Posted on March 13, 2017 in Divorce

Divorce can be stressful for all parties, but a new study suggests that it may be more so for women. Previous studies have also shown that women are more likely to experience other negative effects from divorce. There could potentially be a direct correlation between those negative effects and stress levels among women. Thankfully, it may be possible to reduce stress levels during the divorce process. The following explains

Women and Stress During Divorce

In the study, researchers asked 2,000 British adults to rate what their stress level would be in a variety of circumstances (death of a loved one, divorce, imprisonment, etc.). On average, women ranked each situation at about 0.56 percentage points higher than men. This included divorce, which ranked as the sixth most stressful life event.

Understanding How the Stress Impacts Health

Stress is a concerning issue among American citizens, and for good reason. Prolonged exposure can increase the risk of heart problems, weight problems, and may even lead into mental health issues.

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 Posted on March 08, 2017 in Child Custody

Divorce can be painful and difficult for everyone involved, but children tend to be the most vulnerable to emotional trauma during the process. Further, children are at a higher risk for long-term negative effects from divorce. A new study indicates that stress may be one of the biggest factors. Learn how to mitigate this issue for your child during your divorce with help from the following information.

Understanding Why Children Experience Stress During Divorce

Although the stress of divorce has been linked to numerous health problems for adults, few studies have examined how stress in divorce impacts children. Yes, there are those that have examined the emotional impact of divorce, both in the short and long term. There have also been others that have examined how contention in divorce can affect children. Yet none have looked specifically at stress.

Stress can exist outside of contention. It can be present, even when parents are working together to ensure the best interests of the child are protected. It can be the result of missing a parent that has moved out. It can be caused by fear that one or both parents may leave and never return. It can even be caused by feeling they are at fault for the split.

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 Posted on March 06, 2017 in Divorce

Family structures have changed significantly over the last couple of decades. It used to be that fathers went out and provided for the family while mothers cared for the children and home. Now there are single parent homes, homes where the father stays home, and still others where both parents work. Of course, no single option is really any "better" than another, but studies suggest that these non-traditional roles may be impacting the risk of divorce. Learn more about this phenomena, and how you can protect your family if you believe that divorce may be on the horizon.

Non-Traditional Roles and Divorce

In the recent study, researchers found that women do most or all of the house work in about 11 percent of all marriages, and somewhat more than men in about 60 percent of relationships. Around 25 percent of the couples stated they divided the work down the middle, and around 4 percent claimed the husbands did the majority of the work.

Overall, it was determined that families with a less "traditional" structure had a higher risk of divorce. Yet this may not be fully accurate. There are some limitations to the study. For example, the sampling of families in which dads did all or most of the work was rather small. Further, the information does not give a comprehensive overview of which families had stay-at-home dads and full-time working moms, and which had two full-time working parents.

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 Posted on February 28, 2017 in Divorce

Over the last couple of decades, divorce rates have declined. Some of this is attributed to the increased rate of cohabitation before (or even in lieu) of marriage. Yet it is also possible that there are other nuclear family changes impacting the rate of divorce. Conscious uncoupling could be just one of those changes. Is it really right for your marriage? The following may be able to help you decide.

What is Conscious Uncoupling?

Divorce is generally considered an emotionally devastating and contentious process. Conscious uncouplers are attempting to redefine that process by making it less combative. Some separate slowly, and may even continue living together for a while after the divorce is complete (also known as bird nesting). Others continue to parent as a family, but live in separate houses. For example, some conscious uncouplers still take family vacations together.

To those that have experienced a violent or turbulent divorce, the concept seems altogether absurd. Yet there are families who are making it work. Most say they are doing it for their children. They want them to feel as though they still have two parents - especially when it comes time to celebrate big and important events. Yet, it is important to note that it takes more than intent to make this type of divorce work.

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 Posted on February 23, 2017 in Hidden Assets

The division of assets in divorce is generally thought of in tangible terms - bank accounts, retirement accounts, and real estate. Yet intellectual property, such as software, copyrights, and trademarks can carry value as well - and they are becoming more and more common in divorces. So how, exactly, do you value these intangible assets? The following explains.

Intellectual Property Often Overlooked in Divorce

Although intellectual property can have significant value, it is often overlooked in the process in divorce. This is due, in part, to its intangibility. However, it is also an issue because the asset is often "hidden" during the divorce proceedings. In some cases, it is out of mere oversight or ignorance. In others, it is an intentional act, used to reduce the payout to a deserving spouse. This can be especially problematic when the disadvantaged spouse is not even aware of what was created by their creative, tech-savvy, or inventive spouse. Reduce the risk by ensuring you have an experienced divorce lawyer on your side.

