My friend, whom I will call Bill, is divorced with two teenaged sons. The boys live in the marital home with their mom. Bill still lives in the same town and sees the boys as often as his work & visitation schedules will allow. He misses them a lot. Unlike some of the families IContinue reading “How (& Why!) to be Welcome at your ex’s Thanksgiving Table”
Author Archives: Sharon Oberst DeFala
Grateful for Grandparents
I had the privilege this week of meeting a pair of grandparents who helped give deeper meaning to my Thanksgiving. I’ll call them Poppy and Nana. Poppy and Nana have a son who is divorced from his first wife and re-married. The son has one son from the first marriage and two kids from theContinue reading “Grateful for Grandparents”
Moore and Kutcher: the breaking of a pre nup
Despite his forays into the twitterverse, apparently Ashton Kutcher forgot to read my tweet (@luvyrdivorce) about Eva Longoria from last spring… when Eva Longoria tried to avoid her own pre-nuptial agreement. To wit: Pre nuptial agreements are frequently used in marriages when the parties want a clean record of who brought what to the marriage and what each party mayContinue reading “Moore and Kutcher: the breaking of a pre nup”
Verification Matters
I am working on a mediated divorce between two people who have more debts than assets. Frankly, I have been doing quite a few of these lately. We have clients who have everything worked out but cannot complete their divorce until the marital residence sells or gets foreclosed or refinanced. So, this couple is waitingContinue reading “Verification Matters”
Why Am I Paying His Rent?
I met with a wife tonight who is ready for a divorce. They have exhausted the options for making the marriage work, but she cannot get him off the couch – literally – and she is ready to move on with her life. She has asked him to move out, and he does not knowContinue reading “Why Am I Paying His Rent?”
How to avoid creating a murderer
Happy Halloween. Here is the scariest thing I saw today: “Wife shall purchase Life Insurance in the amount of the outstanding mortgage on the marital residence naming Husband as beneficiary.” Gave me chills – like reading the woman’s death warrant. Spooky on Halloween! Not so bad by itself – I agree – but this wasContinue reading “How to avoid creating a murderer”
How Long Should Alimony Last?
Not every divorce is an alimony case – if both people worked full-time and paid the bills equally and have the ability to continue supporting themselves, most states will not assign alimony payments. If one spouse stayed home (or spent the days playing tennis), raised children (or pets), and ran the household (well or poorly),Continue reading “How Long Should Alimony Last?”
Is Vacationing With Your Ex a Good Idea?
Let’s face it, no one knows you better than your former spouse. There’s one person in the world who knows exactly how late (or early) you like to get out of bed in the morning. There are museum strollers vs. mountain climbers; beach bums vs. ski bums; breakfast in bed vs. sunrise in the skyContinue reading “Is Vacationing With Your Ex a Good Idea?”
Is Divorce James Marsden’s Best Acting Role?
From People Magazine: “One day after news broke that James Marsden‘s wife, Lisa Linde, had filed for divorce, the pair stepped out in Studio City, Calif., with their son Jack, 10, looking like the “great friends” their rep told PEOPLE that the former spouses intend to be.” James Marsden is known for his movie &Continue reading “Is Divorce James Marsden’s Best Acting Role?”
Beginning Your New Life
Nobody gets married with the intention of getting divorced. Quite the opposite, “from this day forward, ‘til death parts us.” And, as we know, it might have been simpler if death had parted certain couples before the divorce process. Nonetheless once it is over, the sooner it is truly over the better. Because Divorce Sucks, andContinue reading “Beginning Your New Life”
Love Your Divorce 