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<title>Divorce Information and Resources | Divorce Lawyer | Divorce Papers</title>
<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/article.xml</link>
<description><![CDATA[|Divorce Articles and Information |Useful Articles related to Divorce |Divorce Law |Divorce Help |and much more|]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:40:20 -0500</pubDate>
<generator>http://eWebCreator.com</generator>
<language>en</language><item>
	<title>Toronto Lawyer - Helping With Family Matters </title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Toronto-Lawyer---Helping-With-Family-Matters.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:40:20 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Toronto-Lawyer---Helping-With-Family-Matters.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[In legal terms, family matters deal in divorce matters and issues that ensue from a divorce. This is a time of great emotional disturbance. This is the time when you need to make many decisions about your future and the future of your child. This is the time when you may need to go in for tough negotiations with your spouse, even if your divorce is heading for an amicable dissolution.This is the time when you need to consult with a Toronto lawyer who is well versed in matters relating to Family Law. It is always advisable to go for an uncontested divorce so that there is no acrimony and unpleasantness in court. However, you need to negotiate to achieve amicable solutions to all issues, and avoid high legal costs associated with court cases.After deciding that divorce is the only choice left for you, you need to talk to a Family Law Toronto lawyer at the earliest.   Grounds For Divorce Canada has a no-fault system for divorce and it does not matter why you are dissolving your marriage. However, people generally base their grounds for divorce on separation.Once you feel that your marriage is over you can start your period of separation and remain separated for a year. The law allows you to stay in the same house with your spouse and you need not live separately. The court will look at other activities to determine whether you have separated or not, as long as you and your spouse do not act like a normal husband and wife would.&nbsp;You need to consult a Toronto law firm to find out how the court will establish that you are separated. The other grounds for divorce include physical and mental cruelty, and adultery, among others.  In such cases you need not wait for a year&rsquo;s separation but will need to consult with a Family Law lawyer at the earliest. Your Toronto lawyer who specializes in family matters can help you negotiate and draft a separation agreement. This agreement must have a provision for child support for the court to accept it. There are other issues you need to settle with your spouse before you can apply for an uncontested divorce. These issues, such as Child Support, Child Custody, Spousal Support, Visitation Rights, Division of Marital Assets and Property, among others, need to be sorted out with the help of your Family Law lawyer. Child Support, which includes support for your natural children, step children, as well as your adopted children, is based on certain guidelines and is generally paid by the non-custodial parent to the parent having custody. Child Custody is one of the most contentious issues of a divorce settlement. This is where your Toronto lawyer can negotiate that you receive custody of your child, in case this is what you want. Trust your Toronto lawyer to negotiate hard to settle issues of spousal support, visitation rights, and division of property and assets to ensure your rights are upheld.Toronto Lawyers Gelman &amp; Associates provide legal services for Toronto, North York, Brampton, Oshawa, Mississauga, Newmarket, Markham, Richmond Hill and Thornhill Ontario. We cover family law which includes divorce law, prenuptial agreements, custody, child support and separation agreements.]]></description>
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	<title>Going through a Divorce? Short Selling may be the Solution</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Helpful-Divorce-Hints/Going-through-a-Divorce--Short-Selling-may-be-the-Solution.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:18:08 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Helpful Divorce Hints</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Helpful-Divorce-Hints/Going-through-a-Divorce--Short-Selling-may-be-the-Solution.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Nearly 50% of all marriages end in divorce, and while no one anticipates this event occurring in their lives, it can certainly cause more damage than just emotional for the couple.Millions of individuals going through divorces are faced to make tough financial decisions about the division of their joint assets. And while under normal circumstances these decisions are challenging, liquidating assets such as real estate during a down-turned economy can present greater financial challenges for couples than during a strong economy. What to do about Jointly Owned Real Estate? Many divorcing couples decide to liquidate their current real estate in their divorce settlement, either to capture and divide equity within the property, or because neither party can afford to carry the mortgage payment on their independent salaries.In a strong real estate market, as what many residents of Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland experienced several years ago, selling a property under these circumstances was a piece of cake.Today, things are much different.  With the current real estate market, many divorcing couples are struggling to make their mortgage payments during and following their separation. And in extreme circumstances, couples are unable to continue making their mortgage payments, causing them to face foreclosure. But, what if there were another financial option available?  How a Short Sale may Help! Short sales have given divorcing couples another financial option to consider when determining how they are going to address current property ownership.A short sale refers to a property sale in which the sales price is lower than what the property owner&rsquo;s currently owe. The mortgage company must approve this type of sale, as they will be receiving less than what they are currently owed when the sale is completed.But, often times they will approve this type of sale as long as the sales price is reasonable, as this result is more favorable than a foreclosure.  And, when you short sell your property, both of you will be able to move on with your lives, without the stress of carrying a mortgage that you cannot afford or with the worry of a foreclosure damaging your personal credit scores.This solution may be just the answer you have been searching for.  For more information about short sales or to find out how much your property is currently worth, order your FREE Short Sale Report at http://relieftohomeowners.com!]]></description>
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	<title>A Self Help Divorce Guide For Men</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Guide-Books/A-Self-Help-Divorce-Guide-For-Men.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:43:21 -0600</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Guide Books</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Guide-Books/A-Self-Help-Divorce-Guide-For-Men.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[There is no greater emotional pain that can be inflicted on someone than the announcement by your partner that they want a divorce.&nbsp;Even if both of you have &quot;seen it coming&quot; for some time, and the idea of it comes as no big surprise, the actual words still hit like a bomb exploding in head. It's really over . . . . When it's &quot;out-in-the-open&quot; that the person you held hands with so many years ago, and promised to love - honor - and obey - to be supportive of, to stand beside in good times and bad -through sickness and health - for richer or poorer - no longer wants you or your love.&nbsp;You have been rejected, and it's just about the most damaging thing you'll ever face in your lifetime. If you're at this point in your life right now - help is at hand.  Whatever your circumstances, it is of the utmost importance that when the pain of divorce descends upon you, you realize that you can recover -that you will recover - and that this is in reality, however bad it may seem right now, is an opportunity for you to attain real and total happiness.&nbsp;Our self help guides for men explore with you your current feelings and help you work your way through the gloom into the light at the other side of the tunnel.&nbsp;You'll read about the basic steps required in recovering from divorce, how to accept your circumstances, recover from the hurt and grow as a person.&nbsp;You'll discover how to win back your self esteem after divorce, how to just let go of the guilt and depression and start your journey to a better life. Important Note:  Our guide books are now available for the first time in PDF format so you can read them immediately after your purchase via our secure online server. There's no waiting for them to arrive in the mail and no additional shipping and handling costs.   Because they are supplied in digital format our costs are kept to a minimum which we have passed on to you.You can order any time day or night and you'll receive the book immediately. Click here to order your guidebook now for only $3.99 ]]></description>
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	<title>A Self Help Divorce Guide For Women</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Guide-Books/A-Selp-Help-Divorce-Guide-For-Women.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:37:54 -0600</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Guide Books</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Guide-Books/A-Selp-Help-Divorce-Guide-For-Women.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[There is no greater emotional pain that can be inflicted on someone than the announcement by your partner that they want a divorce. Even if both of you have &quot;seen it coming&quot; for some time, and the idea of it comes as no big surprise, the actual words still hit like a bomb exploding in head. It's really over . . . . When it's &quot;out-in-the-open&quot; that the person you held hands with so many years ago, and promised to love - honor - and obey - to be supportive of, to stand beside in good times and bad -through sickness and health - for richer or poorer - no longer wants you or your love.&nbsp;You have been rejected, and it's just about the most damaging thing you'll ever face in your lifetime. If you're at this point in your life right now - help is at hand.&nbsp;Whatever your circumstances, it is of the utmost importance that when the pain of divorce descends upon you, you realize that you can recover -that you will recover - and that this is in reality, however bad it may seem right now, is an opportunity for you to attain real and total happiness.&nbsp;Our self help guides for women explore with you your current feelings and help you work your way through the gloom into the light at the other side of the tunnel. You'll read about the basic steps required in recovering from divorce, how to accept your circumstances, recover from the hurt and grow as a person. You'll discover how to win back your self esteem after divorce, how to just let go of the guilt and depression and start your journey to a better life. Important Note: Our guide books are now available for the first time in PDF format so you can read them immediately after your purchase via our secure online server. There's no waiting for them to arrive in the mail and no additional shipping and handling costs. Because they are supplied in digital format our costs are kept to a minimum which we have passed on to you. You can order any time day or night and you'll receive the book immediately.  Click here to order your guidebook now for only $3.99 ]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce, A Self Help Guide for Women</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce--A-Self-Help-Guide-for-Women.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:47:00 -0600</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce--A-Self-Help-Guide-for-Women.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[There is no greater emotional pain that can be inflicted on someone than the announcement by your partner that they want a divorce.Even if both of you have &quot;seen it coming&quot; for some time, and the idea of it comes as no big surprise, the actual words still hit like a bomb exploding in head. It's really over . . . . When it's &quot;out-in-the-open&quot; that the person you held hands with so many years ago, and promised to love - honor - and obey - to be supportive of, to stand beside in good times and bad -through sickness and health - for richer or poorer - no longer wants you or your love. You have been rejected, and it's just about the most damaging thing you'll ever face in your lifetime. If you're at this point in your life right now - help is at hand.&nbsp;Whatever your circumstances, it is of the utmost importance that when the pain of divorce descends upon you, you realize that you can recover -that you will recover - and that this is in reality, however bad it may seem right now, is an opportunity for you to attain real and total happiness. Our self help guides for women explore with you your current feelings and help you work your way through the gloom into the light at the other side of the tunnel.  You'll read about the basic steps required in recovering from divorce, how to accept your circumstances, recover from the hurt and grow as a person. You'll discover how to win back your self esteem after divorce, how to just let go of the guilt and depression and start your journey to a better life. Important Note:  Our guide books are now available for the first time in PDF format so you can read them immediately after your purchase via our secure online server.&nbsp;There's no waiting for them to arrive in the mail and no additional shipping and handling costs.   Because they are supplied in digital format our costs are kept to a minimum which we have passed on to you. You can order any time day or night and you'll receive the book immediately.Click here to order your guidebook now for only $3.99 ]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce, a Self Help Guide For Men</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce--a-Selp-Help-Guide-For-Men.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:32:39 -0600</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce--a-Selp-Help-Guide-For-Men.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[There is no greater emotional pain that can be inflicted on someone than the announcement by your partner that they want a divorce.Even if both of you have &quot;seen it coming&quot; for some time, and the idea of it comes as no big surprise, the actual words still hit like a bomb exploding in head.  It's really over . . . .   When it's &quot;out-in-the-open&quot; that the person you held hands with so many years ago, and promised to love - honor - and obey - to be supportive of, to stand beside in good times and bad -through sickness and health - for richer or poorer - no longer wants you or your love.&nbsp;You have been rejected, and it's just about the most damaging thing you'll ever face in your lifetime.   If you're at this point in your life right now - help is at hand. Whatever your circumstances, it is of the utmost importance that when the pain of divorce descends upon you, you realize that you can recover -that you will recover - and that this is in reality, however bad it may seem right now, is an opportunity for you to attain real and total happiness. Our self help guides for men explore with you your current feelings and help you work your way through the gloom into the light at the other side of the tunnel. You'll read about the basic steps required in recovering from divorce, how to accept your circumstances, recover from the hurt and grow as a person.  You'll discover how to win back your self esteem after divorce, how to just let go of the guilt and depression and start your journey to a better life.  Important Note:Our guide books are now available for the first time in PDF format so you can read them immediately after your purchase via our secure online server.    There's no waiting for them to arrive in the mail and no additional shipping and handling costs.&nbsp;Because they are supplied in digital format our costs are kept to a minimum which we have passed on to you.  You can order any time day or night and you'll receive the book immediately.  Click here to order your guidebook now for only $3.99   ]]></description>
