Continue reading »]]> Jeff Landers published an article in Forbes magazine on how to find hidden assets in divorce through lifestyle analysis.  Jeff’s main point is that you can analyze the likelihood of hidden assets if you go through the detailed process of documenting how money was spent in the marriage (for you both) and calculating living expenses and analyzing this against reported income in tax returns and bank accounts.

The article talks about a case where the husband was transferring money to an offshore account in the amount of approximately $3 million and a subpoena was not an option.  Through lifestyle analysis, the wife was able to prove that the husband failed to disclose all the assets and this gave her the upper hand in litigation and the case was settled giving her over 60% of the marital assets.  Always talk to your attorney about your situation to determine if there may be hidden assets in your divorce case.

Read the entire article here:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefflanders/2012/02/14/why-a-lifestyle-analysis-is-so-critically-important-for-divorcing-women/

Continue reading »]]> Morgan Stanley Smith Barney provides financial tips for women who are coping with divorce.

1. Gather detailed documentation of all your financial insurance policies and financial accounts

2. Research the various methods for the divorce process – Interview more than one divorce attorney

3. Talk to your attorney about opening accounts in your name only

4. Close joint credit cards and place a fraud alert to protect yourself against future charges

5. Track your income and expenses and create a budget

Read the entire article here: http://glenview.patch.com/articles/financial-tips-for-women-in-divorce

Continue reading »]]> Richard Komaiko, co-founder of AttorneyFee  published an article in the HuffPost Divorce about how divorce rates soar in February and cites several facts about the cost of divorce.  There are several interesting divorce facts in the graphic below.  Including several highlights:

• The most active month for divorce is February and the fewest divorces occur in October (right before the holidays).
• The divorce process tends to get more expensive every year and tends to take longer as well.
• The average cost of divorce was cited at $18,400 and the average length of time to complete divorce at 8 months.

The article also post divorce rates for men and women in major cities across the US.

Brought to you byAttorneyFee.com

Continue reading »]]> Family Law Attorney Henry Gornein provides advice on how to work with your divorce attorney effectively to save you time and money and ease the difficulty of divorce.

• Try to be organized and make the most of your time with your divorce lawyer – make a list of questions and save them for a single session
• Weigh the facts regarding alimony and property division
• Think carefully about keeping your house
• Work with a therapist if needed – attorneys are more expensive
• Ask your attorney what to expect
• Ask your attorney how you can effectively provide documentation to save money
• Openly discuss fees with your attorney
• Remember that divorce is a marathon and not a sprint

Read the entire article here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-gornbein/what-makes-a-good-divorce_b_1276394.html

Continue reading »]]> Divorce Lawyer Brahm Siegel talks to HuffPost divorce about the 2-2-3 parenting plan and describes it as follows:

Two consecutive and fixed days with mother (Monday/Tuesday), two with father (Wednesday/Thursday) and then three days through the weekend with one parent (Friday after school to Monday morning) alternating every weekend.

Benefits of a 2-2-3 plan include:

• Parents keep the same weekdays but alternate weekends which keeps continuity.
• Each parent gets the children for a five-day stretch every two weeks.
• Longer continuous stretches of time allow flexibility for short trips or vacations with kids.

Read the entire article here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/brahm-d-siegel/divorce-2-2-3_b_1242330.html

Continue reading »]]> Linda C. Senn published an article in Divorce Magazine on cost saving tips for saving money in divorce.  Highlights include:

• Spend the time to find the right attorney through referrals.
• Focus phone time with your attorney on critical facts in your case.
• Try to avoid using your attorney as a counselor and see a licensed therapist because they cost less per hour.
• Consider mediation.
• Ask your attorney what you can do to get information for discovery in your case.

Read the entire article here:  http://www.divorcemag.com/articles/Separation_Divorce_Process/top_ten_tips.html

Continue reading »]]> Leah Hoffman of Forbes magazine talks about the legal costs of divorce.  Leah points out that the average wedding can cost of over $25,000 and a divorce can set you back as much or more.  The article highlights how trial can dramatically increases the cost of divorce and less expense options include arbitration or mediation.  If arbitration or mediation are still too expensive for your budget, there options where you do all the negotiating and paperwork on your own.  Any time you try to act as your own attorney, you are taking on substantial risk so be sure to talk to several divorce lawyers before you make your final decision.

Read the entire article here: http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/07/divorce-costs-legal-biz-cx_lh_1107legaldivorce.html

Continue reading »]]> Anderson Cooper talks about the business of divorce and prenups with celebrity divorce Lawyer Robert Wallack.  When it comes to prenuptial agreements, you definitely want to get this discussion out of the way as early as possible so that you can focus on all of the positive things surrounding a new marriage.

Tips:

• Talk about prenup before engagements (draft prenup 6-12 months before marriage)
• Each party should have their own independent Lawyer
• Never sign a prenup or agree to something that sounds unreasonable now, because it’s going to be even worse in the future

See the video here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/31/prenuptial-agreements-anderson_n_1244828.html

Continue reading »]]> The American Kennel Club explains the impacts of divorce on your dog to the Miami Herald.  According to Mary Burch, Ph.D, “While there is no perfect solution for helping your dog adjust during a break up or divorce, there are steps you can take to ease the transition.” Three tips from the AKC include:

• If you share custody of your dog, greet your dog calmly so the dog does not associate separation with anxiety.
• Keep a consistent schedule.
• Know your dog’s comfort level before you introduce Fido to your new friends or love interest.