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Good Counsel: How to Get What You Need from Your Lawyer

Your best bet for optimal results in your family law proceeding is to work well with your lawyer. This article helps you understand how to do that. It addresses questions such as how to facilitate the process, whether you can bring a friend or relative to meetings with your lawyer, and whether you can change lawyers.

Putting a Price Tag on Your Divorce

The cost of divorce is always a concern. How much your case will cost, what happens if you can't pay, who should pay, and how to keep costs down are some of the issues discussed here.

Your Soon-to-be-Ex Etiquette: What You Should and Should Not Do Now
By Dori F. Green, Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, Norristown, PA

How to interact with your spouse during divorce proceedings can be a delicate matter. When can I date? Can my therapy sessions be used against me? Can my parents or friends move in with me? Can our marriage counselor/minister/priest testify? These are some of the questions considered in this article.

The Road to Settlement: ADR Can Offer Cost-Effective Alternatives to Trial
By Jenny Bradley, Triangle Smart Divorce, Cary, NC

Litigation is a last resort. It is expensive, time-consuming, and emotionally draining. The law provides a number of alternative methods for helping people achieve mutually agreeable solutions. The umbrella term for these methods is "alternative dispute resolution," or ADR.

Focus on Custody: It’s All About What’s Best for Your Kids
By Leena S. Hingnikar, Hingnikar Family Law, Los Angeles, CA

You believe you're the better parent—how can you convince the judge? Do your child's wishes affect custody determinations? I can't stand my ex—how do I help promote good relations between him and my child? These and related questions addressed in "Focus on Custody."

Domestic Violence Changes Everything
By Allen M. Bailey, Law Offices of Allen M. Bailey, Anchorage, AK

Domestic violence, that most urgent of issues, is the examined in this article. It speaks to such questions as how to develop a safety plan, how to keep an abuser away from you, what if the abuser is sorry, and what are warning signs that domestic violence will occur.

Calculating Child Support and Alimony
By Laura W. Morgan, Family Law Consulting, Charlottesville, VA

Parents may come to an agreement on the amount of child support to be paid, but the judge has the last word as to whether that agreement is fair and will be implemented. This principle is the starting point for "Calculating Child Support and Alimony."

Who Gets What? Dividing Property and Sharing Debts
By Michelle F. Altieri, Charny, Karpousis, Altieri & Donoian, P.A., Marlton, NJ

This article tackles the thorny issues of property division. It answers such questions as when does property get divided, what property gets divided, what is "marital property" and is it divisible in a divorce, and can one get half of a spouse's retirement assets.

The Move-Away Case: Can One Parent Relocate with the Kids?

Moving with children is usually stressful, but divorce can make it even more so. This section focuses on what happens if you or your ex-spouse gets transferred or offered a job in another city, whether you must notify an ex-spouse before you move, "How far is too far?", and other relocation concerns.

Divorcing the Military Spouse
By Mark E. Sullivan & Kristopher J. Hilscher, Law Offices of Mark E. Sullivan, Raleigh, NC

Divorcing a military spouse calls into play all sorts of complex rules. This article helps you understand them and clarifies the answers to such questions as where to file for divorce, whether you can share in your spouse's military pension, and what happens when alimony or child support is not paid.

You, Your Ex, and Your Social Security Benefits
By Meredith J. Parker, Parker Bryan Family Law, Raleigh, NC

When you enter the bureaucratic maze of Social Security benefits, it is easy to feel lost. Use this offering as an initial guide to get you through the process and point you in the right direction on benefits you are entitled to based on a spouse's—or ex-spouse's—Social Security earnings record.

Taxes: Claiming Exemptions and Taking Deductions
By Ross M. Kaufman, Siegel & Kaufman, P.C., Stamford, CT

Taxes are headaches for most everyone, but add divorce to the mix, and the pain worsens. Some relief can be had when you have answers to your tax questions, and this article delivers a hefty dose in a concentrated, easy-to-digest format.

Pondering a Prenup
By Linda J. Ravdin, Pasternak & Fidis, Bethesda, MD

A premarital agreement, or "prenup," is a contract between two people who plan to marry. It defines their property rights in the event of divorce or death and may address other issues such as alimony and payment of expenses. Whether you need one depends on your particular situation. Find out more in "Pondering a Prenup."

Post-Divorce: Wrapping Up and Moving On with Your Life
By Lois J. Liberman, Blank Rome LLP, New York, NY

The divorce is over, but there is still much to think about and manage. This article aims to help you move on by providing perspective on property settlement agreements, an ex-spouse's retirement plan and life insurance, mortgage payments, wills, new significant others, and co-parenting.

Navigating the Social Media Minefield
By Gene Brentley “Brent” Tanner, Parker Bryan Family Law, Raleigh, NC

How can social media affect the outcome of divorce and separation proceedings? The author answers with a quote by the poet Elizabeth Barret Browning: "Let me count the ways." Wend your way through the social media minefield with this article as your guide—you'll be glad you did.

FAQs Regarding Same-Sex Issues
By Michelle Piscopo, Blank Rome LLP, Philadelphia, PA

The recent Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodges helped change the law: same-sex couples now have the right to marry and to have their marriages recognized in all states. The author outlines the implications of Obergefell and takes you through related topics affecting the legal rights of people in same-sex relationships.

Assisted Reproductive Technology Law: 10 FAQs
By Richard B. Vaughn, International Fertility Law Group (IFLG), Los Angeles, CA

When a child is born to a surrogate, the court must establish the "intended parents" as the child's "legal parents." An ART law specialist leads you through this topic and many other legal issues that arise for people seeking to become parents through assisted reproductive technology.