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	<title>The Beauty of Single Parenting</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Helpful-Divorce-Hints/The-Beauty-of-Single-Parenting.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:23:23 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Helpful Divorce Hints</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Helpful-Divorce-Hints/The-Beauty-of-Single-Parenting.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[I miss being married. I miss the things we used to do. I  wish our differences didn't bring us to divorce... BUT they  did so.... I have to do my best to deal with the cards I  have been dealt. I do this by focusing on the good in my  life now, cherishing the time I spend with my son, living my  life to the fullest, and making my own rules.   My son was 3 when I got divorced so he wasn't at the age to  establish any homework patterns yet.&nbsp;But he went to a school  that gave homework at an early age so by the time he was 6  we had homework to do every night. I think that is where the  term &quot;nightmare&quot; was born.   It was horrible. I would get off work at 5:00 and get home  at 6:00 pm. Then I would make dinner and by 7:00 we sat down  to start homework.&nbsp;Unfortunately, by then he was exhausted from a long day at  school and in no mood to sit and do work. That's when the  fighting would start. I just didn't know what to do. The  last thing I wanted to do when I got home from a long day at  work was to fight with my son. The last thing he wanted to  do after a long day at school was homework.&nbsp;Neither of us  was in the mood for anything but rest which, unfortunately  for us, was not an option.   I read everything I could and tried everything I read.  Nothing worked for me. Getting his homework done was a  horrible event. At the other end of the spectrum, there  seemed to be paradise at my ex's home. He is remarried with  a &quot;stay-at-home&quot; wife (a wonderful woman) who is there every day when the  children arrive home from school.&nbsp;She lets them have a quick  snack and then it's homework time. They are done with all  their work by the time their father gets home and life is  good for them. At least that is what his wife said when she  called me to ask why my son does homework at my house at 7:00  pm. &quot;They&quot; (she is speaking for herself and my ex) feel he should be doing his homework at 4:00 at  my home like he does at &quot;her&quot; home. Hey, I wish that too...  but in reality it is impossible for me in my current setup.&nbsp;I am not sure they understand that. While I do have someone  at home who stays with my son until I arrive home from work,  she is not an authoritative figure that demands control of  my son. My son needs someone who &quot;demands&quot;. She is just not  that type but she keeps him safe until I arrive home from  work so, for me, it &quot;works&quot;.&nbsp;Even if the caregiver could do homework with my son, I am  not sure I would be happy with that. I want to be here with  my son when he does his school work. I want to know what he  is good at or what he is struggling in. I want to help him  in his studies if he needs it. To me, that is the essence of  being a mother. Helping with school work... I know there is  so much more but at this age this is a big area - and I want  to be involved. Is that so wrong?   So what ended up happening and eventually solved our problem  was this: It got so late at night and his homework wasn't  finished so I ended up having him go to sleep, then I would  wake him in the morning to finish, and guess what happened? He would wake up and do his homework without any fighting! He was rested and able to focus and complete the tasks  accurately and quickly.   It took me a while to realize I had options but once I did I  thought - Who says a child HAS to do his homework at night?  It's called &quot;homework&quot; not &quot;nightwork&quot; True he is home at  night BUT he is also home in the morning, so if that works  better why shouldn't I give it a try?&nbsp;So a new rule was born. If he had a test we would review the  material at night and again in the morning but written work  was done in the morning. If he needed to get up half an hour  early to get it done - he did. All of a sudden the fighting  seemed to stop. Peace once again filled my home. Life is  good now. The point here is that when you are alone YOU can make the  rules in your home and they don't have to be what the &quot;rest  of the world&quot; is doing. They are doing what works for them  and you have to do what works for you.   It bothers me that my routine is so different from the  routine at his dad's house but in my search for an answer I  have sought the advice of psychologists and they say it is  perfectly OK to have different routines in each home as long  as you are consistent in each of your routines. This current arrangement is so far from the way I thought I  would be raising my son but as long as I am not hurting him  and it works I will continue to do what's best for &quot;us&quot;.  It's hard to think outside the box but sometimes life  commands different solutions and you have to adapt to them  and go with the flow.]]></description>
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	<title>Making the Decision to Divorce. Plan Plan Plan! </title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Making-the-Decision-to-Divorce--Plan-Plan-Plan.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:24:44 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Making-the-Decision-to-Divorce--Plan-Plan-Plan.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Do you believe in &quot;Happily ever after&quot; or &quot;Until Death Do Us Part?&quot; From the time we are little girls, women are taught to believe in the fairy tale union of a man and a woman who love each other. Many women never let go of the fantasy, and when they find the man they want to marry, the end caption on their lives seems like it will be, &quot;And they lived happily ever after.&quot; Unfortunately, statistics show that at least 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Some women are left without important job skills and barely enough money to support themselves, much less several children. I find it interesting that women plan for earthquakes and floods, fire and medical emergencies, spending thousands of dollars to insure themselves against catastrophic events that have low odds of ever occurring, yet they fail to plan for the highly possible event of divorce.Of course, no woman wants to think that her marriage will be the one out of two that ends in divorce, but when the signs begin to present themselves, planning for divorce is as important as trying to save the marriage. Your future depends on it. Let me ask you...  Do you know the answers to these questions?  1. How much does your spouse make? 2. What does their retirement plan offer? 3. How much do they have in savings? 4. What are our investments?5. Where are their investments? 6. What does the family owe on mortgage, business debt and credit cards?  These are just some of the questions you need to find answers to. Most importantly, you need to know these answers BEFORE you announce your decision to divorce.  This information is essential to getting what you deserve in the settlement, so don&rsquo;t leave home without it.  So when it comes down to making the final decision to divorce, quell any urge to scream &quot;This marriage is over!&quot; pack your bags and slam the door on your way out. The final decision to leave takes time, and to announce your decision also takes time and preparation. With the right planning and preparation, you can save money to pay the lawyer, fund your living expenses, and give yourself a positive financial future.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce: Women Need Strong Support Systems </title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce--Women-Need-Strong-Support-Systems.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:15:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce--Women-Need-Strong-Support-Systems.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Mothers know best, so they say, but when a woman is going through a divorce, it takes more than &quot;mum&quot; to lend a helping hand. In fact some women say that when their marriages are in trouble, they don't necessarily turn to their mothers for counselling. They would much rather seek the advice of a marriage therapist or advisor because they seek independent insight and opinion on why their marriages are about to crumble. Then there are the usual support systems like one's colleagues or childhood and community friends. But for people who do not have many friends (because they're new in town or are often away on business trips), there's a plethora of divorce support groups in large cities that offer not only anonymity but also kinship and empathy. Because these are people who have been down the same road, recently divorced women need not worry about being judged.  When women divorce, they are at their most vulnerable. They prefer to shut themselves off from the world for fear of recrimination or being treated as social outcasts. While wanting to keep to oneself is perfectly understandable, a woman needs to be with friends and loved ones to anchor her emotions and let off steam. By talking to friends and sharing her sentiments, she is able to benefit from similar experiences or from the wisdom of individuals who once lived through a bitter divorce. Running and hiding is usually not a good idea.&nbsp;Human contact eases the pain.  There's just one problem about feeling kinship with others. It is not uncommon for women to speak negatively about their former husbands and fall into the trap of assigning blame to the other spouse instead of having the courage to acknowledge their own frailties.&nbsp;We frequently hear the voice of bitterness:  &quot;He never looked after my needs. I found it was me comprising all the time.&quot;  &quot;He spent long hours in the office. I resented the fact that every time the kids had a problem or were in trouble, he wasn't interested or was too preoccupied with work.&quot;  While a good number of these complaints are legitimate, women need to realize that it is also up to them to assert themselves and to vocalize their desires. Husbands aren't mind readers. A woman has to tell her husband exactly what is bothering her instead of taking it all in and suffering in silence. No one has ever been convicted for speaking up!  When a woman reaches out to friends and family for support, she should focus on picking up the pieces and going forward. Remaining in &quot;blame mode&quot; is a self-defeating exercise. Blaming the other takes away the power within a woman to begin a new chapter. It will take a bit of effort and constant coaching from counsellors and therapists, but when a woman regains her inner potential and uses her ability to change her life, her tomorrows could start becoming brighter.  As former First Lady Nancy Reagan once said, &quot;A woman is like a teabag. It's only when she's in hot water that you realize how strong she is.&quot;]]></description>
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	<title>How to Become Happily Divorced!</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Become-Happily-Divorced.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:10:47 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Become-Happily-Divorced.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Do you cringe when you hear the word divorce? &ldquo;Divorce&rdquo;  conjures up thoughts of sorrow and unhappiness. When you say you  are divorced the response is, &ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m sorry&rdquo;. You hear  condolences for the &ldquo;death&rdquo; of your marriage. Next question is,  &ldquo;Are you dating?&rdquo; Then if you say no they always ask, &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;.   Many people think you can&rsquo;t possibly be happy if you are alone.  Loneliness is a choice. I am often alone but I am rarely lonely. Many of my clients say that they felt much lonelier when they  were in a bad marriage then when they divorced. You can choose  to make lemonade out of lemons.   Overcome your post-divorce loneliness and handle insensitive  comments.&nbsp;Follow these simple tips:&nbsp;1. Don't tell people you are divorced (with a sorrowful look in  your eyes). Smile confidently and say, &quot; I am Happily Divorced!&quot; 2. Feel strong, independent and happy! Soon your brain will  catch on and you will feel it and believe it.   3. Remember all the things you used to love to do?Start doing  them again! Pull out that old needlepoint. Start painting again.  Take up photography. Volunteer for a cause you are passionate  about. Read that murder mystery you have been saving.&nbsp;4. Begin a hobby you have always wanted to do.   5. Pamper yourself. Take hours getting ready to go out (Enjoy  the fact that there is no one there telling you to hurry up and  finish)   6. Make an appointment at 4:00 in the afternoon consider  yourself lucky you don&rsquo;t have to &ldquo;rush&rdquo; home to make dinner. Be  happy your time is your own now to do as you wish!   7. Spend REAL time with your children. Sit on the floor with  them. Play a board game. Listen to their laughter. Let their  smile fill you. Embrace the fact that you have &ldquo;time to smell  the roses&rdquo;. Enjoy these small wonders.   8. Put your favorite singer on the stereo and dance around the  house singing (close the blinds first)   A positive mental attitude will do wonders to overcome hurdles  you will face in your new life.Remember divorce is not the end  of THE world &ndash; just the end of THAT world. Hold your head high  and keep moving forward in your new life being &ldquo;Happily  Divorced&rdquo;.]]></description>
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	<title>Prepare for a happy marriage by preparing for divorce </title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Prepare-for-a-happy-marriage-by-preparing-for-divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:00:29 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Prepare-for-a-happy-marriage-by-preparing-for-divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[There are many ways in which a bride-to-be can prepare for a happy marriage. Most of it involves a lot of counseling and advice from those with the experience.In fact preparing for a happy marriage is usually at the very top of the list of any would-be bride.  Sadly, in all these preparations, most people fail to prepare for something else that is an even bigger challenge for people entering into marriage these days. In fact preparing for divorce is one of the best ways a bride-to-be can fully prepare herself for a happy marriage.  This may sound like a strange statement to make but just look at the statistics and numbers. Without wanting to bring bad luck into a marriage, every bride should face the hard and cold facts. Hard and cold facts that clearly tell us that most marriages these days end up in divorce. Facts like, although lucrative divorce settlements are still in the news a lot, they do not happen to those who enter marriage unprepared for the possibilities.&nbsp;If anything more and more women are finding themselves in extremely difficult and tricky financial predicaments brought about by sudden and totally unexpected divorce.  After a sober examination of the facts, it emerges that our initial statement is not such a strange one after all. It makes plenty of sense for a would-be bride to arm herself with all the divorce information they can lay their hands on, even as they look forward to a happy blissful marriage that was really designed to last forever. And if they can get this information from real experts who have the experience, rather than folks with plenty of theory to throw around, then they will have made the very best preparation that a modern day would-be bride can possibly make in planning for a happy marriage. There are many ways in which a bride-to-be can prepare for a happy marriage.  Most of it involves a lot of counseling and advice from those with the experience. In fact preparing for a happy marriage is usually at the very top of the list of any would-be bride. Sadly, in all these preparations, most people fail to prepare for something else that is an even bigger challenge for people entering into marriage these days. In fact preparing for divorce is one of the best ways a bride-to-be can fully prepare herself for a happy marriage.This may sound like a strange statement to make but just look at the statistics and numbers. Without wanting to bring bad luck into a marriage, every bride should face the hard and cold facts. Hard and cold facts that clearly tell us that most marriages these days end up in divorce. Facts like, although lucrative divorce settlements are still in the news a lot, they do not happen to those who enter marriage unprepared for the possibilities. If anything more and more women are finding themselves in extremely difficult and tricky financial predicaments brought about by sudden and totally unexpected divorce.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce Mediation</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-Mediation.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:26:22 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-Mediation.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Divorce Mediation A Relatively Speedy and Low Cost AlternativeIs it possible to have an easy divorce? A low cost divorce? Or do all divorce settlements necessarily end in hard feelings and financial ruin? The truth is that divorce can be low-cost and easy&hellip; or it can be a long ordeal that can drag on for months. No matter how emotional things get, just remember that you always have a choice and that your willingness to negotiate through mediation can help speed up the whole process, thereby minimizing the pain inflicted on your family.  Mediation is a legal process in which a trained, impartial third-party will offer divorce help and support by assisting both parties to reach an agreement. A couple preparing to divorce should not rely solely on a mediator. Rather, the husband and wife should consult their respective attorneys about their specific procedures and legal consequences of the mediation process.  If mediation is not successful, then the case must go to trial. In most cases, it is best to avoid a trial as attorney&rsquo;s fees, alone, can pile up if delaying tactics are used.&nbsp;Furthermore, studies show that people feel more satisfied with mediated Separation Agreements than with those that are ordered by the court. Finally, since the process is more civil and less emotionally grueling, mediation minimizes any trauma to the children. Life after divorce can be a fresh new start. Mediation can not only save time and money, but can also reduce emotional and psychological baggage for everyone.]]></description>
