Category Archives: Divorce
When in the Divorce Process Should You Move Out of the Marital Home?
Imagine that your friend is dating a new guy. When she finally lets you get a word in edgewise, you inquire about his marital status. She says that Mr. Wonderful is almost divorced and then immediately goes back to gushing about him. The more you press your friend for details about what she means… Read More »
Is High Net Worth Divorce the New Normal?
A favorite subject of small talk these days is how little you can buy with your paycheck. You know you have a real friend if there is someone with whom, after the first grocery shopping trip after payday, you can compare notes about how little money is left in your bank account; by the… Read More »
Do You Have to Live Separately From Your Spouse Before You Divorce?
Celebrities are not nearly as interesting as the tabloid press would like them to be. When celebrity news reporters are looking for gossip, they might ask stars to recount events that happened long ago. One favorite interview question in this genre is when the reporter asks when the celebrity knew that his or her… Read More »
The Rise of Niche Family Law Firms
The good news is that the divorce rate, even in famously belligerent states like Florida, is decreasing. The divorce rate is only half what it was 30 years ago. The talking heads on TV have their ideas about why; it could be that no one can afford to get married, or that remaining single… Read More »
What If There Were Jury Trials in Divorce Cases?
When divorce lawyers schedule a full day of initial consultations with prospective clients, they often come home from work feeling like they sounded like a broken record. Most people who are not lawyers know nothing about the legal system except what they have seen in movies and on TV shows. Most of the media… Read More »
Can a Divorce Coach Make Your Divorce Less Stressful?
You know you are desperate for money when you watch videos asking you to sign up for a training course to become a life coach all the way to the end. Life coaching is a field where supply vastly exceeds demand; everyone wants to make easy money as a life coach, but no one… Read More »
What Happens When the Marital Home Legally Belongs to Only One Spouse?
Sometimes getting divorced enables you to find words to express feelings you could never identify. For example, it might not be until after you file for divorce that you realize how, during the decades you were married, your spouse’s relatives never treated you like part of the family. In some families, this exclusion is… Read More »
Yes, You Usually Have to Share Gifts With Your Spouse
In many situations, there is an unwritten rule that some people have a close enough relationship to you that they are entitled to a share of gifts you receive from outside parties. Every teacher who has ever received a batch of cookies as a Christmas present from a student’s parents has shared the cookies… Read More »
What Happens When You Use Your Separate Property to Buy a Marital Home?
At first glance, the rules about separate and marital property seem simple. All the assets you acquire during the marriage are marital, and everything you have owned since before you married your spouse is your separate property. There is more room for ambiguity than you might imagine, though. Money that you get through inheritance… Read More »
A Divorce Court Cannot Interfere With the Terms of a Trust Instrument
With a cat that ate the canary grin, estate planning lawyers will tell you that establishing a trust is the closest you can get to being above the law. Sign the trust instrument and transfer property to the trust, and it will take on a life of its own, like the broom in The… Read More »