Articles about Separation and Divorce

SEPARATION AND DIVORCE
Couples who are facing these life-shattering experiences will benefit from the power of knowledge provided by the professionals who wrote these articles.

Differences Between Litigation and Mediation in Divorce are more than Just Financial
Divorce, itself, is both a legal process and part of a family process. It has been stated often that the emotional forces which are bound to the dissolution of a marriage and a family argue for more delicate measures than the traditional court proceeding.
How to Choose and Manage Your Divorce Attorney
In the midst of all the emotional turmoil connected with your separation, now you're faced with choosing a divorce attorney. The following is a guide to selecting the right attorney.
The Basics of Alimony
Alimony issues can be a sensitive subject between spouses during and after divorce. Normally, spouses have opposite viewpoints - how much should be paid and for how long. If you use the mediation process for your divorce, you will have more control over the alimony decisions.
Divorce and Business Valuations A Goodwill Issue
Business valuators must always consider the existence of intangible value when performing their valuations. This intangible value or goodwill becomes particularly significant when the valuation is undertaken with respect to a marital dissolution action.
Custody: The Red Flag of Family Law
Custody evokes parenting and parenting evokes feelings of possession, pride, anger, responsibility, guilt, happiness, pleasure and angst. To the cauldron of life we add the problem of a relationship gone bad. Now, simultaneously, we have to deal with the feelings of a parent and the feelings of anger, guilt, bitterness, unrequited love and anxiety pertaining to the loss of a relationship.
Speaking with your Spouse about Divorce and Mediation
No matter what each couple's particular circumstances are that have lead to the decision to part ways, approaching your spouse about your decision to divorce is unfamiliar territory, causing intense anxiety and stress.
Separating your Finances
Divorce means more than physically separating a family. It also means separating a family financially. Both can bring great emotional stress. You will come through the process in a better financial state, however, if you can keep your emotions from influencing your financial decisions. At the very least, you will be able to make better financial decisions in the future for yourself and your children.
Dealing with Mortgages During Divorce
When people who own real estate get divorced, they usually face decisions about mortgages. These decisions are important because they directly impact future financial well-being. It is best to educate yourself about the options and seek the advice of a professional mortgage broker.
Real Estate and Divorce
Throughout the divorce process, equitable distribution becomes a major factor. If a couple owns real estate, several issues must be decided; i.e., Will the marital domicile be sold? Will one spouse buy out the other? And, most important, if there are children, how will this affect them?
Sale of the Home in the Divorce Process
When divorcing couples decide it is necessary to sell their marital residence and move to new separate residences, which is stressful under the best of circumstances is stressful, becomes even more so. Following are a few things that all homeowners should keep in mind when selling a house and then buying a house.
Estate Planning and the Divorced Spouse
In planning estates over the years, the question has been frequently asked, "What happens to my property if I divorce my spouse? .... If I divorce my spouse, are there any changes I have to make to my will and existing estate plan to protect my property?"
The answer to both questions is that in most states, and certainly in Pennsylvania, a former spouse has the right to receive some portion of the "marital property."
Tax Considerations in a Divorce
Divorce most often involves dividing marital assets. Generally, splitting ownership of assets has no immediate federal or Pennsylvania tax consequences. Taxes are still an important issue however, because the ultimate owner of appreciated assets will eventually owe taxes when the assets are sold.

On the Same Page: Divorced Parents and School
The post divorce relationship between parents can take different forms and can change over time. There may be a friendly relationship with easy and frequent communication. There may be an easy flow around matters that involve the children. If this is the case, talking together and sharing information regarding school matters happens easily. In this case, one parent can be designated as the primary contact person for the school and then, that parent readily shares the information with the other parent. There can be comfort for both parents to attend events like Back to School Night and parent-teacher conferences together.
Talking with Children
Among the first questions parents must answer in a separation or divorce are how, when, and what to tell their children. Because telling children may be painful, parents could be tempted to delay this task. It is usually better for children, however, to know about the decision immediately, and before a parent moves.
A Child's View
Children look at the world differently than adults. Much of what they understand about divorce depends on their age. A toddler will not understand as much as a 5-year-old understands. A school-age boy will not handle his emotions the same way his teenage sister will.
Talking to your Children about the Decision to Divorce
For some parents, talking to their children about the decision to divorce can be one of the most difficult challenges to face. It can be very helpful for both parents to discuss ahead of time what information they are going to share with their children and how they are going to respond to their children's questions.
Helping Children Cope with Divorce
Approximately 50% of the couples who marry today will end up divorced, and almost half of all children in the U.S. have seen or will see their parents divorce. In marriages that are empty, conflict-ridden, or even abusive, this is the right decision, but it is still only the better of two painful alternatives. The children, who have no control over the decision to divorce, are often the ones most affected by this decision to reorganize the family.
Parenting During Divorce: Self-Awareness is Key
The welfare of their children is of paramount importance to divorcing parents. They want to know what to do for the children to lessen the impact of the divorce on them. They want to know how to reduce the chances that their children will suffer negative consequences. The parents' intentions are admirable, but the follow-through is often compromised.
Children's Emotional Response to Divorce
Virtually all children wrestle with internal conflicts and upset feelings after their parents separate and it is not uncommon for children to develop temporary social, emotional, behavioral and/or academic problems during this initial adjustment period.
The Decision to Divorce and it's Impact on Children
Over the years there have been a plethora of studies and research projects designed to examine the effect of parental divorce on children. Researchers and health care specialists have tried to answer such questions as whether it is better for the children if parents avoid divorce even if it means living in a "bad marriage", the classic example of "staying together for the children", or if divorce is a better alternative for all involved.
Kids Divorcing Parents
"You are a bad parent and I don't want you in my life any more." Most parents have heard this from their children and felt free to ignore it. Unfortunately for some divorced parents, this threat becomes reality.
Through The Eyes of Children: Healing Stories for Children of Divorce (Book Review)
Through The Eyes of Children: Healing Stories for Children of Divorce is a collection of fable-like tales designed to be read to children by their parents, therapists, or other concerned adults. The stories help children understand and cope with their parents' separation and the fallout from their parents' conflict with each other.