A few weeks ago, we posted an article highlighting the attachment theory training that collaborative divorce professionals from across Texas participated in recently. Curtis Harrison, the current president of the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas (and a partner with Dallas family law Goranson Bain), attended the training and provided his own take on attachment theory. He focused on the ways that knowing your spouse's (and your own) attachment type can influence the negotiations you'll have … [Read more...]
Why I Wrote Meet Max for Children in Divorce
This blog article is from Jennifer Leister, a Collaborative Law Institute of Texas member and Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor based in Dallas. She is also the author of two children’s books – Meet Max, geared towards helping children understand divorce, and Max Meets Emma, geared towards helping children understand dating, second marriages and blending of two families. As a counselor who works with a number of divorcing families, it’s important to have resources on hand to … [Read more...]
How Attachment Theory Applies to Divorce
The following article is from Steve Walker, a Frisco-based financial planner and board member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas. I had the pleasure of attending a Collaborative Law Institute of Texas-sponsored training in Houston last week, which featured presentations by therapist Yuval Berger and attorney Lisa Alexander -- both of them experienced collaborative professionals from Vancouver, British Columbia. They presented on attachment theory, and how knowing different attachment … [Read more...]
Austin Author Honoree Corder Offers New Book on Thriving after Divorce
This article is written by S. Camille Milner, a Denton-based collaborative lawyer and the current Vice-President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas’ board. Many people suffering through the pain of divorce are looking for resources that will ease that pain. While a therapist's office is the best place to work through the emotions of the ending of relationship, there's a new book by Austin author Honoree Corder can be a bridge or offer temporary help for people until there are able to … [Read more...]
The Importance of Remaining a Family After Divorce
This article is written by S. Camille Milner, a Denton-based collaborative lawyer and the current Vice-President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas’ board. For collaborative professionals, some of our highest and best work is to offer people options for reconciliation. Now, by that, I do not necessarily mean reconciling the marriage, although we are always pleased when that is possible. I once had a thirty-eight year old friend who was dying from cancer. She said that what she had … [Read more...]
Avoiding Christmas Custody Games
This article is from Curtis Harrison, a partner with GoransonBain, PLLC, and the President-Elect for the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas' board. Christmas is finally here again. For millions of Americans, Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. But if you are in the middle of a divorce or child-custody modification, you may have discovered that reindeer aren't the only ones who are playing games: 1. Perhaps you just received an "Ex-text" informing you for the first … [Read more...]
Spending the Holidays with Your Ex-Spouse
This article is from Syd Sharples, LCSW, the current president of The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas and an Austin-based psychotherapist and collaborative divorce facilitator. You’ve just gotten divorced and darn if it isn’t holiday time. As with many post-divorce experiences, you’re faced with another first: how to spend holidays now that you’re a family living under two roofs. On the one hand, you sense it would be nice for the kids to be able to spend Christmas with both parents and … [Read more...]
The Children’s Bill of Rights in Divorce
When collaborative law proponents talk about its advantages -- especially in comparing collaborative law to litigation -- one of the most compelling talking point involves children. When a couple with children is working out its divorce in a collaborative setting, the parenting plan will be paramount in the discussions, and the couple will have exclusive say in their solution. The collaborative team might help them shape it, but they'll arrive at the decision themselves. (Whereas, in litigation, … [Read more...]
How Divorced Parents Are Like Married Parents
This article is from Syd Sharples, LCSW, the current president of The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas and an Austin-based psychotherapist and collaborative divorce facilitator. Earlier this month, the New York Times ran a fantastic, must-read article by Robert E. Emery titled "How Divorced Parents Lost Their Rights." The premise of the article was that the legal system treat divorced parents differently than married parents, despite the increasing number of children in the United States … [Read more...]
Summer Co-Parenting: Factor in Emotions
Former Collaborative Law Institute of Texas president Syd Sharples provides terrific advice for co-parenting in summer in Austin Family -- based on earlier work she's done on this blog, she's just published an article giving divorced parents tips for how to navigate summer schedules and activities. As she notes in the article, summer can be a wonderful time for parents because, with the structure of the school year taken away, it allows each parent longer stretches of time to spend with their … [Read more...]
