General
Life Is Short. Have an Affair.
Last week’s New York Times Technology headline, “The Ashley Madison Data Dump, Explained,” further delighted all who believe in the karma bus. The initial reports about the hack did not cover the moral aspect of cheating as much as the perils of being caught. Websites abound making the results easily available including names, as well…
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Are You Negotiating Your Child Support, Hoping for a Concession?
I was asked to review a division of property. The wife found a neatly typed list of assets, liabilities and valuations complete with a paragraph stating the husband’s rationale for the division on the kitchen table. It was topped by a Post-it Note stating he wanted his wife to approve the agreement first, and then…
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Breadwinning Wife? 5 Ways to Prep for a Possible Divorce
Whether someone wants a divorce or not, getting organized and being prepared is essential. Alimony stems from the Latin word for nourishment or sustenance. The fundamental purpose of alimony (called spousal support in California) is to maintain the financial status quo. Societal norms have changed. Many women today are better educated than their spouses, and…
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Discovering the Fraud She Perpetrated on Him
Recently, a bankruptcy lawyer sent me a client, who had been sent to him by a divorce attorney. Here’s how we uncovered the fraud my client’s wife had been perpetrating: 6 months prior, while my new client was at work, his wife had moved out. She had taken every stick of furniture. His bank accounts…
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When Is it NOT Okay to Give Your Paramour a Ferrari?
The laced thong, the Easter bunny costume, the Ferrari and the $1.8 million dollar Spanish-style duplex were not his to give away. That’s what Shelly Sterling, estranged wife of disgraced Los Angeles Lakers owner Donald Sterling, asserted last month in her suit against her husband’s mistress, V. Stiviano. It is alleged that Donald Sterling lavished…
Read MoreDo You Need a Financial Professional for Your Divorce Mediation? Yes, You Do.
Whether litigated or mediated, a divorce financial professional should always be part of your team. Recently, I attended an intensive, five-day interdisciplinary mediation training workshop. Of the 18 people in the workshop group, 14 were trial lawyers, 3 were mental health professionals, and I was the only financial professional. The workshop took a hypothetical couple through increasingly…
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How to Avoid Being Unhappy With Your Divorce Settlement
{3 minutes to read} In my years as a financial planner, I noticed distressing trends within my client base. Those who had been through the divorce process either did not understand their financial settlement or were unhappy with the outcome. Many were wiped out financially. People tend to make costly errors when they don’t take…
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Do Credentials Make an Expert?
In my work as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, I regularly speak to groups of women about the financial realities of divorce. Some are contemplating divorce. Many are already in the process. Some just want to make sense of the financial wreckage they were left with after their divorce settlement. All come seeking the counsel…
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How Will the Date of Separation Affect My Divorce Settlement?
Determining the date of separation during a divorce case can be one of the biggest areas of contention and confusion. During marriage, couples often revisit the same well-worn subject matter in arguments. “Oh that again?” They’re triggered back into long standing patterns of dysfunctional behavior or non-productive communication. After divorce, when emotions have settled, it’s…
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Raise Your Financial IQ for the New Year
It’s the perfect time of year to raise your financial awareness. You can take control right now. Pick Up The Pieces of the Puzzle: Grasp the Bigger Picture Back in 2012, the Time Magazine cover story described how women would soon replace men as the primary bread winners, and all the ramifications of this growing trend.…
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