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	<title>Hire Divorce attorney or Online Divorce Forms?</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Hire-Divorce-attorney-or-Online-Divorce-Forms.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:14:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Hire-Divorce-attorney-or-Online-Divorce-Forms.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Hire Divorce Lawyer or Use Online Divorce Forms? When do you need to hire a family law attorney and when is it okay to just use an online divorce form website to save a little money? This article will provide a few pointers to help you decide whether to do it yourself or retain a divorce lawyer. What Does it Mean to Use an Online Divorce Form Website?  Essentially, using an online legal form in your divorce case means that you will represent yourself and act as your own lawyer. All of the online divorce form sites have disclaimers making it clear that they are not your lawyer and are just preparing documents on your behalf. While it is your constitutional right to act as your own lawyer, there are some significant risks involved that should be evaluated before you take the online route.  Additionally, you have to evaluate the particular website you are dealing with. Most are national sites that offer forms that they claim will work in any state.&nbsp;However, every state has different laws. In other words, a California Divorce Decree will not be identical to a Texas Divorce Decree because the laws of the two states are not identical. So with an online divorce you are basically getting a generic form that may or may not work in your jurisdiction.  What if You Have Children? While many of the divorce form sites claim to offer forms that address the necessary provisions regarding children (conservatorship, support, visitation, etc.), it is very risky to use these generic forms when you have children. You must remember that your divorce forms are being prepared using online software that simply fills in the blanks with your answers to very simplistic yes/no or multiple choice questions. These answers may not necessarily fit your situation or you may not fully understand the question.  This is where a competent lawyer can make a big difference. A lawyer will learn more about your situation and find out exactly what your documents need to say, instead of just the boilerplate language that the divorce website's software spits out. If you have children, you should take the safe route and hire an experienced divorce lawyer.  What if You Own Property?  Many of the divorce form sites also claim to offer forms that will deal with the most complex of property divisions. But when it comes to dividing any property beyond personal effects (clothes, furniture, etc.), it is risky to rely solely on generic divorce forms. If you or your spouse own real estate, vehicles, 401k accounts or other retirement accounts, or have any other financial assets or liabilities, an online divorce form will not necessarily protect your interests.  A competent divorce lawyer would be able to, first, analyze your situation and determine what property division is in your best interest, and second, ensure that all the assets awarded to you were properly transferred and the titles correctly recorded on your behalf. Conclusion Using an online divorce form always carries a certain amount of risk. If there are no children from the marriage and no property to divide, then saving a few hundred dollars may be worth the risk and the extra work you will have to do. But for most people, especially those with children or property, it is essential to hire an experienced divorce lawyer to handle their case.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce and Alimony Formula</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-and-Alimony-Formula.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:48:47 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-and-Alimony-Formula.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Divorce and Alimony Formula by: Jean MahserjianIn divorce, a common question is, &quot;what is the alimony formula&quot;. Well, there really is no set alimony formula for divorce. This is in complete contrast to child support, which is decided based upon a specific formulas in each state. Alimony is based on factors and those factors are decided through divorce negotiation or by a divorce judge. But, there is no alimony formula available to your divorce attorney or you to determine in advance what alimony will be paid in your case.  What does a divorce court look at to determine alimony? Those issues do vary by state. But, there are also many alimony factors that are common from state to state. So, although there is no specific alimony formula for you to rely on, there are alimony factors that you can look at to help you determine what the alimony might be in your case.  In divorce, some of the alimony factors that a judge might look at include the following.&nbsp;First is the length of your marriage. If the parties have been married for one year, the court's attitude towards a request for alimony will be very different than if the parties have been married for twenty years. Because the length of marriage varies so much in all divorces, it is not possible to plug this factor into an alimony forumla to determine the alimony amount.&nbsp;Another factor affecting the award of alimony is employment status. Obviously, if the spouse seeking alimony has been unemployed or underemployed for a number of years to care for young children, the home, or the spouse, that is a factor that will militate in that spouse's favor if he or she is seeking alimony. On the other hand, if that spouse has the ability to obtain employment that will more than adequately meet his or her needs, the court might think a little differently about awarding alimony to that party. Other factors that are considered closely with this factor include level of education, job experience, the age of children in the household, and work history.  A major factor that can affect an award of alimony is the amount of property to be retained or divided by the parties.&nbsp;If the spouse seeking alimony has been a stay at home parent, but will have signifcant assets after divorce or has separate assets, like a trust fund, the court's attitude towards the award of alimony will be affected. The court will certainly view a request for alimony under these circumstances much different than a request made by an individual who is receiving no assets in the divorce or who does not have any separate property. The health of the party seeking alimony is a major factor that can impact a court's decision in awarding alimony. If the spouse seeking alimony has a debilitating physical condition that impacts whether or how much they can work, the court will not want to impoverish that party after divorce and the court will be more likely to use alimony to address at least basic living needs. One other factor that should be considered by the divorce court and by the parties, is the taxability of the alimony payments. In most instances, if there is no specific provision to the contrary, spousal support payments are taxable to the recipient and tax deductible to the payor. The tax benefit obtained by spreading out economic wealth in this fashion can be significant and should be discussed in depth with your divorce attorney. One issue that is not always considered by the court, but should be discussed with your divorce attorney, is that alimony payments are, in general, not dischargeable in bankruptcy. If there is any possibility that the party who is to pay alimony will be filing for bankruptcy, the divorce attorneys will negotiate very hard on both sides to maximize the final benefit to their client in divorce.&nbsp;It should thus be apparent that in divorce, there can be no easy alimony forumla, no matter what state you live in. It is impossible to plug these and other factors into a mathematical equation to arrive at a &quot;correct&quot; alimony formula.&nbsp;It is necessary that the divorce court, or the divorce attorneys review how these varied and different factors affect both parties in the divorce and then arrive at a solution that encompasses all of the divorce issues, including property settlement and alimony. They cannot simply set up an alimony formula that would work for all parties.]]></description>
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	<title>The Truth About Common Law Marriages</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/The-Truth-About-Common-Law-Marriages.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:43:27 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/The-Truth-About-Common-Law-Marriages.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[The Truth About Common Law Marriage by: Jeffrey BroobinA great deal of people believe if they live together 6 to 10 years they will be considered married in the eyes of the law, but the fact is, it&rsquo;s not true. There is a difference between common law marriage and cohabitation. In some cases if you are a cohabitant, you could be considered single and in some cases if you are common law married you are considered married as if you did it the traditional way. So the question is how do I know if I am legally married or considered single under the law.&nbsp;Only certain states recognize Common law marriages, including the District of Columbia, Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. If you live in a Common law situation it rests upon you to find out if your state recognizes your relationship as it does legal marriage in the law. If your state recognizes your common law marriage, you and your mate must enter into a written or oral agreement to live as a husband and wife, and appear to others, as you are a married couple. Introduced to others as a wife or a husband and are considered a married couple. How long you have been together will determine if you are recognized under state law. At this time, for the most part Common law marriages typically are limited to heterosexual couples. If you live in a state that recognizes common relationships and do not want the state to consider you as married, you need to see your attorney to draw up a document that establishes the facts and protects the parties involved.]]></description>
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	<title>Questions To ask Your Divorce Lawyer</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Questions-To-ask-Your-Divorce-Lawyer.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:40:04 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Questions-To-ask-Your-Divorce-Lawyer.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Questions to Ask Your Lawyer by: Charles Kassotis&nbsp;When looking for a lawyer to handle a personal legal matter, you can usually find one by contacting the local bar association or an attorney referral service in your area. If those don&rsquo;t pan out, try the state bar association or word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied friends, family members, or coworkers. After getting the names of two or three attorneys that specialize in the area for which you need assistance, make an appointment to &ldquo;interview&rdquo; each lawyer before you decide which one to retain as legal counsel. Some lawyers offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your case and see whether client and attorney suit each other. Here are some questions you may want to ask: 1. How long have you specialized in this type of law? If the attorney has recently switched from probate to criminal law, and you are accused of committing a crime, you may want to look for a more experienced attorney.&nbsp;On the other hand, perhaps this attorney has been assisting a partner with criminal cases, or has done extensive work in this area previously. Find out if there is enough evidence to warrant your trust in this particular attorney for handling your case.   2. What are your fees?Never retain an attorney who is vague about the cost of his or her services, or about the type of expenses you may have to pay. While it is natural to be unsure of an exact price for copying, telephone, and postage costs, the attorney should be able to give you a ballpark figure, as well as any potential costs for expert testimony, including depositions, interrogatories, or videotaping sessions and travel fees. Try to get an estimate in writing of at least the attorney&rsquo;s fee. Many charge by the hour or by the procedure, such as a $1,500 divorce. Others are required to collect a portion, like one-third, of any awards made in personal injury cases, for example. 3. What are the chances of success for my case? This will apply to issues of litigation where you are suing someone in court. You want to get a percentage, like 60 percent or 20 percent, of what the outcome is likely to be. For other types of cases, such as estate planning, you can change the question to relate to matters involving your anticipated estate plan with applicable taxes. 4. How often can I expect to hear from you? A competent attorney should be in regular contact with a client to provide status updates, even if there isn&rsquo;t much to report. A monthly phone call, email, or letter will help to allay worries and confirm hearing dates so that you don&rsquo;t get disconnected from the legal process for months at a time. 5. What is the likely course of my case? Your attorney should be able to give you a clear outline of what to expect. Some types of cases might require a few meetings with the attorney. Others might demand court appearances and deposition sessions. Sketch a timeline of projected activity so you can plan accordingly.   After comparing attorney responses to your questions, you may be in a better position to choose the attorney who will work most effectively to protect your interests.]]></description>
