Developmental Disabilities and Child Support Child support is designed to help parents provide for the child’s needs when the child’s parents do not live together. It helps to ensure that both parents contribute to the basic needs of their children, such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, and other needs. In most cases, child support is calculated according to a formula. Additional expenses like medical expenses, education-related fees, and childcare costs are addressed separately from the basic child support payment. Often, parents split these types of costs equally or in some other ..read more

Of course, going through a divorce is typically one of the furthest things from the minds of newlyweds. However, the reality is that all marriages do not have happy endings. When problems between a married couple begin to pile up, and it starts to become clear that the relationship is not salvageable, getting a divorce might be the healthiest option for both spouses in the long run. While you may already know that your marriage is headed in the direction of divorce, that does not mean it will necessarily be an easy topic to discuss with your spouse. 1. Make Sure That This is the Right Decisio ..read more

Topping the list of challenges for divorcing couples is the way communication often breaks down between former spouses. In fact, studies show that communication difficulties are a leading catalyst of separation; these frustrations only become compounded after divorce – even during relatively amicable processes like mediation. If a couple is in conflict, even simple, day-to-day interactions about household or family logistics can become fraught. The oversight of children’s activities and the allocation of their time also commonly becomes an area where former spouses may battle for a s ..read more

While studies show that divorce rates in the U.S. as a whole have begun to drop, the rate of “grey divorces” – couples who are age 50 years or older and in long-term marriages – is the demographic in which divorce rates are still rising. A significant reason for the rise is a generational divide. Until the Baby Boomer generation, many couples endured decades of unhappiness rather than undergo the stigma of divorce but when Baby Boomers were coming of age, the social stigma of divorce lessened and the Baby Boomers started a divorce surge in the 1970’s, which has not abated as they turned 50 and ..read more

In Part One of “Introducing a New Romantic Partner to Your Kids: Ground Rules and Expert Advice”, we focused on how to avoid conflict and upset when a new partner changes the dynamic of your post-divorce co-parenting relationship. There are topics you and your spouse can discuss during mediation in order to anticipate some of the potential issues that may arise in the future if either of you forms a new relationship. Though it may be difficult to think about while in the midst of your divorce, your mediator can help you address some of these issues now, thereby helping you avoid possible confl ..read more

When a couple chooses to enter into divorce mediation, as opposed to litigation, there are often noble intentions driving this decision. Facing off as adversaries in court is costly, not only in the literal, financial sense, but also in how it can drain away a couple’s mutual goodwill. In the best-case scenario, a mediated divorce allows the foundational partnership that supported the marriage to evolve without crumbling. This baseline of shared respect gives divorcing parties the strongest possible chance of effectively tackling complex, emotional matters, such as the division of material ass ..read more

Divorce Mediation has become a popular alternative to adversarial divorce proceedings as it saves families time, money and unnecessary emotional upheaval. It has helped countless couples achieve a more constructive divorce. Yet, there are still many misconceptions about the process that cause individuals to believe mediation would not be right for them. This is unfortunate as most couples who begin the mediation process do successfully conclude the process, regardless of the fact that they may have initially disagreed on the issues to be decided or had a conflicted relationship. With the help ..read more

The coronavirus pandemic has caused significant changes in the lives of nearly every American. The effects of these changes have been amplified for families with young children who have gone through (or are currently going through) the divorce process. This is a particularly challenging time for co-parenting arrangements between divorced parents who may not share the same views on how to parent in light of the changes brought on by the pandemic. Fortunately, there is a tool available to help parents navigate these challenging times to help them work together to determine the best way to contin ..read more

We have been hearing a lot about the new normal resulting from life in the age of COVID-19. Our individual and collective worlds have been rocked in ways as novel as this strain of virus. To be sure, we are living in historic times. The outbreak of COVID-19 has become a defining moment for our families, our communities, country, and world that will leave an indelible imprint on an entire generation and beyond. Couples who have chosen to mediate their separation and divorce are already acutely aware and focused on the effects divorce poses on their children, and under normal circumstances strug ..read more

After you and your former spouse have successfully completed the mediation process, there are some important steps that you will need to take next. Of course, the specifics of these steps will depend on what was agreed upon at mediation, as well as your personal circumstances. This is meant to be a general guide, so all of these steps may not be applicable in your case. Financial Steps to Take Following Mediation Some of the most important things you will need to take care of following your mediation involve financial matters. Most likely, you and your former spouse will have financial account ..read more