Monthly Archives: August 2015
When is Legal Separation a Viable Option?
When married couples decide to part ways, there are options outside of divorce that provide a legally recognized “break” in a marriage. Legal separation offers a way for couples to live separately while remaining legally married. For couples that experience difficulties in their marriage, but don’t believe divorce is right for them, there are several… Read More »
Enormous Fallout from Ashley Madison Website Hack
The hits just keep on coming in the wake of the hack on Ashley Madison, the Canadian website for extramarital affairs. Reportedly, hackers seized personal identifying information on 32 million site members, creating a worldwide panic over the prospects of exposure. Toronto police have confirmed cases of extortion as criminals attempt to capitalize on leaks…. Read More »
Custody Considerations for Infants
Resolving child custody and visitation issues is often a complicated process fraught with emotion, and perhaps never more so when a baby is involved. While the “best interests of the child” is the standard typically applied by judges in awarding custody, it may be less clear with infants who can and should be caring for… Read More »
Paying for Extracurricular Activities After a Divorce
Child support is typically required after a divorce or when parents maintain separate households. However, paying for extracurricular activities, such as sports, dance or other hobbies, can be less clear. Child support amounts are determined by the income of both parents and how much time the child spends with them, among other factors. And while… Read More »
Common Issues for Children of Divorce
Divorce is not easy for anyone involved, but it can present particular hardships for the children of a failed marriage. A clear sense of how children react to a divorce may help parents better help their children through the process and secure better long-term outcomes. Parents should be aware of these issues, and try to… Read More »
How Divorce Affects Social Security Benefits
Getting divorced is generally acknowledged as a difficult endeavor emotionally, but its impact of your finances can also present challenges, especially in the often-overlooked area of retirement benefits such as Social Security. To protect yourself, you’ll want to become well versed in the following ways that divorce can impact your Social Security benefits: Get to… Read More »
The Dangers of Shielding Assets During a Divorce
Although financial issues are part of many divorces, money troubles don’t usually end when couples choose to dissolve a marriage. In fact, many individuals are highly tempted to try hide assets from the other party, especially when a significant level of money and investments are at stake. Some actions to shield these resources may be… Read More »
Important Issues in Late-Life Divorce
Although the overall rate of divorce is on the decline, the same may not hold true for those in the 50 and older range. So-called “gray divorces” are on the rise and present their own set of difficulties and issues to resolve. Since 1990, the divorce rate has doubled for those over the age of… Read More »
Proposed Changes to State Custody Laws Strengthen Fathers’ Rights
For many years, fathers have argued for more parity in custody arrangements. But instead of making their case to a judge, they are now helping promote bills that would alter state laws pertaining to custody arrangements. As recently reported by the Wall Street Journal, 20 states are currently considering legislation regarding shared parenting. The proposals… Read More »
The Warning Signs of Parental Alienation Syndrome
Divorced parents may worry that their former spouses speak badly about them to their children, but when do a few negative comments cross the line and become psychologically damaging to a child and destroy the parent-child relationship? Parental Alienation Syndrome, or PAS, occurs when a parent actively tries to distort a child’s perception of the… Read More »