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	<title>Legal issues Surrounding Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Legal-issues-Surrounding-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:33:26 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Legal-issues-Surrounding-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Legal Issues Surrounding Divorce by: Maui Reyes&nbsp;There are two types of divorce: absolute and limited.&nbsp;Absolute, or &ldquo;divorce a vinculo matu monii&rdquo;, is the judicial termination of a marriage based on marital misconduct or other statutory causes after the wedding ceremony&mdash;such as adultery. After the divorce, both parties are deemed single again. Limited, or &ldquo;divorce a mensa et thoro&rdquo; is a separation decree, where the marriage is not fully terminated, and the couple still retain their civil status as married. There are seven steps in having a divorce. While the process varies from couple to couple, depending on the situation of both parties, there are some essential procedures in filing for a divorce.One thing is certain, however: divorcing couples who are mature enough to agree on certain issues makes for a smoother divorce.  First, one party must file a petition for divorce. Even if both parties agree on a divorce, one must file the petition, which states the ground for divorce. There is such a thing as &ldquo;no fault&rdquo; grounds, which simply states that the relationship is no longer viable (such as &ldquo;irreconcilable differences&rdquo;). While many states allow this, some states still consider ground faults, such as adultery.  A temporary order is the next step. This is for claiming temporary financial support, child support, of custody. This is granted a few days after filing, and remains in effect until a formal court hearing. One should file for this ASAP.  A service of process is then required. This is to prove that the petition has reached the other party as well.&nbsp;A response is then needed from the other party. He or she must file a response to the petition, and is allowed to either dispute the grounds or defend himself or herself from them. Disagreements on custody or property division should also be filed with the response.  A negotiation for the division of property and custody comes next. The court usually lets the couple and their respective lawyers handle this, but if they cannot agree on anything, the court has to decide for them. Children are usually the responsibility of social workers, whom the court calls in to check on the living conditions of each spouse if it is fit for the children. A trial then ensues, to smooth out issues the couple couldn&rsquo;t resolve by themselves. Finally, an order of resolution is given, which ends the marriage and contains the division of property and debts. If the couple has negotiated these issues themselves, they can write their own order of resolution and submit it to court. If it meets the requirements, the judge approves it.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce and Health Insurance Benefits</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-and-Health-Insurance-Benefits.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:45:59 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-and-Health-Insurance-Benefits.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Divorce and Health Insurance Benefits by: Jean Mahserjian&nbsp;Divorce causes major issues with health insurance benefits.&nbsp;Many families have employer provided and/or paid for health insurance benefits that cover the entire family. It is not uncommon to see situations where the other spouse is a stay at home parent, with absolutely no access to health insurance benefits, or employed at a job with either no health insurance benefits available or those benefits available at a substantial cost.&nbsp;After a divorce, the spouse with the family health insurance coverage can no longer cover the other parent. They are no longer &quot;family&quot; members who can take advantage of one health insurance policy.&nbsp;How to then ensure that everyone stays insured does become an issue for negotiation and/or divorce litigation.  If both parties do not have health insurance benefits available and if the cost of obtaining those health insurance benefits for the other party after a divorce become prohibitive, there is one way to continue benefits without additional cost.&nbsp;That way is to enter into a separation agreement, but delay the divorce. That way, the parties actually do remain married and they can stay on the same health insurance plan even thought they are separated. The parties can consent to waiting for one, two or more years before either one files for a divorce.&nbsp;While the parties will remain married, their property, custody, and support issues will be addressed in their separation agreement. Under some circumstances, this is an optimal resolution. For example, what if both parties want one spouse to remain at home for several more years with young children, but they do still want to separate and divorce? This option works for them. They can separate, agree upon getting a divorce and all of the terms that they have to agree upon, but delay the final divorce so that they can keep cost effective health insurance benefits in place.  The above example can provide some difficulties that must be discussed in detail with your divorce attorney.&nbsp;For example, if you separate but do not divorce, your federal tax filing status may be affected. Also, in some states, it is not as easy as in other states to enforce a separation agreement. Or, in yet other states, it is possible for one spouse to take the advantages provided by the agreement for a year or two and then go to court and seek entirely different forms of financial relief in a divorce action. Only a divorce attorney licensed to practice in your state can advise you on these issues.  Another option for couples divorce is COBRA coverage. COBRA is a federal law which mandates that a person covered under a health insurance policy be given the right to continue that coverage, at their own cost, for a set time period if certain requirements exist. For example, if you obtain a divorce and your spouse had family health insurance coverage through his employer, the employer would have to provide COBRA coverage for you after the divorce. That COBRA coverage would require that you have the same health insurance policy, although your coverage would now be individual and not family. You would have to pay the employer's cost for that individual policy. It is not uncommon for a stay at home spouse or a spouse who has less income or employment options to obtain COBRA coverage and to negotiate that their spouse pay for that coverage for a specified time period after the divorce. In doing so, this gives the spouse who did not have coverage available some time to either obtain employment with coverage or become financially settled and able to afford their own coverage.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce and Hidden Assets</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-and-Hidden-Assets.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:39:03 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-and-Hidden-Assets.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Divorce and Hidden Assets by: Jean Mahserjian Not surprisingly, assets are often hidden in a divorce situation.&nbsp;Why - well simply greed, or the feelings of betrayal or anger at the need to divide assets in the divorce, or the fear of not having enough after the divorce all motivate the behavior of hiding assets. In divorce, the parties assets are divided. Under the divorce laws of some states they are divided equally and under the divorce laws of other states, they are divided &quot;equitably&quot; or fairly. Equitably often means equally to overworked divorce judges. There is no way to know in advance if your spouse has or will hide assets in a divorce. You know your spouse better than your divorce attorney will and you will need to alert your attorney to the possibility of your spouse hiding assets.Before you get to that point, however, there are some easy steps to take to prevent your spouse from being able to hide assets. Those steps include finding out everything you can about your assets before divorce.  Before you alert your spouse that you are considering divorce, you need to compile and/or stockpile documentation about all of your assets. If you do not have knowledge of your marital assets, it is time to find out what is there. If bank and other statements come to the house, open them and write down account numbers and balances. If you have access to the cancelled checks, copy those as well. It is not unusual for a spouse who is planning a divorce to transfer money to friends or relatives with the plan being that they will give that money back after a divorce is finalized. So, you should review those records and carefully scrutinize all large or suspicious transfers that take place in the two or three years prior to or just after the filing of a divorce action.  Make sure that you know where the copies of your income tax statements are.&nbsp;If your spouse has a business, make sure you have a copy of several years of tax returns for that business. All of these documents can be copied and hidden safely somewhere outside of the house in the event that you need them. Taking these simple preemptive steps can mean the difference in obtaining a fair settlement in divorce. It will also be incredibly helpful to your divorce attorney to have this information in advance. If banking and other statements and financial records are not kept at or mailed to your house, you will need to obtain those records in other ways. You can contact the IRS to obtain copies of any tax returns that you signed. Request copies of those returns and have them mailed to a different address - either a friend or relative or your divorce attorney. If there are returns that you have not signed, such as business tax records, you will not be able to obtain copies of those returns from the IRS. If you have access to your spouse's place of business, you may be able to find those tax returns there.&nbsp;If you are worried about your spouse hiding assets in a divorce, you really do need to find those returns and make copies of them - for as many years as possible.  If you have valuables, antiques, jewelry, art or other collectibles in your home, catalog all of them and if you have appraisals, make copies.&nbsp;It is not unusual for those items to disappear or even to be pawned by a spouse in need of more funds.  If you suspect that your spouse has engaged in some divorce planning and is hiding assets, let your divorce attorney know.&nbsp;Ask your divorce attorney to subpoena records from any other idividual or entity who could be involved in assisting your spouse in hiding those assets. If need be, your attorney can use the services of an investigator to help to obtain financial records that have been withheld.]]></description>
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	<title>Same Gender Marriages</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Same-Gender-Marriages.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:34:53 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Same-Gender-Marriages.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Same Gender Marriages by: Jeffrey Broobin&nbsp;In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the case of Baker v. State, 744 A.2d 864 (Vt. 1999), ruling that prohibiting same-sex marriage violated the Vermont constitution because it denied same-sex couples the rights granted to heterosexual couples.&nbsp;However, rather than order the government to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples, the court left it up to the state legislature to remedy the situation. In response to the court's order in Baker v. State, the Vermont legislature passed a law creating a &quot;civil union registration system,&quot; under which same-sex couples can register their partnership and receive all the benefits of state laws that apply to married couples.&nbsp;Although the U.S. Constitution requires each state to give &quot;full faith and credit&quot; to the laws of other states - for example, by recognizing marriages and divorces made across state lines - the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in 1996, expressly undercuts the full faith and credit requirement in the case of same-sex marriages.That said, because the DOMA abridges the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, it may be challenged legally in the near future. Furthermore, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court clarified its ruling late last year that denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates the Massachusetts Constitution's guarantee that all citizens be treated equally under the law.Lambda Legal predicts that within a few months, same-sex couples in Massachusetts will begin getting married. They will be able to visit their spouses in the hospital, make decisions about each other&rsquo;s health care and be fully recognized as parents of their children. Anti-gay groups may proceed ahead in efforts to amend the state&rsquo;s Constitution to carve out an exception to the time-honored guarantee of equality. As that debate moves forward, people will see same-sex couples who are legally married - and they will see that in seeking to protect their families, these married couples pose no threat to society. Benefits for Same-Sex Couples in California, Hawaii and Vermont. If you're a member of a same-sex couple living in one of these three states, you can take advantage of laws that allow you to register your partnership and receive many of the benefits granted to married couples. California. To register a domestic partnership in California, visit the California Secretary of State website at www.ss.ca.gov. (Look under &quot;Special Programs Information.&quot;) Hawaii. To learn about registering your partnership in Hawaii (where it's called a &quot;reciprocal beneficiary relationship&quot;), visit the website of Hawaii&rsquo;s Vital Records office at www.state.hi.us/doh/records/rbrfaq.htm. Vermont. To read the official guide to Vermont's civil union law, go to www.sec.state.vt.us and click on &quot;Publications.&quot; http://www.dallasnet.net/submit]]></description>
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	<title>10 Major Tips For Winning Custody</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/10-Major-Tips-For-Winning-Custody.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:31:32 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/10-Major-Tips-For-Winning-Custody.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[10 Tips for Winning at Custody by: Jean Mahserjian&nbsp;Winning at Custody is one of the most difficult issues parents confront in divorce.&nbsp;In many cases, both parents want custody and are willing to spend whatever it takes to win. Custody is all about what is best for the children - and that involves proving that you are the best parent - i.e. that the other parent is not as good a parent as you and/or that the other parent is just simply a bad parent.&nbsp;My recommended tips for winning at custody are:  1. If you are not involved in your children's lives now, you are not getting custody from a judge.&nbsp;If you are a working parent who lets your spouse handle all of the details of parenting, you are not prepared to win at custody. You must either change your objectives or change your parenting. If you really want custody, get involved now - in all aspects of your children's lives. Get involved in your children's schooling. Attend their extra curricular events. Take them to the doctor and dentist. Get to know what professionals your children see and be involved with them?  2. Make sure that you are not exposing your children to unsafe or unhealthy environments when they are with you. Are you involved in another relationship? Has there been more than one? Be very careful about exposing your children to your companion(s). Many judges, professionals, and other parents object to the children being subjected to other relationships too early in that process. More important, if you really want to win at custody, it should be because you want to spend time with your children parenting them. Spending time with someone else when you have the children is a recipe for losing at custody in court.  3. Do you put down your children's other parent when the children are with you - either consciously or subconsciously? If you do, stop. One sure way to lose at custody is to hurt the children's relationship with the other parent. A judge will consider whether a parent promotes or prevents the other parent's access to and relationship with the children when seeking custody.  4. Winning at custody requires that you keep a calendar for everything. You need to be able to look back and remember details when it comes time to litigage custody. If you do not know when you had the children, what events you attended, where they were or you were or allof the times your spouse was not timely for a pick up or drop off, you will only hurt your own case. You can keep track on your own calendar, with your own journal, or with a professionally managed calendaring system. We do provide access to a professional calendaring system for custody cases on our web site at http://www.millenniumdivorce.com/custody-planner.asp. 5. Be on time...Be on time....Be on time. Few issues cause as much conflict as a parent who is persistently late in picking up or dropping off children. It irks the judges, it creates arguments with your ex or soon to be ex, and it stresses out the children. So, Be on time.  6. Be flexible. If the other parent wants to switch weekends or weekdays, do it if you can manage your schedule. When the time comes to tell the judge why you should have custody, you can tell the judge that you are the parent who makes sure that the schedule works. In a close case, this issue makes a difference.  7. Do not involve your children in the issues that are pending in court or with attorneys. Courts generally are very opposed to the children knowing the details of what are essentially adult issues. Children should be told that both parents love them and want to see them - that's it. The children may see a psychologist and/or an attorney or other professional if the court directs that. The children can talk to those people about your case - you should not be giving them the details, especially if giving the details involves denigrating the other parent.  8. Winning at custody requires considering one other very important factor: where do the children want to live. It is not a good idea to coach your children on this issue. They will have an opportunity to tell what they want to either the court, their attorney or a psychologist.&nbsp;However, it is a good idea to know what they want. If they want to live with their other parent, you should not spend all of your time and money pursuing custody, unless you believe that it is unsafe or inappropriate for the children to live with that parent.  9. You do have to be willing to show why your children's other parent should not have custody. So, you need to keep track of whether that parent is on time, involved, and flexible with the schedule. If that parent has any issues that affect custody, such as a history of mental health issues which impact his or her ability to care for the children or alcohol or drug addictions, you need to let the court know. Other issues that can and do affect custody determinations include the number and frequency of romantic relationships and the exposure of the children to those relationship, the proper supervision of the children, and ensuring that the children attend school and see professionals such as a doctor and dentist when necessary.  10. Above all else, hire a good attorney and be open and honest with your attorney. Listen to your attorney, not some friend or relative who is sure about what you should do because they had a friend or a relative who got a better deal. If you are paying your attorney, listen to what he or she has to say.]]></description>
