Sitting down at the divorce negotiation table with your spouse can be nerve-wracking. After all, you and your spouse may not have spoken to each other face-to-face in some time, and you might be worried that the emotions wrapped up in the process will get the best of you or your spouse. But even if you’re anticipating an amicable divorce, there are still several legal issues that you have to hash out during these negotiations. With so much hanging in the balance, you can find yourself riddled with uncertainty and anxiety. Regardless of how you’re feeling, though, you should take comfort knowin ..read more

If your marriage is on the rocks and headed toward divorce, then you’re probably dreading the long, drawn-out fights that await you. You might envision contentious court battles like those portrayed in television and in movies, and you could be concerned that your spouse is going to turn into a different person as they try to get back at you. But the marriage dissolution doesn’t have to be as contentious as you think. In fact, you and your spouse might find a way to work together to make your divorce amicable and beneficial to both of you. That’s the goal of collaborative divorce, where you an ..read more

The holiday season is supposed to be a happy time, but for many people it isn’t. Feelings of sadness and loneliness are common if you experienced a loss or major life change over the past year, and the extra activity during the season can cause you to feel stressed, anxious and angry on top of it. If the major change in your life is a divorce, you are not alone. Divorce statistics show that although the divorce rate has recently decreased, approximately half of all first marriages still end in divorce, with that rate increasing for additional marriages. One reason the holidays may be so diffic ..read more

Is your marriage going poorly? If so and you’ve found yourself here on our blog, then you’re probably thinking about divorce. But the mere thought of ending your marriage can riddle you with fear, stress, and uncertainty. After all, you might not have a firm grasp of how the process will play out or how your spouse will react. One way to ease your concerns is to take control of the situation. And that starts now rather than once you file your divorce petition. So, let’s take a look at what you can do right now to better prepare yourself for your impending divorce. Steps you can take right now ..read more

Many people are familiar with the five stages of grief, but did you know there are also five stages of divorce? This should not come as too much of a surprise, since a divorce is a highly emotional and mentally stressful time involving many of the same feelings you have after you have lost a loved one. The five stages of divorce are essentially the same as the grief stages, only in the context of a divorce. Denial and anger The first stage is denial. This means not accepting that the divorce is happening, likely because acknowledging the divorce will be too overwhelming. The denial stage can l ..read more

There are many ways to get a divorce. For couples that are unable to agree on anything, traditional divorce, where each party gets their own attorney and lets the judge decide everything in court, may be the best option. For couples that would prefer to come to an agreement outside of the courtroom, mediation or collaborative divorce are both solid options. Over the past few years, couples have also started to utilize a new divorce modality known as integrative mediation. Integrative mediation requires the coordination of experts Integrative mediation typically requires the involvement of seve ..read more

A California prenuptial agreement might be difficult to discuss in contemplation of a marriage. However, for many people, their finances are such that they need to protect themselves. This could be true for one prospective spouse or both. Although there is negative perception about these agreements, there are benefits to having one. A well-designed and comprehensive prenuptial agreement can address some of the most problematic issues that arise in a divorce: namely financial considerations. While it cannot oversee child custody and child support, it can ensure people have a grasp of how proper ..read more

There is a perception that California divorces will be naturally adversarial and the sides will disagree about every issue. The belief that cases are destined to be filled with negativity is understandable given the attention difficult divorces get. However, that is not true in every case. In some instances, people are not on bad terms. They simply want to end the marriage, come to a reasonable resolution over lingering issues and move on with their lives. This is when collaborative divorce could be an alternative and knowing how to negotiate settlements and have the court approve them will co ..read more

In California, the idea of a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is often automatically perceived as people who are trying to have it invalidated as part of a contentious divorce. This is understandable given the number of high-profile cases that are centered around this very issue. However, many people are simply thinking about a document of this kind either before or after they have gotten married as a protective device. It does not necessarily mean that they are preparing for a divorce and do not expect the marriage to work out. Unfortunately, many marriages fail. When there is a prenuptial ..read more

If your marriage is just not working any longer, you may have already come to the conclusion that the only thing to do now is to get a divorce. With that in mind, you most likely will want to get the divorce process over with as little conflict and unpleasantness as possible. You will probably want to consider getting a collaborative divorce, which is a legal process that will let you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse agree to the terms of the divorce together, with minimal negativity involved. When you sit down to negotiate your divorce terms with your spouse, there will undoubtedly be some diffe ..read more