When Social Security was first instituted in 1935, most women did not work. So in 1939, as part of a sweeping series of amendments, the system made spousal benefits available to any “wife” who either had not earned a benefit or whose benefit was less than […]
Can your ex inherit your assets? We all know divorce can be emotionally and financially challenging. But many of us don’t know how to protect ourselves from financial disaster that can occur long after divorce. What if a tragedy takes place post-divorce and you suddenly pass away? […]
Employee stock option division in divorce is a confusing and complex area troubled with tax complications and imprecise valuation methods. But as more and more companies use stock options to lure and reward employees, these assets have become a larger part of the marital asset […]
There is often an overlooked asset that needs to be divided or assigned to one of the spouses in a divorce settlement—and that is a cemetery burial plot. A burial plot is treated for most purposes as being unlike any other piece of real or […]
Concealment is the cornerstone of fraud. Fraud can be defined as “any intentional or deliberate act to deprive another of property or money by guile, deception or other unfair means.” The principal types of fraud are the misrepresentation of material facts of the concealment of […]
Divorce and mortgage financing concerns are often a touchy subject. Particularly when one spouse is dependent upon income awarded from the divorce for mortgage qualifying purposes, and also when contingent liabilities are present; such as a jointly held mortgage on the marital home. Having a […]
There are four basic characteristics of HCPs: Preoccupation with blaming others All-or-nothing thinking Unmanaged emotions Extreme behaviors Their behaviors are so habitual that the HCP is in denial of them. While these characteristics seem daunting, it’s not impossible to work with these people for favorable […]
A cognitive bias is a systematic mistake or error in thinking that affects our judgment. Some of these biases helped our ancestors survive on the savannah, but often no longer serve a good purpose in modern life. Our brains did not develop with the amount […]
If any amount of spousal support specified in the divorce decree is reduced (a) upon the happening of any contingency related to the child or (b) at a time that can be clearly associated with a contingency related to the child, then the amount of […]
Times are changing. More and more couples are choosing to avoid the litigation system to negotiate their divorce settlements, and even those with attorneys settle out of court 90% of the time. The demand for mediation and Collaborative Divorce has risen steadily in recent years […]