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	<title>How To Choose The Right Divorce Lawyer</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/How-To-Choose-The-Right-Divorce-Lawyer.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:26:16 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/How-To-Choose-The-Right-Divorce-Lawyer.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[How to Choose the Right Divorce LawyerAre you unhappy with your relationship? Are you thinking about divorce? Well then, choosing the right lawyer can be one of the most important decisions you make when considering a divorce.&nbsp;According to the article &ldquo;How to Select a Divorce Lawyer&rdquo; by Scott Morgan which was posted at www.legalclips.com, selecting a divorce lawyer to handle your family law case is a very important decision. There are a few important criteria to help in finding the right divorce lawyer including focus and experience, past client testimonials, accessibility, fees and comfortability. And here are a few tips on how to get the best divorce lawyer around for your case.  First, set an appointment and prepare your questions beforehand. Ask about everything that is related to your case. Through this, you&rsquo;ll be able to assess if you have come to the right person and realize if he can handle the case for you. Also, ask about whether you&lsquo;ll be copied in on all documents. I believe that it&rsquo;s very important for a lawyer to return phone calls within a day and to copy a client in on all correspondence including legal letters and documentations. It is your right to be kept fully updated on all the developments of your case. More so, never think twice to inquire whether you will be charged for phone calls and for the initial consultation. Always keep in mind that a lawyer cannot be able to truthfully determine a legal fee without some preliminary research and investigation. Of course, fees will vary based on the complexity of the case, the time commitment involved, the skill and experience of the lawyer, etc. The payment of the fees, whether partial or full, is being done at the beginning of the case in some cases. In other cases, the lawyer might offer a payment plan. Indeed, resolving such complicated issue is being made more difficult because of the emotional factors involved and the fact that during the divorce, neither of the parents is really happy. With this, regular communication between you and your attorney is very important. However, bear in mind that your lawyer's job is to give you correct information to help you make difficult decisions, not to tell you what you want to hear. The divorce lawyer will only help you to at least lessen the burden that you experience by winning your divorce case.  After all, the stress that these battles bring to parents can be truly remarkable. Perhaps, no other phase of life such as this one presents so much psychological pain yet so much opportunity for growth for the persons involved.]]></description>
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	<title>How To Get A Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-To-Get-A-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:23:21 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-To-Get-A-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[How to Get A Divorce by: Nathan Dawson While each person&rsquo;s situation is unique, there are steps to follow that are common to all in the event that you and/or your spouse decide to file for divorce.&nbsp;Here is some general divorce advice:  Become familiar with the divorce process The process of divorce results in putting a legal end to a marriage.&nbsp;Although divorce proceedings differ from one state to another, most states follow a specific order:  A divorce will begin with a document called a Petition (or Complaint in some states) that formally notifies the court and the other spouse that he or she wishes to end the marriage. This document also presents an overview of terms, such as child support, custody and visitation rights, spousal support, property and debt division, and last-but-not-least, attorney&rsquo;s fees and costs.  Opposing papers or a response is then filed by the other spouse. In some states, if a spouse does not file opposing papers within a certain window time from when the petition was issued, the spouse can lose the right to have his or her side of the case presented in court.&nbsp;Next, temporary orders lay down the short-term rules while the case is pending. The discovery, or legal procedure of gathering information about each spouse, can either be quick, or lengthy, costly and time-consuming. Finally, a case can either be settled by an alternative dispute resolution, or it will need to go to trial. A divorce that goes to trial will typically most emotional and difficult, particularly for the children.  Choose an experienced divorce lawyer Your best source for divorce information is an experienced attorney. A lawyer can give you divorce information that is relevant to your specific needs.&nbsp;Some lawyers even specialize in divorce for men; and others are familiar with issues pertaining to women and divorce.  Developing a rapport with your attorney is an important step in understanding the entire divorce process. The more knowledge you have, the better-informed your decisions will be.]]></description>
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	<title>Four Important Tips To Save You Money In Your Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Four-Important-Tips-To-Save-You-Money-In-Your-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:20:21 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Four-Important-Tips-To-Save-You-Money-In-Your-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Four Tips to Save Money in Your Divorce Case by: Scott Morgan 1. Have an Clear Written Fee Agreement  Most experienced and effective divorce attorneys charge by the hour and require an advance retainer (or deposit) that is paid at the beginning of the case. Fees and expenses will be charged against the retainer until it is exhausted, at which point the client will be responsible for any additional sums incurred.  Clients will sometimes seek an attorney who will represent them on a flat fee basis, thinking that this will save them money. The problem with this arrangement is that the attorney has no incentive to do anything beyond the bare minimum. The client often feels like his case is being ignored, the attorney often feels like the client is intentionally trying to take up as much of his time as possible, and they may both be right.  Whether you hire a lawyer on an hourly or flat fee basis, it is extremely important that you get a written fee agreement that makes clear the terms of the representation, including whether any retainer is refundable, how often you will receive statements, the attorney&rsquo;s hourly rates, etc. You should get and keep a copy of this fee agreement. 2. Don&rsquo;t Mistake Your Divorce Lawyer for Your Therapist  Divorces are extremely emotional. Because your divorce attorney is (or at least should be) firmly in your corner, talking to him can be a very reassuring experience. This person understands your side of the situation and it feels good to talk to someone who sees the righteousness of your position. Because it makes you feel better you get into the habit of calling often, almost daily. Unless you have more money than you know what to do with you should NOT fall into this trap.  Remember that every time you call your lawyer the clock is ticking and you are getting billed by the hour. Think of it as a very expensive cab ride. As soon as you get in the cab, the meter starts running. It works the same with a lawyer, as soon as you are on the phone with him the meter is running and you are getting charged.  This does not mean you should never communicate with your lawyer.On the contrary, you should communicate with your attorney anytime you need legal advice on your case. But before you pick up the phone make a list of questions or issues you want to discuss and limit your conversation to these points without wasting time ranting about the unfairness of the situation.  3. Don&rsquo;t Use Your Attorney to Negotiate a Division of Personal Items  Arguing about which party deserves the blue sofa or the bread maker is not a good use of attorney&rsquo;s fees. As much as possible, you should try to resolve these issues with your spouse. Ideally, if you and your spouse have already separated, you could divide these items by agreement and exchange them before the case has been completed.  Then, when it is time to finalize the divorce the term in the agreement and/or Final Decree, the document would simply state that each party keeps all personal effects (furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, kitchen equipment, etc.) in that party&rsquo;s possession. This can save a great deal in fees by avoiding debates over property that has very little market value. 4. Don&rsquo;t Throw Away Dollars Trying to Save Nickels  This is extremely important. People will often be extremely frugal about hiring an attorney and think they are saving a lot of money by hiring a lawyer for a small flat fee, or hiring someone who is not very experienced but will work cheaply.  This is a mistake.  Your goal should be to reach a reasonable settlement as quickly as possible. In order to reach this goal you will need an effective lawyer who sincerely shares that objective with you. That lawyer will then use his experience and skills to help you reach that objective.  But notice that I said &ldquo;reasonable&rdquo; settlement, not just any settlement. If the other side cannot be convinced to settle the case on reasonable terms it is imperative that your lawyer be skillful and confident enough to effectively try your case.  Someone who is learning on the job, or is simply unprepared, can cost you a great deal of money. So don&rsquo;t cheat yourself out of dollars in an attempt to save nickels.]]></description>
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	<title>Preparing For Divorce Court</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Preparing-For-Divorce-Court.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:16:54 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Preparing-For-Divorce-Court.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Preparing for Divorce Court by: Nathan Dawson&nbsp;Although it is highly preferable to arrive at a legal separation agreement or divorce settlement through some form of mediation, there are times when a couple cannot reach an agreement and the case simply must go to trial.&nbsp;If you decide to have a trial, you must first fully realize that it is unlikely to be an easy divorce. Additionally, with lawyer&rsquo;s fees on the rise, say goodbye to the idea of having a low cost divorce and to thousands of dollars of your hard-earned money. Be prepared to postpone your life after divorce for another year, and possibly longer. In some states, judges have been known to take more than a year to even assign a court date. The following divorce advice may help you know what to expect when you take your case to divorce court:  Remember that a divorce trial is public. Be on time and try to behave with dignity. Resist the temptation to get angry and emotional. Be honest with your lawyer and with the court. Knowing that you are acting with full integrity will give you confidence when making your appeals Work with your lawyer as a team to create a winning strategy. Join a support group. Doing this will help you to work out the emotional stuff outside of the courtroom and outside of your lawyer&rsquo;s consultation time. Dress conservatively. Keep your appearance well-groomed, simple and light. Avoid extravagance.&nbsp;Speak clearly and audibly. If your words cannot be heard by everyone in the courtroom, you may be asked to repeat what you said. Coping with divorce is often more difficult for those who need to have a trial. If there is still a possibility for mediation, do your best to work with your spouse and with both of your attorneys. At best, the professionals that you and your spouse hired are trying to offer their best divorce help to all concerned.]]></description>
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	<title>Ease Financial Pain With A Prenuptial Agreement</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Ease-Financial-Pain-With-A-Prenuptial-Agreement.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:14:29 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Ease-Financial-Pain-With-A-Prenuptial-Agreement.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Ease Financial Pain With A Prenuptial Agreements by: Jeffrey Broobin&nbsp;While we don&rsquo;t marry someone with idea of splitting up later, the truth is that every year about half of the marriages in the US end in divorce and only about 5% of them every go to trial.&nbsp;This is because we would prefer a friendly separation and an out-of-court settlement because divorce is painful. A prenuptial agreement can help to save you from a Court Fight if you and your partner decide to divorce. While easing the pain of divorce, it can also preserve family ties and even make your marriage less stressful because of the certainty of your intentions. Before discussing a prenuptial agreement with your intended, be very clear In Your Own Mind why you want to have it. Then be honest. If you want your children from a previous marriage to know that you have provided for them financially, say so. If you want to protect your intended from any possible argument from the first family, say so. If you want to assure your parents that your business will stay in the family if you are divorced or deceased. A contract signed by Both Parties and notarized, the prenuptial agreement in most states is acknowledged as if it were a deed. While prenuptial agreements need not be filed with the court or reviewed before signing, they can be set aside for fraud, duress, failure to provide information, unfairness, and failure to be adequately represented.&nbsp;All states require that there be Full Disclosure of assets and liabilities, and that each spouse be fully aware of what they are getting and giving up by signing the agreement. Prenuptial agreements were popularized in the 19th century, mostly to protect heiresses from marrying men who were &quot;out for their money. Prior to the Married Women's Property Act of 1848, a woman's property, upon marriage, was transferred to her husband. W hen they married, her money became his and any business that she managed became his, too. If she inherited money during the marriage, that, too, was his. In the prenuptial agreement, either party Can Waive Any Rights given by law. Yet one spouse can voluntarily give to the other as much as either wishes. If there is a lucrative business, the agreement can state who will manage the business, handle the investments and receive the income or proceeds from it. The agreement can state the proportion of funds from a certain source that will belong to each party. The parties can even agree on how they will spend certain sums throughout the course of the marriage. With a prenuptial agreement, a person can Disinherit a Spouse, settle property rights or exempt a major asset like the family business from the marital estate. Without such a signed agreement, most states give a surviving spouse a minimum of one-third of the total assets. If there are children from a Previous Marriage, this is important because the children of that marriage may lose one-third of their inheritances, even assets that were accumulated during a first marriage and the new marriage lasted for only a few weeks. In some states, the heirs to an estate can continue a divorce proceeding that began before the deceased died as a tool to prevent the surviving spouse from receiving any of the inheritance. A prenuptial agreement prevents such bloody battles. So long as the agreement is voluntary, it can be tailored to meet any Special Needs.&nbsp;Estate provisions in prenuptial agreements may also be useful in first marriages, or where one of the parties previously was married. Such agreements can require that insurance policies be purchased to insure an inheritance, or to exempt cherished family property from the spouse or to protect a trust fund that was set up for another family member. Only in the past three decades have states upheld prenuptial agreements as a basis for financial settlements in the event of divorce.&nbsp;While prenuptial agreements are not very romantic, it can be a positive thing in a marriage to document what the spouse receives vs. what members from the first family can expect in the event of death or divorce.&nbsp;The prenuptial agreement could cover basic financial matters Important In Divorce, like a major business, a particular trust fund, a future inheritance, a waiver of financial support, Couples can agree to waive their rights to financial support. This means that both parties will have an incentive throughout the marriage to accumulate their own wealth and to pursue their own careers because if the marriage fails, they can only look to themselves for financial support. These waivers must be reasonable, and neither party must be in danger of going on assistance. Further, the rights of a child, born or unborn, cannot be waived. Without such agreements, a Community Property state can grant the spouses one-half of the marital wealth. In other states, the assets are divided based on an &ldquo;equitable distribution.]]></description>
