In recent years, Seattle’s real estate values have soared. How do high house prices impact those who divorce? The good news is that many have built up home equity; real estate has been a good investment. The bad news is that the cost of living has increased, whether you own or rent. In every divorce […]
The Different Negotiation Styles for Divorce
A recurring debate is whether better outcomes are obtained by tough negotiators who push for what they want at the expense of others, or by compassionate negotiators who focus on what’s important to others. This debate about what constitutes better negotiation features prominently in the current U.S. Presidential election. It also occurs in claims made […]
Some Differences Between Collaborative Divorce and Conventional Lawyer – Assisted Negotiation
Most people getting divorced wisely want to stay out of the courtroom. Most also want the assistance of divorce lawyers during their divorce negotiations for many reasons, including: Divorce lawyers have the technical expertise to correctly formalize agreements so they don’t create problems in the future and legal aspects are correctly done. Examples include ensuring […]
Two Questions About the Family Home
Your house might be the most valuable asset you own. This is particularly so in the Seattle and King County area, where house values have increased so much in the last few years. In addition to the financial questions are the emotional aspects about what to do with the home. After all, real estate usually […]
Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Divorce Lawyer’s Fees
No one likes to pay legal fees. Because divorce lawyers typically base their fees on the time it takes to do their work, more professional time directly translates into higher fees. Believe it or not, most lawyers and mediators try to work efficiently and do not wish to prolong their work beyond what’s necessary. Here […]
Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
It’s often interesting when we can apply wisdom from other fields to divorce. One such example is a saying that pilots use. In aviation, the mantra “Aviate, Navigate, Communicate” helps pilots remember what to do first when workloads are high. It’s helpful to have a ready memory aid to stay on track during times that […]
An Unfair Property Division
I recently mediated a divorce between a couple in which the spouses had very different ideas about how they each wished to divide up their property and debt. The husband—let’s call him Mike—proposed dividing all assets and debts equally. Each would leave the divorce with around $800,000 in net assets. The wife—let’s call her Alice—thought […]
Tax Planning in Divorce
One thing too many people overlook in divorce are the opportunities to do tax planning. Taking advantage of legally permitted tax strategies can result in significant monetary savings. While there are many more tax strategies than can ever be listed in a blog post, here are a few of my favorites. Some might apply to […]
Retirement Plans and Divorce
I often get questions from clients about retirements plans in divorce, including what the options are for them. Here are some of the basics; be sure to consult a qualified divorce lawyer for guidance specific to your situation. Retirement plans and savings can be divided in divorce. Retirement plans and savings are associated with an […]
Couples Are Finding a More Positive Way to Divorce
Collaborative Divorce continues to grow, because it’s better for most families than old-style conventional divorce. This video, produced by the Swiss Collaborative Practice Group elegantly explains some of the differences between Collaborative Divorce and court-focused divorce, and the differences in how the divorce lawyers (and, really, everyone) works in each process.