Wednesday, April 30, 2008

More Equitable Divorce Solutions: Alternative to Divorce Disputes

Marriages break up, your family doesn't have to. There is an alternative to traditional divorce solutions that will work better for everyone, especially the kids.
There is an Alternative to Divorce Disputes
Sometimes your divorce really is more a matter of growing apart, than anything else. While there may be underlying issues that one or the other partner has (or both); mature, intelligent people are usually able to overcome these in the better interests of their children. The old method was to fight about who gets what, and who has control and custody of the children. Now, several couples have found ways to make things for better for both them and the kids. This is a collaborative divorce model that allows families to stay together, while still allowing the parents to have their own lives, separate from each other. Can it get better than that?

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For more information of the collaborative law divorce process, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The Emotional Stages of Divorce

Similar to grief, the emotions faced in a divorce are complex and won't go away easily, but being more self-aware could help you cope better.
Divorce could also be coined “Relationship Death” as the emotions experienced are fairly similar to grieving over the loss of someone dear. The path to letting go of your marriage and finding acceptance is a difficult one, but being aware of what you are going through will help you navigate this challenging life transition. The negative feelings may not go away but harboring hope and staying positive is truly the path to recovery...

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For more information of California divorce, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Thursday, April 24, 2008

The Move-Away Dilemma

For better or worse, Americans are divorcing and moving in greater numbers than ever. U.S. Government statistics tell us that 28% of all minor children live with one parent, and that every year more than 14,000,000 Americans relocated their residences to another county. So, it is not hard to understand why this issue keeps popping up in divorce courts in virtually every state.

The California State Supreme Court's recent decision in Marriage of Lamusga is the latest in a series of California appellate decisions that have dealt with this situation over the last fifty years.
The consequences of a court's ruling in a move-away case can have a profound impact on both parents and their children...

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Maintaining Your Credit Status After Divorce

Divorce can be one of the most devastating events in one’s life. But beyond the heartache, there is another pitfall that can bring on huge headaches and threaten your reputation as a financially responsible adult. Your credit standing and identity confidentiality can be serious components of a divorce case.
Many people assume that divorce is primarily about division of property. However, when two individuals dissolve a marriage, there are usually shared debts and often mortgages and other loans in common which need to be carefully handled...

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Should I Keep Record of Support Payments?

YES. It is very important to keep a notebook with the following columns: Date Due, Amount, Date Paid, Arrearages, Check Number. No payment should either be made or taken in cash, since there will always be a disagreement later or about whether a payment was made. Such disagreements create unnecessary court hearings. Judges generally will give no credit for payments claimed to have been made in cash.
It is usually cheaper to be accurate about all payments made or received, than to attempt to gain an advantage...

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

10 Misconceptions About Divorce

Mediation is often the sensible alternative to litigation, particularly when people are divorcing. When you think about divorce, you immediately think of lawyers, courts, judges, and litigation, not to mention expense and aggravation.
People are not as familiar with mediation and often have erroneous notions about what the process of divorce mediation is all about.
The following are some of the common misconceptions about divorce mediation:
1. My spouse and I cannot be civil to one another; we argue all of the time. I thought that for mediation to work the couple must be on amicable terms.
This is not true. Mediators are trained to deal with volatile situations. Take a look at labor negotiations or negotiations in the middle east. Alternative: Divorce Mediation uses a clinical psychologist and family law attorney team when mediating a divorce. Their combined skills in dealing with difficult situations can reduce the acrimony and even help couples to learn the skills necessary for successful negotiations...

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For more information regarding divorce mediation, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Friday, April 18, 2008

Wife Takes Divorce Drama Online, vents scorn via YouTube

Story Highlights:
In a video, Tricia Walsh-Smith makes embarrassing claims about her husband
Her target is Philip Smith, president of the largest theater owner on Broadway
Attorney for Walsh-Smith: "This is a victim who is holding her head up"
Other divorce attorneys: Such disparagement could wind up hurting Walsh-Smith

NEW YORK (AP) -- We're the YouTube Generation, living in the YouTube Era, in a YouTube World. And now we apparently have a YouTube Divorce.

Tricia Walsh-Smith and her husband, Philip Smith, are shown at a Broadway musical after-party in 2002.
Some prominent New York divorce lawyers couldn't think of another case where a spouse -- in this instance, the wife of a major Broadway theater operator -- had taken to YouTube to spill the secrets of a marriage in an apparent effort to gain leverage and humiliate the other side.
"This is absolutely a new step, and I think it's scary," said Bonnie Rabin, a divorce lawyer who has handled high-profile cases. "People used to worry about getting on Page Six [the gossip page of the New York Post]. But this? It brings the concept of humiliation to a whole new level..."

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Monday, April 7, 2008

Ruling Debunks Custody Diagnosis

CHILD custody determinations in scores of Family Court decisions could be challenged following a ruling debunking parental alienation syndrome, a controversial diagnosis of the effects on a child when one parent denigrates the other.
The Psychologists Board of Queensland last month disciplined prominent Brisbane clinical psychologist William Wrigley, saying he had acted unprofessionally in giving evidence about parental alienation syndrome to the court.
An investigation found that Dr Wrigley's evidence three years ago, which had led to a mother losing custody of her two children, constituted "professional conduct that demonstrates incompetence or a lack of adequate knowledge, skill, judgment or care"...

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

A best-selling Journey Back From Divorce

Author Elizabeth Gilbert often asked people she met in her travels if she could include them in the book she planned to write.
"Don't worry, nobody ever reads my books," she would tell them, shrugging off their concerns. "Except maybe my parents and a few friends."
That was before Eat, Pray, Love.
Gilbert's hugely successful memoir, chronicling her year abroad following a painful divorce, is published in 30 languages. More than 1 million copies of the paperback are in print...

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/

Five Ways To Save Tax Money During Divorce

Taxes are probably the last thing on the mind of someone going through a divorce. But maybe they shouldn't be. Here are some money-saving tax tips to consider if you're getting divorced.

The first thing is to "reach agreements with each other. It’s very important to talk with your spouse and straighten out money issues. It’s very easy to lose money if the separating couple isn't communicating...

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Friday, April 4, 2008

Is A Divorce Keeping You From Your Children?

For parents burdened by a divorce or a heavy workload, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay in touch with their children and each other. Visitation rights might decree that a parent only gets to see a child every other weekend, or perhaps the parent returns home from the office so late each night that their kids are already asleep.
Additionally, children themselves are becoming busier and busier - extra academic studies after school, practice with the sports team - which further reduces the contact between parent and child. Whatever the reasons, a communication chasm is appearing between many parents and their children...

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For more information on child custody after divorce, contact the Law Offices of Renee Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com

Fight or Flight? How Men React To Divorce

I think it's important to understand the natural inclinations we have when we react to divorce. Each of us has a different response to things based on our previous experiences.
Fight or Flight - Which is Better?
As science has proven, our bodies and minds have two responses to stressors. It's called the "flight or fight" response. Either we react by fighting back against whatever is causing us stress or we run away. Divorce, and all that is wrapped up into it, is definitely stressful. It's stressful on us and it's stressful on our family and especially our children...

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For more information, contact the Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at www.familylawmarin.com