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	<title>Abused Spouses</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Abused-Spouses.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:11:36 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Abused-Spouses.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Abused Spouses: How Divorce May Affect Your Green Card Chances by: Heather L. Poole, Esq.&nbsp;The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), passed into law in 1994 and amended in 2001, provides hope for immigrant abuse survivors.&nbsp;Under U.S. immigration law, immigrants may obtain a green card (&quot;U.S. permanent residence&rdquo;) by marrying a U.S. citizen (USC). The USC must, however under the normal course, petition U.S. Citizenship &amp; Immigration Services (CIS, formerly known as &ldquo;INS&rdquo;) for an immigrant visa and a green card application for his/her immigrant spouse based on the marriage.&nbsp;But this process is not always easy on the immigrant &ndash; in many instances, it provides one of the most abusive ways a sponsoring spouse can exercise control over the immigrant, by holding the immigrant's tentative immigration status over her.  This is where VAWA helps. Abused immigrants who are married to a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Residents may now petition on their own for an immigrant visa and green card application, without the abuser's knowledge or consent.&nbsp;However, one of the recurring problems and questions that come up in these abused spouse cases is what happens to the immigrant&rsquo;s chances for a green card if the abuser goes through on his threat and files for divorce?  Similarly, how is her green card chances affected if the immigrant files for divorce, herself? Filing for relief under VAWA may still be possible even if divorce proceedings have begun or even if the divorce is final. A divorced immigrant who was subject to extreme cruelty from his or her legal permanent resident or U.S. citizen spouse may apply for an immigrant visa as an abused spouse (eventually leading to a green card) if the petition is filed with CIS (INS) within 2 years following any final divorce decree.  Thus, if the immigrant is already divorced, s/he can still file for VAWA protection, but only if the divorce is 2 years old or less at the time it is filed and can prove that the abuse was related to the reason for or was the reason for the divorce, itself.  The divorced immigrant must still prove the basis elements of a VAWA self-petition including having a real marriage (i.e., not a marriage entered into for immigration purposes) as well as prove that s/he lived with the abuser when they were married at some point.  This provision allowing for divorce immigrants to file applies to all cases that were still being decided by CIS or filed on or after October 28, 2000. There are exceptions to this date, however, so an immigrant in this situation should contact an immigration attorney who regularly deals with VAWA (Violence Against Women cases) to determine if she is eligible to file for immigration protection under VAWA.&nbsp;If an abused immigrant spouse chooses to not file a VAWA-based immigrant visa petition and chooses to rely on her spouse to sponsor her, if the spouse fails to sponsor her or the case the spouse filed is not approved by the time the divorce is final, that case will be denied and the immigrant will have to start over with either a VAWA-based immigrant visa (if eligible) or some other potential immigrant visa or will be stuck without the means to obtain a green card.&nbsp;If an immigrant believes that her spouse is going to file for divorce or has already filed for a divorce and has a case based on her spouse's sponsorship currently being decided by INS (CIS), there may be a way to save the green card (adjustment of status) application that is attached to her spouse's immigrant visa filing and file for VAWA immigrant visa to protect herself from her spouse&rsquo;s threats, and retain her work card and travel authorization instead of having to start all over again with a new green card application.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce Glossary (Say What?)</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-Glassary--Say-What.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:08:44 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-Glassary--Say-What.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[A Divorce Glossary by: Nathan Dawson&nbsp;Divorce lawyers and law firms can provide a great deal of divorce information and divorce advice; but sometimes, all that legal jargon can be confusing to say the least, not to mention intimidating.&nbsp;Getting a good, low cost divorce settlement requires planning and research.  So, why not start here? We have provided you with a good glossary of legal terms related to the process of getting a divorce:&nbsp;Alimony A regular support payment by one divorced spouse to the other  Annulment A court declaration stating that a legal marriage never existed&nbsp;Arbitration Having a disputed matter settled by a third party who is not a judge.  Attachment A court-ordered seizure of a debtor&rsquo;s property.&nbsp;Attorney at Law A state-licensed advocate who is hired to prepare, manage and try a case in court.&nbsp;Alternative Dispute Resolution A process of negotiation, mediation and arbitration, in lieu of a trial, as a way to resolve issues pertaining to a judgment of divorce.  Case Information Statement (CIS) A financial document specifying the details of your respective incomes, expenses, assets, and debts.  Child Support Money paid by one ex-spouse to another toward their child&rsquo;s expenses.  Common Law Marriage A marriage without a license or ceremony in which the couple cohabitated for a minimum number of years (varies from state to state).  Default Failure to do something (such as make a payment) on time.&nbsp;Discovery The legal procedures used to gather all the facts necessary to settle a case or to prepare the case for trial.&nbsp;Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) The legal separation of a married couple so that each one may be free to marry again.  Equitable Distribution A fair division of the assets acquired during your marriage.&nbsp;Inventory and Appraisement A list of jointly-owned property along with the current value of each one.  Joint Legal Custody An agreement in which a divorced couple share the rights and responsibilities of making major decisions about their child&rsquo;s life.  Joint Physical Custody The shared right to have a child live with one or the other parent at different times of the week or year.&nbsp;Judgement of Divorce A legal document following a settlement or trial that grants a divorce and states the court&rsquo;s decisions with regard to alimony, support, custody, visitation rights, and equitable distribution.&nbsp;Maintenance Alimony or child support payments&nbsp;Marital Settlement Agreement An out-of-court agreement that resolves all issues surrounding a divorce.&nbsp;Mediation A process by which a dispute is resolved and an agreement between two parties is reached with the assistance of a disinterested third party known as a mediator.&nbsp;Non-Marital Property Property that belongs exclusively to either the husband or the wife and, as such, cannot be divided between the two.&nbsp;No-Fault Divorce A divorce granted with the mutual agreement of two spouses, or when one spouse has left the marriage for a certain period of time (varies by state).  Rehabilitative Alimony Alimony that helps the ex-spouse to become self-reliant.  Separation The absence of one spouse from the household before a divorce.  Separation Agreement A temporary agreement with regard to support, child custody and property for the period between the onset of separation and the granting of a divorce.&nbsp;Spouse A husband or wife  Support Payment due to one spouse from the other regarding housing, food, clothing, and other expenses.&nbsp;Transfer To switch legal ownership from one person to another.  Verification Statement An oath declaring that the information stated in a document is true.  Visitation The right for a non-custodial parent to visit his or her child.]]></description>
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	<title>Contested and Uncontested Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Contested-and-Uncontested-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:04:24 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Contested-and-Uncontested-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[&quot;Contested&quot; And &quot;Uncontested Divorce&quot; by: James Wood&nbsp;A divorce case is contested if the parties cannot agree on every one of the issues involved in their particular situation. Common areas of disagreement include, but are not limited to: grounds for divorce, custody of the children, visitation rights, division of the assets of the marriage, child support, maintenance (alimony), payment of family debts, contribution toward educational expenses (college or parochial), payment of health insurance for the dependent spouse, income tax structuring, etc&nbsp;When a divorce case is filed, it is given an identification number and is deemed by the court to be a matter that will ultimately require trial time in order to resolve all issues. Divorce cases are generally called for trial in the order in which they were filed.  A divorce case remains a &quot;Contested Divorce&quot; until each and every item is resolved. If, however, at any time during that period of the divorce case, the parties and their attorneys can reach an agreement on all of the issues, they can then stipulate to the court to have the matters heard as an &quot;Uncontested Divorce&quot; (no fault divorce) matter. When this occurs, the court will accommodate the parties to the marriage and provide an expedited Hearing in which it will hear proof regarding the grounds of the divorce and the settlement of the divorce.&nbsp;If the standards of the court and the law are met, the court will approve the settlement and enter a divorce Judgment on that day or shortly thereafter.  Remember that, it is usually easier to marry than to divorce, especially if the spouses who wish to do so must divide their common property as well.  Attempts to use the worldwide Web as an effective means of struggle against bureaucracy are undertaken constantly and sometimes successfully.&nbsp;Today it is possible to fill legal forms for divorce by divorce online legal services.  Note that formsource.info provides an easy-to-use, quick, and economical online method for creating completed legal forms from its site for your uncontested divorce (either no-fault divorce or fault divorce).]]></description>
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	<title>Negotiating A Great Divorce!</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Negotiating-A-Great-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:59:51 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Negotiating-A-Great-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Negotiating a Good Divorce Settlement by: Nathan Dawson&nbsp;Divorce can get complicated with all its legal and financial details and disagreements. It&rsquo;s no wonder that you are seeking divorce help and divorce support.&nbsp;The most important piece of information to learn from the get-go about how to get a divorce is that the outcome depends on you. Your willingness to negotiate and seek mediation can actually make it a low cost divorce. It might even turn out to be an easy divorce if you stay flexible, yet firm about your rights.&nbsp;Going through a trial is seldom a good idea, particularly with regard to women and divorce. Financially, men usually have the upper hand since they are traditionally the bread-winners and, as such, they usually get paid more. That gives them more buying power to hire the better lawyer; if the case goes to trial, a wife in this sort of situation usually finds herself headed toward financial ruin. For this reason, life after a divorce trial can be even harder than it was before.  Here is a little divorce advice that will make coping with divorce less difficult: spare yourself and your children the headache&mdash;mediate.  Mediation gives both parties the power to negotiate alimony, child support, custody and an equitable division of assets and liabilities. In this way, you can use any divorce information you acquire to increase your negotiating power.&nbsp;When trying to negotiate a good divorce settlement, keep the following in mind:  When you are not satisfied with any of your spouse&rsquo;s terms, prepare a logical rebuttal, rather than get defensive and emotional. By all means, speak up! Be willing to try and consider your soon-to-be-estranged spouse&rsquo;s wellbeing. If things get ugly, remember that a change in your approach (yes, it&rsquo;s hard) can turn things around 180 degrees. Just do your best to avoid having the case go to trial. The benefits of mediating your own agreement include keeping your marital problems confidential, sparing yourself of open court proceedings and the related costs, speeding up the process and not to mention helping to make it all easier on the kids.]]></description>
