explained below. Determining the n ..read more

Financial difficulties are often silent killers of marriages. Money is often a topic of discussion and argument in any marriage.  Because of the financial issues in your marriage, you may be considering divorce. You may be wondering if that is the right choice. Here are a few situations that could cause you to get a divorce: Your spouse is not willing to find a job It is very hard for a lot of people to find employment at this time, however, there are still jobs available to many people. If your spouse is unemployed, it can create some hardships for your household. Yet, if they are determ ..read more

One of the reasons a woman might divorce is to achieve more financial independence and equality. While some women already have that in their marriage, others certainly do not. While divorce could help a woman with this goal achieve it, one study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests they will have to endure more inequality along the way. Women’s income suffers more than men's income after a divorce The study suggests that a woman's income will fall by around 40% on average in the first year after a divorce. A man’s by contrast will rise by 5% on average. Things are stil ..read more

When parents divorce, it can be difficult to settle into a co-parenting routine – especially when there are still a lot of raw emotions still going around.  In high-conflict divorces, child custody exchanges can be challenging for both the parents and the children, and lead to constant disputes that can have the co-parents back in court. If you want to avoid complications with your co-parent, here are some tips that can help you navigate custody exchanges without a battle: 1. Use a shared calendar or app  You will probably have a regular schedule for custody exchanges – but life is u ..read more

If you co-parent or parallel parent with your ex, you may utilize virtual visitation to stay connected with your kids when they’re residing with their other parent. Formalizing these virtual visitation arrangements in a parenting plan can inspire numerous benefits, which is why if your arrangements are not yet formalized, you may want to look into getting the court to sign off on them. Formalizing virtual visitation in a parenting plan establishes clear expectations and schedules. This consistency is crucial for children, as it helps them know when they will connect with their other parent, fo ..read more

If your spouse doesn’t want to get divorced, they may be tempted to ignore the divorce petition. They’ll just ignore the paperwork that you give to them, not taking any steps to respond appropriately and move forward with the legal process. Some people believe that doing this will prevent the divorce from taking place. Your spouse may think that their cooperation is necessary for you to get divorced, so they can prevent it simply by doing nothing. But is this actually true? You can still get a default divorce No, this is not true. If one person ignores the divorce petition, the other person ca ..read more

The summertime can be a relatively complicated season for divorced parents. To be fair, this is also true for married parents. When the children don’t have school and their schedule changes so significantly, parents have to adjust. But for divorced co-parents, this can be a bit harder because they are not living together and so miscommunication issues can be a problem. This is why communication is so incredibly important. Taking a trip For example, say that you want to take a vacation or a weeklong trip with your children over their summer break. But you share custody with your ex, and the tri ..read more

No one marries with the intent of one day divorcing. Yet many couples find that their marriages don’t stand the test of time and wind up filing for divorce. But what if there were a way to predict which couples might not go the distance? According to one professor and psychologist, there may be four behavioral signs that are red flags for divorce. Read on to learn what they are: Criticizing their partners - You don’t have to love every trait your partner has, but being a constant critic and assaulting their personality is a recipe for failure. Feeling contempt for their spouses - Husbands and ..read more

Louisiana is among just a few states that recognize covenant marriage. Those who advocate for covenant marriage often do so because this type of marriage is less likely to end in divorce.  If a spouse or the couple together decides to divorce, it’s a lengthier and more complicated process than divorce in a traditional marriage is. It requires a lengthy separation period before a divorce can be granted. It also requires a serious reason or ground for that separation and possibly eventual divorce. What is required for separation? Under Louisiana law, to seek a separation from your spouse, y ..read more