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 Posted on February 21, 2017 in Divorce

Although some married parents do file their taxes as married but separate, most opt to file their taxes jointly. This is because joint filing tends to offer more tax credits to those with dependents. What happens, though, when a couple divorces? How do they manage tax credits and deductions for dependents? The following explores the answers to these questions. It also offers some divorce strategies that may help to reduce the risk of confusion during tax season.

Benefits of Claiming Dependents on Your Taxes

Being able to claim a dependent on your tax form can offer numerous benefits. This can be especially important when there are medical expenses, child care costs, and other expenses related to rearing your child. Some may also be eligible for Earned Income Credit - a special credit that is offered to parents within a specific tax bracket. Yet, there are still benefits to claiming a dependent, even if you or yours spouse are not eligible for any of the special tax credits. In fact, just having a child as a dependent can change your tax bracket and/or tax responsibility to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

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 Posted on February 16, 2017 in Divorce

While some couples do start, own, and run their businesses together, not all join forces in the business world. Instead, some parties choose to go out and develop their own business, or they develop a business with other individuals outside of their marriage. Some even have businesses prior to marriage. These businesses are considered non-marital businesses. Yet being non-marital does not necessarily mean the business is safe from liquidation or division in divorce. Learn more about non-martial businesses and divorce with help from the following.

Non-Marital Businesses and the Marital Estate

Unless explicitly agreed upon in a legal document, such as a premarital or postmarital agreement, non-marital businesses are still presumed to be a part of the marital estate. This applies, even if the spouse is only paying themselves a salary out of their profits and reinvesting the rest back into the business. In some cases, stocks, dividends, profit disbursements, and other business-related assets or income may be included in the marital estate. An experienced divorce lawyer can examine your situation and assist you in determining what parts of a non-marital business may be considered marital assets, and which parts may be excluded.

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 Posted on February 14, 2017 in Child Custody

Every child deserves a healthy and loving relationship with both of their parents. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In some cases, it is because one parent truly is a danger to the child, but in others, it is a situation brought on because a parent manipulates the child to pit them against the other parent. This latter issue, which is otherwise known as parental alienation, is often called a form of brainwashing by child experts - but is it also a form of abuse? The following explores further.

The Many Colors of Abuse

Abuse is most often thought of in the physical sense, but there are many other forms. One can be sexually abused, emotionally abused, or psychologically abused. Parental alienation - if considered a form of abuse - would be emotional and psychological abuse. This is because parental alienation attacks a child's emotional attachment to a parent, and it alters the way the child thinks and feels about their parent.

So is it Abuse?

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 Posted on February 09, 2017 in Divorce

Divorce is a highly complex legal process with numerous financial pitfalls. Some are minor in nature and may cost you little. Others could potentially lead to a significant depletion of your financial resources. Thankfully, there are ways you can mitigate the risks. The following information covers some of the most common financial mistakes made during divorce, and provides some tips on how you can potentially avoid them.

Failing Get All Financial Documents in Print

In today's day and age, most people use online banking, digital debt statements, and email notifications for important accounts. In fact, society has become so reliant on their digital access that few consider they might lose it while going through divorce. Unfortunately, this can and does happen far more frequently than most realize. Your spouse might change the password to your bank account, or they might lock you out of the family computer. So whatever you do, never rely on just digital copies of financial documents. Print them out instead.

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 Posted on February 07, 2017 in Divorce

Though money is one of the most common causes of divorce, it is not an issue that ends because of divorce. In fact, many couples find that their financial woes are just starting. To make matters worse, they must somehow find the time to manage the legal and financial aspects of their divorce while also coping with the emotional stress. It is no wonder so many find themselves overwhelmed! Combat this problem with help from the following information on the most common and complex divorce-related money issues.

Asset Division

Regardless of whether you have a little, or a lot, division of assets can be highly complex. This is because what was once intertwined must now be unraveled. Businesses, which may have been invested in by both spouses, must be valued and divided. Homes, vacation property, investment properties, and other real estate must be valued. Some may even have to be liquidated to ensure adequate division of their value. Then there are retirement and pension accounts, bank accounts, artwork, furniture, family heirlooms, and other possessions.

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