The Best Books To Help Children Thrive Through Divorce

Divorce is painful and confusing. Perhaps now more than ever, you want to give your child all the love, support, and guidance he or she needs, but everything seems harder and more complicated.

In this blog posting Amy J.L. Baker offers brief reviews of 7 of the most comprehensive resources to help parents understand what children are experiencing as a result of divorce and learn how to continue parenting effectively with love and guidance, with or without the cooperation of your ex-spouse.

5 Assumptions of Divorce Lawyers That Usually Fall Short

Litigating a divorce settlement can be a very disappointing and confusing experience due to couple’s common expectations and assumptions of the divorce process and their divorce lawyers that usually fall short. Most of the disappointment resulting from divorce is due to what many peopleassume will happen with their divorce lawyer and in court during their case. When incorrect assumptions set unrealistic expectations they can have mild to severe repercussions emotionally as well as financially.

In this blog posting The Divorce Mediation Center explores 5 assumptions couples have of divorce lawyers that usually fall short:

• Their lawyer is their therapist.
• Their lawyer will remember every detail of their case.
• Their lawyer will bring up every detail of their case in court and mediation.
• The initial Attorney retainer fee is all they need to spend and they will be divorced when that fee is consumed.
• When they tell their lawyer they don’t have any more money that their lawyer won’t charge them from that point on but still work on their case.

If you or someone you know could benefit from assistance in decision making during a divorce, contact Falmouth Mediation at 508-566-4159 for a free, no-obligation, private, confidential consultation. We will be happy to discuss the key details of your situation, address any concerns, and help you decide if divorce mediation would be beneficial.

Divorced Women: How Will You Retire?

All women face significant obstacles to achieving a financially healthy retirement. But while married women have the comfort of being part of a team that is planning to retire together, divorced women are solely responsible for their own financial well-being into their later years. That means that for divorced women, the financial challenges posed by retirement are both multiplied and magnified.

In this blog posting Jeff Landers writes about some of the hurdles divorced women face including:

• Longevity
• Less Income
• Less Savings
• Lower Earning Potential
• Less Financial Literacy

8 Insiders' Tips for a Successful Divorce

Getting divorced is not something that most of us do twice. So, as first timers, with no experience, we enter into a state of upheaval as we fall into the divorce industry's 50 billion dollar a year maze. In this tangled web you are likely to find yourself pitted against someone who was once your closest ally. And the rules of engagement are secret and complex. Something is wrong with this picture!!

In this excellent blog article Elinor Robin offers some tips for achieving an emotionally and financially successful divorce:

• Learn Before You Burn
• Manage Your Expectations
• Plan Ahead
• Stay CIear With Your Attorney
• Mind Your Money
• Don't Focus On Now, Focus On Five Years From Now
• Take The High Road
• Start With Mediation

If you or someone you know could benefit from assistance in decision making during a divorce, contact Falmouth Mediation at 508-566-4159 for a free, no-obligation, private, confidential consultation. We will be happy to discuss the key details of your situation, address any concerns, and help you decide if divorce mediation would be beneficial.

3 Reasons Why Being a Divorced Dad In 2015 Is Better Than Ever

With Father's Day rapidly approaching, there may be no better time than June to take stock of the state of fathers' rights in the U.S. If you are a dad going through a divorce in 2015, what can you expect?

Virtually all states have taken steps in recent decades to revise divorce laws to reflect modern views on family life and the best interests of children, creating a more level playing field for parents going through divorce. This isn't to suggest suggest that there aren't instances of dads feeling discriminated against in custody proceedings and that advocacy work for fathers' rights is no longer needed; however, we can clearly see that a growing number of fathers are emerging from divorce with custody agreements in place that support meaningful, close relationships with their kids.

In this excellent blog posting Bari Zell Weinberger writes about three key ways to achieve a child custody settlement with your former spouse that respects your child's relationships with both of you:

*  Make the Most of Flexible Parenting Time Arrangements
*  Embrace Peaceful Methods of Divorce
*  Changing Workplace Roles

If you or someone you know could benefit from assistance in decision making during a divorce, contact Falmouth Mediation at 508-566-4159 for a free, no-obligation, private, confidential consultation. We will be happy to discuss the key details of your situation, address any concerns, and help you decide if divorce mediation would be beneficial.

Tax Tips for Divorcing Couples

Don’t complete your final settlement until you understand the potential future tax consequences.

Regardless of what your settlement agreement states, the IRS regulations dictate what is taxable, what is deductible and how much tax you will have to pay.

In this excellent blog posting Jerry Cohen answers questions about some of the most common tax related issues that should be addressed:

• Should I file as Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Single or Head of Household?
• Am I eligible to claim an exemption for my child/children as dependents?
• Who is responsible for the tax liability related to a tax return filed jointly?
• Do I Pay Tax On Spousal Support (Alimony) and Child Support?

9 Signs Your Marriage Might Be Over

Browse marriage books on the self-help shelf and the vast majority are about saving your marriage. While healing an ailing relationship is usually what we all want, sometimes it's wise to know when it's time to let go. Every marriage is different, but there are some universal truths.

In this excellent blog posting, Denise Schipani writes about nine signs your marriage may be beyond repair:

• You've "uncoupled."
• One spouse refuses to try.
• There's a lack of respect in the relationship.
• You're no longer a team.
• An unfaithful spouse keeps an ex-lover as a friend.
• No compromising in terms of wants and needs.
• One spouse is a serial cheater.
• You disagree about whether to have children or not.
• You no longer communicate with each other.

If you or someone you know could benefit from assistance in decision making during a divorce, contact Falmouth Mediation at 508-566-4159 for a free, no-obligation, private, confidential consultation. We will be happy to discuss the key details of your situation, address any concerns, and help you decide if divorce mediation would be beneficial.

Who Owes What?

Couples going through divorce often choose mediation to work out their divorce and divide up their assets. Sadly, many couples also need to work out how they will share the repayment of debts.

In this excellent blog posting Jennifer Safian discusses some of the different types of debts they may be faced with:

• Home Mortgage
• School Loans
• Credit Card Debt
• Overdue Taxes
• Personal Loans
• Loans Against a Retirement Account
• Car Leases

Divorcing Parents - Ignore These Three Myths

You are no doubt receiving lots of well-intended advice about how to protect your children from your divorce. What and whom do you believe? If your relationship with your ex-spouse is contentious, you yourself may believe and fear that parenting in separate households will always be a struggle.

But the truth is, you don’t have to like or even talk to your ex-spouse in order to parent apart in a successful and healthy way. You do have to honor your children’s right to love both parents. And you do have to communicate with the other parent in a timely and respectful way (technology helps make this possible).

In this excellent blog posting Sandi Sherr explores what else is possible by deconstructing some popular myths.

Common Money Lies That Can Ruin A Marriage

Money is a touchy topic and the cause of many relationships gone sour. Some people are just not financially compatible, such as when one spouse is frugal and the other is a big spender. Sometimes you just don’t share the same long-term goals and that can make planning and budgeting next to impossible.

Perhaps the most devastating money issue couples face is when one of them is caught lying about the family finances. When financial infidelity is discovered, it can wreck your relationship.

In this excellent blog posting Mike Collins lists some of the most common ways people lie to their spouses about money.