With the advent of technology our world has changed, some would say for the better, but has it? Technology has afforded us conveniences which we have incorporated into our daily life. We have become addicts, addicted to our technology and convenience. We depend so much on technology that we have lessen the demand on ourselves. I remember a point in time when I memorized all my seven siblings phone numbers, addresses, and birthdates. Now, I enter everything in my phone without … [Read more...]
Divorce Is Different For Parents of Kids with Disabilities
Figuring out how to divide and share rights, responsibilities and time with the kids is hard for divorcing parents of all children – with and without disabilities -- because there are so many things to consider. Parents eventually land on how they will handle schedules, residences, health care, and support, but going through the process can generate a lot of reflection on childhood – and parenthood – over issues that didn’t seem to exist, back when the couple thought they would … [Read more...]
Health Insurance and Divorce
Health insurance is an important issue in any divorce when at least one party is under age 65 and without means to obtain their own health insurance. It can also be a significant issue with children who have graduated from high school but have not yet entered the work force to acquire their own health insurance. Thus, there are two areas where decisions should be made regarding health insurance and divorce: your child’s coverage and your coverage. This article is a high-level overview of what to … [Read more...]
Divorce Finances – 4 Tools To Help You Financially
Saying divorce can mess with your mind is a substantial understatement. I know because I have been there. It is as if my brain was removed from my head and placed beside me for about a year. (It does come back!) The intelligent together woman I once was turned into an emotional, brain-fogged, unorganized basket case. If you are in the middle of a divorce you may be able to relate. So how do you navigate your financial future in the midst of a trauma induced … [Read more...]
Maximizing Control Over Your Post-Divorce Life and Making Informed Decisions about Divorce Issues
Divorce is a life changing event even in the best of circumstances. Perhaps you have done your due diligence, considered all your options, and decided that divorce is the best way to move forward. Maybe your spouse has made that decision and you are just being hit with it. Either way you are likely to have some trepidation about what your post-divorce life will look like. Although you have accepted the fact that your life will change, you still do not … [Read more...]
Parenting Time and Support in Collaborative Cases
When parents decide that it’s time to separate and divorce, they also have to decide how they will continue to co-parent their children. In optimal situations, parents are able to work together to come up with a parenting plan that is best suited for their children considering the specifics of the family. That is the approach taken in a collaborative divorce and the results can be quite satisfying for everyone involved. On the other hand, if the parties choose to litigate their … [Read more...]
Tips for How to Tell the Kids You Are Getting a Divorce
Kids remember where they were when their parents first told them about the divorce. If that memory can be as peaceful, loving, and as safe as possible, it is going to be a significantly less traumatic memory for them as they age. Here are a few important suggestions for how to tell the kids that you and your spouse are getting a divorce. The first important piece is that you want to tell your kids at a time where they do not have anything important coming up that day. If they are in … [Read more...]
Emotionally Intelligent Spousing: You Go First!
You may already be the perfect spouse. You exude empathy and love and role model all the best practices for growing a marriage that will last a lifetime. For you, it’s simple. You just happen to possess the very qualities that draw others to you and inspire them to evolve toward their highest potential. For me, on the other hand, it was on-the-job training that felt like a roller coaster ride. Amidst the excitement of new beginnings came increasing chasms in communication and understanding. … [Read more...]
Collaborative Divorce—Choosing The Best Divorce Process To Meet Your Child’s Special Needs
Divorce is often a daunting experience for a couple with normal healthy children. But, divorce can be even more overwhelming when the spouses have a child with special needs. In over 35 years of divorce and child custody law practice I have witnessed that most parents, including those with disabled children, overwhelmingly ask to have their child’s or children’s interests be put first. They ask me, “How can we best do that?” Parents, like you, do not have a choice in whether … [Read more...]
An Open Letter to Kelly Clarkson
Dear Kelly Clarkson, I was reading about your pending divorce with your husband. This is probably a stressful time for you and your family. I have appreciated your artistry over the years and was moved to reach out to you. As a clinical social worker, I have worked with divorcing parents and their children for years and here are a few things I have learned and thought I would share just in case: During the pendency of the divorce and after the ink dries, … [Read more...]