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	<title>Hey, Divorce Happens!</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Hey--Divorce-Happens.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:57:09 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Hey--Divorce-Happens.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[What If Divorce Happens by: Jeffrey Broobin A couple recently divorced. Their Divorce Decree stated that the husband would pay the balances on their three joint credit card accounts. Months later, after he neglected to pay off these accounts, all three creditors contacted the wife for payment.&nbsp;She referred them to the divorce decree, insisting that she was not responsible for the accounts. The creditors correctly stated that they were not parties to the decree and that the wife was still legally responsible for paying off the couple's joint accounts. She later found out that the late payments appeared on her credit report. You may want to look closely at issues involving credit if you've recently been through a divorce - or are contemplating one. Understanding the Different Kinds of credit accounts opened during a marriage may help show you the potential benefits and pitfalls of each. There are two types of credit accounts: individual and joint. You can permit authorized persons to use the account with either. When you apply for credit-whether a charge card or a mortgage loan - you'll be asked to select either an individual or a joint account. Individual Account The creditor considers your income, assets, and credit history. Whether you are married or single, you alone are responsible for paying off the debt.&nbsp;The account will appear on your credit report, and may appear on the credit report of any authorized user. If you live in a community property state (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, or Wisconsin) the individual debts of one spouse may appear on the credit report of the other. Advantages/Disadvantages If you're not employed outside the home, work part-time, or have a low-paying job, it may be difficult to demonstrate a strong financial picture without your spouse's income. But if you open an account in your name and are responsible, no one can negatively affect your credit record. Joint Account The income, financial assets, and credit history of you and your spouse are considerations for a joint account. No matter who handles the household bills, you and your spouse are responsible for seeing that debts are paid. A creditor who reports the credit history of a joint account to credit bureaus must report it in both names (if the account was opened after June 1, 1977). Advantages/Disadvantages: An application combining the financial resources of two people may present a stronger case to a creditor who is Granting a Loan or credit card. But because two people applied together for the credit, each is responsible for the debt. This rule continues to rule your credit score, even if a divorce decree assigns separate debt obligations to each spouse. Former spouses who run up bills and don't pay them can hurt their ex-partner's credit histories on jointly held accounts. Account Users If you open an individual account, you may authorize another person to use it. If you name your spouse as the authorized user, it will be reported in both of your names if the account was opened after June 1, 1977). A creditor also may report the credit history in the name of any other authorized user. Advantages/Disadvantages: User accounts often are opened for convenience. They benefit people who might not qualify for credit on their own, such as students or homemakers. While these people may use the account, you yourself are contractually liable for paying the debt. If you are Thinking About Divorce, examine the status of your credit accounts, because if you maintain joint accounts during this time, it's important to make regular payments so your credit record won't suffer.&nbsp;Remember that if there's an Outstanding Balance on a joint account, you and your spouse are responsible for it. Therefore, if divorce, you may want to close joint accounts or accounts in which your former spouse was an authorized user. You could also ask the creditor to Convert These Accounts to individual accounts. By law, a creditor cannot close a joint account because of a change in marital status, but can do so at the request of either spouse. A creditor also is not required to change joint accounts to individual accounts and could require you to reapply for credit on an individual basis and then, based on your new application, extend or deny you credit. In the case of a mortgage or home equity loan, a lender is likely to Require Refinancing to remove a spouse from the obligation.]]></description>
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	<title>Prenuptial Agreements, What Rights Do I Have?</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Prenuptial-Agreemets--What-Rights-Do-I-Have.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:54:14 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Prenuptial-Agreemets--What-Rights-Do-I-Have.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Rights and Obligations with Prenuptial Agreement. by: Jeffrey Broobin&nbsp;Prenuptial agreements are like insurance policies. You do the paperwork, and then hope you'll never need it. However, since half of marriages end in divorce within the first seven years, you may want to consider a prenuptial agreement before you walk down the aisle and say, &quot;I do.&quot;  Since you could later be engaged in a nasty, costly, and emotionally draining divorce some day, you should consider a prenuptial agreement as a precaution.&nbsp;Below we have given you some information on what is in a prenuptial agreement and whether it could be useful for you.  A prenuptial or ante nuptial agreement is a document signed by two people who intend to be married. It describes their rights and obligations should they get divorced. A prenuptial agreement informs the court how they want their assets and property divided up. Divorces become messy when parties cannot agree on the distribution of property, such things as the house, the house, stocks, and bonds and whether one party should pay the other alimony, now known as &quot;maintenance&quot; in most states. Assume that the husband has $1,000,000 in his own name prior to the marriage. A properly drafted prenuptial agreement can award that same $1,000,000 to him after a divorce, notwithstanding what he does with the money, such as purchasing a home in joint tenancy or shifting the money into other accounts.&nbsp;Without a prenuptial agreement, the wife might be entitled to one-half of the $1,000,000 or more, depending on the financial circumstances of the parties at the time of the divorce. The prenuptial agreement is a powerful and valuable tool that can favor the husband, protect the wife, or serve both of them fairly. It is a question of circumstances and intentions.  Candidates for prenuptial agreements used to be just older individuals with huge estates that they wanted to protect from gold diggers for their children from previous marriages. Since more millionaires are born every day, the candidate pool is growing by leaps and bounds. Now everybody has something to protect: an unpublished author, the budding inventor, anybody with a lucrative profession or a good idea. So, before you dismiss the idea of a prenuptial agreement, assess your situation in life and your long-term future in deciding whether a prenuptial agreement is right for you.  Consider at length the nature and extent of your present and possible future assets. A prenuptial agreement can be a very simple document running only a few pages that segregates each party's assets owned before the marriage, or it can be a very complicated document that runs dozens of pages because it deals with income and assets acquired during the marriage, the payment of debts, attorneys' fees, alimony/maintenance, and other financial matters.&nbsp;The next hurdle is raising the issue with your intended spouse, a very unromantic event. It helps to get it over with early. Perhaps you could blame it on someone else, such as your parents who may want to involve you in a family business, or possible business partners.  If you have no one to hold responsible, just be honest. Tell your future spouse that you intend to be open, fair, and honest, and the fact that you will be revealing all your assets is a sign of trust. Assure your intended that he or she will be protected during the negotiation procedure and in the prenuptial agreement, and stress that the document is something you feel is necessary and wise before you get married.&nbsp;The most important thing is to discuss it earlier instead of later, so that the degree of pressure before the wedding is mitigated.  Couples do not usually break engagements because of disputes over prenuptial agreements. In almost every instance, the agreement is signed and the parties are married. It is also completely appropriate to state that you will not get married without a prenuptial agreement; case law has indicated that this will not invalidate an agreement if made before the wedding.  The best way to avoid charges of duress or coercion is to tell your future spouse early on that you want the prenuptial agreement. Sometimes, such documents are signed shortly before the wedding, but have been the subject of negotiation for months. A well-drafted agreement will recite the fact that, even though it was signed shortly before or on the wedding date, negotiations began much earlier. It is for clauses like this that you consult experts.  Eventually, a prenuptial agreement will be fashioned so that you and your future spouse both accept it. The terms may not be what you initially envisioned and may not be what your intended would want. But that is the nature of compromise.  Note that Legal Helpmate Corp provides an easy-to-use, quick, and economical online method for creating Prenuptial Agreement (Premarital Contract).  About the author:]]></description>
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	<title>Child Custody Agreement and Taxes</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Child-Custody.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:51:10 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Child-Custody.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Child Custody Agreement and Taxes by: Jean Mahserjian&nbsp;A child custody agreement can have serious implications on your tax filing and your taxes overall. This issue should be addressed with your attorney or with your accountant while you are going through the process of negotiating or litigating child custody or a divorce agreement. Waiting until after you have finalized a child custody agreement to investigate the tax impact is not adviseable. State law on child custody does not dictate who gets the tax deductions. If your child custody agreement is entirely silent on this issue, the parent with primary residential or sole custody will have all of the tax benefits available through the children. That party will be able to claim the children as deductions, and so forth.&nbsp;This can be a significant issue. There are parents who simply assume that if they are paying thousands of dollars per year in support, they will be able to take the children as deductions. Not so. This is incredibly important when you consider that all child support payments are not tax deductible to the payor and they are not taxable to the recipient parent.  Thus, when negotiating your child custody agreement, you must address the issue of how custody will be structured and who will receive the tax benefits. This negotiation should be a part of an overall financial scheme that encompasses a consideration of all issues, including child custody, child support, property, alimony, and tax impact.  The ability to claim head of household instead of married filing separate or even filing single can be incredibly important to your overall tax scheme. You can claim head of household if you have your children for more than 50% of the time. Thus, a head of household tax filing should be a part of the overall negiating outline in a divorce or separation situation. A child custody agreement that is silent on this issue is really not a well negotiated or written agreement.  Your child custody agreement can address this issue in a number of ways. If your child custody agreement provides for joint shared custody, it must state who has the children for 50% of the time. If you have two children, you can divide that up so that each parent has the possibility of fiing for head of household. If you simply have joint custody and one parent has residential custody, you can still provide a head of household deduction to the other parent by wording the agreement in a way that allows for that filing.  There are other tax benefits available to parents that have to be considered when negotiating a child custody agreement. Many or most of those tax benefits are variable depending upon your income level ad whether or not you can claim the child or children as deductions. If you are really thinking through your child custody agreement, you will negotiate all of these benefits. The objective should be to maximize all available benefits for both parties, thereby providing an overall highly advantageous tax impact for your child custody agreement.   About the author: Jean Mahserjian is an attorney and the author of numerous websites and books devoted to helping consumers through the process of divorce.]]></description>
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	<title>Seven Sets of Documents You Need For Your Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Seven-Sets-of-Documents-You-Need-For-Your-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:46:59 -0500</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Seven-Sets-of-Documents-You-Need-For-Your-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Seven Sets of Documents You Need For Your Divorce  by: Scott Morgan This article is designed to give someone who is considering or planning for the possibility of divorce an idea of what documents are needed. Even if you believe your case is ultimately agreed to and settled without a trial, you will be in a much better position if you already have the relevant documents in your possession. Better safe than sorry.  You should locate the relevant documents, make copies, and keep them somewhere secure, like your office or with a friend. You will then have access when it is needed.Here are the most important seven categories of documents you should focus on.  1. Income Documents  Your spouse's income is relevant to a number of issues in a divorce case. At a minimum, get your spouse's last paycheck statement and your most recent tax return. Ideally, you would have access to all tax returns filed during the marriage, along with all supporting documents and schedules.  2. Bank Records  The monthly bank statements are very important and can lead you to other documents (cancelled checks, deposit slips, registers, etc.) that you also may need to obtain.Get at least the most recent statement for each account that is either held in your name, your spouse's name, or jointly. If possible, get copies of all statements going back to the date of marriage. In most cases this volume of records is not required, but in some cases these records can be very helpful and even necessary to analyze the case.  3. Retirement and Other Investment Records  Often the biggest asset a couple will own will be a 401k or pension account. So you will definitely want the most recent account statement and ideally all statements dating back to the time of marriage. Also, the last statement prior to marriage can be very significant (especially in community property states) to show the pre-marriage balance.  4. Credit Card statements  Again the most recent statements are a necessity, but a lot of important evidence can be garnered from the historical statements. In some cases, the credit card statements will show questionable transactions that can be of real evidentiary value. For example, they might show evidence of gifts or dinners purchased for paramours, questionable hotel rentals, or other dubious purchases.  5. Real estate documents  The most important real estate documents are the Deed of Trust and Warranty Deed for any property you currently own. If you have the entire file from (the giant stack of paper you got after the closing) for each real estate purchase or refinance transaction during the marriage it can be helpful. Additionally, documents evidencing real estate owned by either spouse prior to marriage can be significant, especially in community property states.  6. Mortgage statements &amp; any Other Debts  You should get the most recent statements showing the current payoff balance for any other debts. For those debts that have only a coupon book with no regularly generated statements showing the current balance, you will probably need to contact the creditor by phone for the current payoff information.&nbsp;7. Relevant emails or other correspondence  Correspondence or emails can be extremely helpful (or damaging, depending on your viewpoint) pieces of evidence in the case. Whether the communication is between spouses or between a spouse and some third-party, the communication is potentially relevant.&nbsp;Two common examples would be where your spouse makes a damaging admission about some issue in the case, or communications with paramours.  Conclusion  Determining which documents you need to obtain for your divorce case can be a very time-consuming and daunting task. Use this list as a starting point and discuss your situation with a quality divorce attorney. This person should be able to advise you specifically on the documents you need to obtain in order to protect your interests.]]></description>
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	<title>Cheap Divorce Lawyers</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Cheap-Divorce-Lawyers.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:32:21 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Cheap-Divorce-Lawyers.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Divorce lawyers are usually those lawyers that deal with the family law. They are specialized in all areas of family matters and can provide sound legal counsel when approached. It is usual (as well as safer) for both parties to use different divorce lawyers to deal with the proceedings.
