Whatever your politics, you’d have a tough time arguing that the recent tax overhaul is good for divorcing families. Rather, it adds insult to injury for folks facing the financial challenges that come with having to stretch an already tight budget to cover a second household… Here’s the issue… Up to now, alimony (also called spousal support) has been taxable to the person receiving the money, not the person writing the check. At first blush, that might seem unfair. After all, isn’t the purpose of alimony to redress substantial discrepancies in earning power and standards of living between the two households? Why further punish the financially disadvantaged spouse? The answer is that since the spouse providing alimony is the higher earner, he or she is likely taxed at a significantly higher rate than their ex. Having alimony taxed at the tax rate of the receiver saves money overall– it preserves resources for the family as a whole. How to then divide that money can be addressed … [Read more...]
“Third Thursdays:” A Free Divorce Workshop
Third Thursdays is a free divorce workshop that meets on the third Thursday of each month (generally) from 8:30 am to 10:15 am . Participants can drop in -- no rsvp is required -- and hear directly from lawyers, financial professionals, therapists, child specialists, realtors, and more. Workshop will cover questions such as: How to protect my children? How to protect myself? What if I want the divorce? What if I don't? How can we minimize the pain and conflict of separation and divorce? How can I afford to separate? What will happen to our home? Where will I live? What if I’m not working? What if my spouse is not working? What is the best way to separate or divorce? What is mediation? What is Collaborative Practice? Includes issues related to never-married separation, same-sex relationships, post-separation/divorce co-parenting, non-traditional family structures. Free refreshments … [Read more...]
Collaborative Divorce for Families of Modest Means
Collaborative professionals help your family move through the conflict and into the future -- so getting through the dispute can be a little less painful. The Collaborative Project of DC links families of modest means in Washington DC with professionals who provide reduced-fee or free help to resolve family disputes without going to court using the Collaborative Process. With the Collaborative Process, clients are provided the support, protection and guidance of their own lawyer plus the option to call upon mental health and financial professionals. To learn more, please visit our website: Collaborative Project of Washington DC … [Read more...]
Thursday, November 2: Seminar on “Divorce and the Marital Home”
You are invited to our lunch seminar on "Divorce and the Marital Home," hosted by Collaborative Practice Center affiliate and owner of Residential Mortgage, Inc., Margie Hofberg. Learn about underwriting guidelines for using support as qualifying income for a mortgage, equity buyouts, definitions of income and debt as well as tips for staging, marketing, and of course selling the marital home. Maggie Simpson (realtor), Duane Young (real estate attorney)and Margie have put together an information-packed 60 minute seminar to help you with crafting separation agreements that will work in this constantly changing mortgage and real estate market. The presenation will be held on Thursday November 2 from noon to 1:30pm at the Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington, 1630 Connecticut Ave NW #400. We will provide lunch. Space is limited to 10 people. Please RSVP to Margie: margie@rmcenter.com. … [Read more...]
What is a Parent Coordinator and How Can They Help?
The term "Parent Coordinator" is confusing- lots of divorce professionals use it, but not always to indicate the same job. Here's a helpful article from Divorce Magazine that describes the role as it is traditionally defined: What is a Parent Coordinator? … [Read more...]
What’s really happening with the divorce rate these days?
http://stories.avvo.com/relationships/divorce/numbers-breakdown-divorce-generation.html#.WP58sJd_7JQ.facebook … [Read more...]
“Fighting Well: A Tool For Couples” – By Lisa Herrick, PhD
(Or How To Navigate Conflict with your Honey in Five (Not So) Easy Steps) One of the most common complaints couples have about their relationship is that their fights don’t go anywhere good. "We have the same fight ninety times and we still can’t resolve the problem." "We can’t seem to argue without it getting out of control." "She fights dirty – once the insults start flying, I just shut down/lose it/have to leave." "He always thinks he’s right. It seems I’m not supposed to have an opinion." "Whenever we fight, we seem to get stuck in the past or we bring in the kitchen sink. The fight is never about the thing itself – it always ends up being about my family, or my parenting, or the messed up thing I did four years ago." So, in the interest of helping my readers work on fighting “well” – by which I mean fighting fairly and fighting productively – I thought I’d summarize some of the best tips I know for helping couples resolve their conflicts with some sort of success. I … [Read more...]
Telling Your Kids About Your Divorce
When it comes to breaking the news to their kids, most divorcing parents are scared to death. But "the talk" needn't be the traumatic experience your fear. Here are some great expert tips for easing the pain: Huffington Post, July 26 2016: 10 Things to Keep in Mind When Telling Your Kids About Your Divorce … [Read more...]
Solomon’s Sword: Still Relevant with High Conflict Divorcing Parents
CPC principal Lisa Herrick, PhD offers her thoughts on the relevance of this archetypical "n0-win" story to today's destructive custody battles. Here is a link to the piece on Lisa's blog: Solomon's Sword: Still Relevant with High Conflict Divorcing Parents … [Read more...]
When It’s Time to Stop Being “Nice” to Your Ex
When it comes to divorce, there's no such thing as an emotional free lunch. Whether you're the leaver or leavee, your life will be turned upside down. But while some of us lean into emotional pain, others defend against it by launching into action mode. Working overtime to engineer a great relationship with someone who won't reciprocate is a good example. You already know, at least intellectually, that you can't turn your ex into someone you would've wanted to stay married to. So if you're stuck endlessly repeating the same fruitless attempts to induce good will in your former spouse, it's time to ask yourself some tough questions. Read the full Huffington Post article here: When It's Time to Stop Being "Nice to Your Ex" … [Read more...]