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Category Archives: Divorce Mediation
What Do We Make? by Steve McDonough, Esq.
I was watching television earlier tonight - on Valentine’s night as a matter of fact – and saw a commercial for BMW automobiles. It was a fairly long spot during the olympics, right after I decided that I will never try skiing moguls. I don’t even think I would want to walk on them. The announcer on the commercial mentioned that of course BMW makes cars, but what they really make is joy. The ad showed lots of pictures of happy people in BMWs. I thought it was a good commercial, and then wondered as a divorce lawyer and mediator, [...]
Free Divorce Seminar on Wednesday, December 9 at TDC
Just a reminder that The Divorce Collaborative will be sponsoring a free seminar on Wednesday, December 9th at 7:00 pm, at our offices located at 77 Main Street, Medway, MA. For more information and to register, please visit the info box to the right. We are pleased to have Dr. Sandy Portnoy, noted divorce coach and therapist, joining us to discuss the effects of divorce on kids, among other things. The next monthly seminar date is January 6, 2010. Seminars are conducted on the 2nd wednesday each month at 7:00 pm. Please check the site for updates. Share: Recommend on [...]
Part 2 – How Much Will My Divorce Mediation Cost? by Steve McDonough
If you did not have a chance to read Part One about the range of fees for divorce mediation, please do so or be prepared to be confused. The answer is X-Rays. Yes, that is right, X-Rays. My dentist can see what is going on underneath the surface of my tooth and has a clear picture of what is involved. The roofing contractor can only see the outer layer of shingles, but cannot tell what lurks beneath the surface. Perhaps there is rotten plywood that needs replacement, or perhaps not. Either way, the roofing contractor needs to let his customers [...]
How Much Will Divorce Mediation Cost? (Part One) by Steve McDonough, Esq.
I just flew back from a conference at Walt Disney World and boy are my arms tired (please stop groaning, I know that is a very old joke)! One of the sessions was about blogging topics, and writing about frequently asked questions was encouraged. Thus, I am embarking on some blog posts that address questions that are asked, well, frequently. The answers to some FAQs may not be as straightforward as one might think or as prospective clients might desire. For example, people always ask where I get my good looks from and if I would be able to fix [...]
Plumber. Flowers. Candy-Gram.
I am a proponent of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as divorce mediation, the collaborative divorce process and a good old-fashioned duel with flintlock pistols. OK, I am just kidding on ADR method number three, flintlock pistols are unreliable and inaccurate. Some couples are more suited to mediation than others. When I first meet with a couple for a mediation consultation they are evaluating what I have to say and how I say it, my personality, if they like my tie, etc. Perhaps they also realize that I am evaluating them and listening for any “red flags” that signal possible [...]
Social Security and Divorce
I have received couple of questions on how divorce may affect social security benefits over the past week, so I thought a post on this topic might be helpful. First, a good point to remember is that social security is a federal system, and is thus controlled by federal regulations. Social Security benefits cannot be bargained like other assets or retirement accounts since the receipt of social security benefits, how they are paid, and to whom are all controlled by federal law. This is why you don’t see sections on social security benefits in divorce agreements. A divorced [...]
Suggested Reads
There are two books that I frequently suggest to clients with school-age children, so I thought it might be helpful to reference them in a short post. An overwhelming amount of material exists on divorce, some of it good and some of it harmful. When you do find a helpful resource, don’t foget to share it with your spouse as early in the process as possible. The first is The Good Divorce by Constance Ahrons, Ph.D. This book provides valuable information for families making the transition from a nuclear family to a “binuclear” family that spans two households while [...]
Comments on Boston Magazine’s July Article: “Till Death Do Us Pay”
My regular readers perhaps (hopefully) noticed I have not posted for about a month or so. It is good to be back! I started a new law firm The Divorce Collaborative LLC in Medway, MA earlier this summer and have been working with my favorite website/blog guy Jim Spencer of JBS Partners in Winchester, MA on morphing the blog into a full website. There is still a little work to be done, but it is just about complete. I would certainly appreciate your feedback on the site. …Now, let’s get back to blogging! I am lucky in the fact that [...]
Posted in Divorce, Divorce Mediation, Massachusetts Alimony
Tagged alimony, Divor, Divorce Mediation, spousal support
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Pretty in Pink – The Massachusetts Divorce Financial Statement
One of the most important documents filed as part of a Massachusetts divorce is the ever-popular court financial statement. The rules surrounding financial statements are governed by Supplemental Probate Court Rule 401, or as I like to call it, Supplemental Probate Court Rule 401. There are two versions of the form, a “short form” for those with income of $75k or less, and a (much) longer form for those with – you guessed it – income over $75k. The forms are filed with the court on a lovely shade of pink paper to make it easier for Judges and court [...]
15 Critical Divorce Financial Mistakes
I found an interesting article on the website of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners by Lee Slater, a financial planner in New York City (Go Red Sox! Sorry to my NY readers, but I could not help myself). Mr. Slater’s article 15 Critical Financial Mistakes in Divorce provides numerous helpful points to anyone facing divorce. One of his critical mistakes noted is the failure to Share: Recommend on Facebook Share on google plus Share on Linkedin Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post
Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Mediation
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