How To Protect Children of Divorce From Depression

children and divorceUp to 25% of children whose parents divorce have emotional and behavioral difficulties, as compared to 10% of children from intact homes. How do you know if your child is one of the 25% — and how do you help him? Read more

New Jersey Divorce Chronicles Part 12: Will Sharon and Robert Go to Trial?

help for divorce issues
In our last installment of our ongoing divorce case study series, we saw Melissa and Jason making good progress with the division of their marital assets and debts in mediation. Meanwhile, the disappointing recommendations Sharon got from the Marital Early Settlement Panel (MESP) in Part 8 just seemed to get worse for her in Part 10. Read more

Dividing a Family Business in Divorce

dividing a family business in divorceWhen owners of family or closely held businesses divorce, they may wonder whether or not they are going to have to divide their business as part of asset division, and if so, what exactly that might mean for their financial future. A “closely held” business is either family-owned or has shares owned by a small group of investors. If you are one of these family business or small business owners, what divorce options do you have? Read more

6 Perilous Divorce Mistakes Women Make

divorce mistakes made by women Divorce is one of the most difficult life transitions anyone can face, but the truth is, everyone handles divorce in their own way. Women going through divorce can face unique stresses and may be more prone to making certain errors and missteps during the process (the same goes for men, which we will explore in a future blog). Here’s a look at some of the most common divorce mistakes women make – and how to avoid them. Read more

Putting Narcissism & Divorce into Perspective: Negotiate with Caution

divorcing a narcisst In a couple of recent posts, we discussed what it can be like to go through a divorce from a narcissist. In “Divorcing a Narcissist: 5 Steps to Protect Yourself” we talked about how your narcissistic soon-to-be-ex-spouse might blame you for everything and try to control every aspect of the divorce—including your post-divorce life. In “Divorcing A Narcissist: 5 Strategies For Getting Through It” we offered some tips for defusing high conflict interactions with an ex who feeds on conflict and will stop at nothing in trying to gain the upper hand.

If you’ve been reading all of this and you recognize your own ex in our descriptions, you might be feeling more than a little bit discouraged and intimidated. Perhaps you were hoping for a low conflict divorce, were considering mediation, or at least hoped to settle some of your issues out of court. If your ex is so self-centered that seeing anyone else’s side is out of the question, how can you possibly proceed?

Well, take a deep breath and a step back while we take a closer look at some of these issues: Read more

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Stop violence against women

A call for eradication of gender-based violence throughout the world

November 25th is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. While violence, including domestic violence, affects men as well as women, gender-based violence affects women disproportionately. Much violence against women, domestic and otherwise, is rooted in long-standing and pervasive social structures that gave men control over women’s bodies and lives. In the United States, where educated and aware women and men have worked for decades to promote equality and eradicate the structures that support the legacy of violence against women, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that the problem still exists in this country, and that in many countries throughout the world, it remains rampant. Read more

Top Co-Parenting Tips For A Smooth Handover At Holiday Time

holiday divorced co-parenting

Holidays can be a challenging time for divorced families especially when people crave glowing, Norman Rockwell-type gatherings. It can be upsetting having to split holiday time with your ex and knowing that the person passing the gravy to your kids is not you, but your ex’s new partner.

These experiences, combined with the cultural expectation to have a Hallmark holiday, can send divorced parents into emotional overload. So how do you keep your charged feelings from spilling over onto your kids? Especially at handover time, which can seem like traversing an emotional minefield? Here are some tips for managing holiday drop-offs with true co-parenting finesse. Read more

7 Top Tips For Dealing With Divorce Stress

reducing divorce stressDivorce can be one of the most stressful situations anyone can face. We’ve all met people who seem to wear their divorce on their sleeve. But here’s a tip for you as enter this process: off-loading stress onto others will often push them away, thereby creating even more stress. How do you deal with the hardship of divorce so that it doesn’t consume you? Here are 7 tips to ease you through. Read more

New Jersey Divorce Chronicles Part 11: Mediating Alimony and Child Support

negotiating alimony

Welcome to part 11 of our continuing New Jersey Divorce Chronicles case study series that tracks two different couples throughout the divorce process. In this latest installment, Jason and Melissa seem to be getting close to a settlement, but will first need to get past some disagreements over alimony and child support negotiations. Let’s take a look at their latest mediation session… Read more

Custody Options & Parenting Rights for Military Dads

rights for military fathersThe unique demands of military service, and particularly the demands of long-term active duty assignments, can put tremendous strain on a servicemember’s home life. Deployments can be unpredictable and sometimes involve short notice. Families are called on to make difficult adjustments. Relationships can change or grow distant, including relationships with those who mean the most to you: your kids.

Are you a military dad facing custody issues? Learn about your father’s rights and parenting time options. Read more