Checking through the yellow pages would produce quite a list of lawyers practicing family law. However, the best kinds are divorce lawyers who are most well known by word of mouth. Browsing the Internet is another option to look for a good divorce lawyer. Many websites help customers locate a good practicing family law lawyer in a specific area. Of course, locating a divorce lawyer through the state bar association is an always available method for those looking for accredited lawyers working for the government.
Available online is a lot of information regarding the divorce proceedings. This can be of a big help if either party is looking for a cheap divorce. It is possible to get cheap divorce if there is no contest from either party or no other litigation with regards to child custody, and things like property rights. Knowing all the rules and divorce laws can reduce the lawyer expenses while ensuring uncomplicated settlement between both the parties as per the state divorce laws. All such information is available online and can be retrieved with minimum effort. Online lawyers are available to help in cases where an online divorce service is entertained due to lower cost. Paperwork obviously is minimal since everything is online and the best part is that it&rsquo;s all completely legal!
It is important to note that cheap online divorces are only suitable for those who wish to separate without any lingering issues pending between them. No-fault divorces are usually considered cheaper. A &lsquo;no fault&rsquo; divorce happens when both parties agree to separate peacefully.
Available online are websites that work as referral services to a number of lawyers willing to work cheap. Most of these websites provide free forms to start the divorce proceedings along with legal support at a considerably low cost. However, cheap divorces are not for those who require a lot of settlements prior to the dissolution of the marriage such as property, settlements, children, and pet custody. This is important to note since divorce decrees are final and cannot be reopened or changed at a later stage.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce And Family Law</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-And-Family-Law.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:32:00 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-And-Family-Law.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Divorce is one aspect of family law. Family law deals with all the family related issues such as adoption, prenuptial agreements, marriage, divorce, separation, legal separation, annulment, division of the property accumulated during the marriage, alimony, negotiation, domestic violence, adjudication, child custody and support, child abduction, kidnapping or child seizure, emancipation, abuse in the marriage, parental rights, paternity, juvenile, felonies etc., and many such cases related to family. Other than this they also deal with regular cases relating to criminal laws, property related laws, probation law, trusts etc. However, majority of the cases that come to family lawyers are the divorce, separation, abuse or child custody cases. In simpler words, all the domestic litigation cases are filed under the family law.
Divorce is one aspect of family law and so is to be filed in the family law court. Many legal companies specialize in providing advice for family related issues, most common being separation, divorce and child custody and support. Approaching these companies would be advantageous in messy divorce cases. They would be able to handle with expertise all the aspects of divorce and afterward.
Lawyers and attorneys practicing family law are the best with more experience than qualifications. It is amazing how much documentation and negotiation is expected when taking care of a family related case. Along with this the lawyers must be able to support the party professionally, emotionally and morally all the while helping in separating the client from the spouse and in some instances from the children. Also, the lawyers dealing with the family law cases must be aware of the laws in that particular state as family law differs in each state. An experienced and qualified lawyer would be able to make a divorce case less painful and a lot quicker. Lawyers who are experienced in family law and handle all the necessary documentation for the same are also well versed in the divorce proceedings related documentation.
Family law attorneys charge the fee depending on the type of case. In case of divorce, the price can range depending on whether the parties have still some issues pending between them such as property division, child custody, support etc., Most attorney charge either an hourly fee or a flat rate after the case is filed and the court accepts the divorce. However, the best kind of attorneys charge by the hour as there would be less scope of getting fleeced later on after getting a big settlement or alimony from the spouse. These hourly rates can vary depending on the area or state where the case is to be held. Of course, a lawyer in New York, Beverly Hills or Los Angeles would be expected to charge a lot more than a lawyer from a small place in Iowa! Also, it is a usual practice for the attorneys to charge a retainer, as is the case with regular lawyers practicing in other fields of law. If unable to bear the retainer charges, the court can make the spouse bear the retainer charges when the court is requested for counsel fee pedente lite. Pedente lite is a court order for taking financial care of a low income spouse while court proceedings are ongoing.]]></description>
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	<title>How to Behave in Divorce Court</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/How-to-Behave-in-Divorce-Court.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:31:37 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/How-to-Behave-in-Divorce-Court.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[If you or your spouse are unable to agree on the terms of your divorce, everything will be decided by a judge in a final court trial. You have a right to request a jury trial. Most people are familiar with jury trials - where a jury of citizens from your community will decide the issues. But family law courts are overcrowded and overworked. While a jury trial is your right to request, asking for one will give the judge a negative impression of you before your case ever begins. In many states, including Florida, the &ldquo;bench trial&rdquo; is the trial of choice for a divorce case. A bench trial has no jury. The judge serves as the jury and also serves as the judge. The bench trial concentrates all the decision making power in one person, the judge. So in a typical divorce, the judge is the most important person in your life. So it is best to always &quot;play to the judge&quot; throughout your case.
The vast majority of judges are intelligent, compassionate, and concerned with doing the right thing. But judges are human and you must guide your behavior in, and out of court, by how you may appear to another person. From the start of your divorce to the final judgment (and possibly beyond) you must take &quot;the high road.&quot; This means you should act rational and with integrity. Don&rsquo;t act up, or do anything the judge may use in a decision to punish you.
Always tell the truth and do what you promise to do. If your actions don't match your words, a judge will pick up on that. Be the person everyone admires throughout your divorce and the judge will pick up on that as well. A judge will frequently give the benefit of the doubt to a person that appears to be rational and honest. Further, a judge that gives you the benefit of the doubt will go out of his or her way to do the right thing.
However, you must be aware that as human beings, judges can act unpredictably. You may get a certain ruling because the judge &quot;woke up on the wrong side of the bed&quot; that day and you looked like the bad-guy in court. Again, you will always come out best if you maintain a squeaky clean image. During your hearing, avoid appearances of instability. Even if you don't speak during your trial, the judge is probably looking at and evaluating you.
Don't:
&bull; interrupt your attorney every 3 minutes
&bull; glare at your spouse or the opposing attorney
&bull; speak directly to the other party or attorney
&bull; speak to the judge if you have an attorney - unless asked to
&bull; furiously write notes in a compulsive-looking manner
&bull; wear revealing or dirty clothing
The rules strictly prohibit any communication with the judge outside the presence of the other party. So do not attempt to speak to the judge in private. Letters to the judge are also prohibited. All communications with the judge must be conducted in the presence of the opposing party. And in practice, any communications must be done at a mutually arranged hearing in front of the judge. Finally, always be aware your actions and words are being measured and analyzed by a stranger. But in this case, the stranger is a judge and has power over your life and your divorce.]]></description>
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	<title>Divorce Prevention - A Test for the Individual</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-Prevention---A-Test-for-the-Individual.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:31:06 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Divorce-Prevention---A-Test-for-the-Individual.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[As most married couples know, there are natural ups and downs in every relationship, this article does not discuss the regular every day stress related fights and arguments between couples but a more serious situation where both partners are seriously considering divorce or are even at a point of starting a divorce procedure.
Some people do not believe that a broken marriage can be saved, I do not think that this is true, but then again I don&rsquo;t think that anything is impossible, we all know numerous examples of people who have achieved incredible things, sometimes even in desperate situations, so I believe that we humans are capable of almost anything, and I definitely think that saving a marriage or relationship, and preventing a divorce are possible.
The first step in preventing an upcoming divorce is to strengthen the individual, this means that each of the partners needs to go into a phase of self healing and self rebuilding, it is this stage that will have the most effect on the way the partners communicate in the near future. This is the reason that the process of rebuilding your individuality is important, its basically the way that you will position yourself in front of your partner, and it will allow you to reshape your character and the way your partner looks at you.
This is why the first real step should be rebuilding ones inner strength and power, to redefine anything that is of importance to you life, and decide that you are your own person, that whatever may happen to you, successful or failing to save you marriage or anything else you set out to do, you will be determined to be happy, and healthy in your life, that the source of happiness and joy is exterior to relationships and accessible to everyone at any time, this kind of positive thinking will bring results once you believe in it and practice it daily, even a few times a day.
It may sound strange to you at this point, but this is the most important thing you can do for yourself at the moment, your partner is drifting away, and the last thing you want to project is a feeling of desperate need and dependency, this is probably a source of trouble in your relationship anyway, the work should focus on your own, independent happiness, as you work on that and take the time to reflect on the things that are your absolute top priority you will notice that this inner strength can help you reshape not only your character but also your relationships.
Another benefit from this inner self focus is dedicating your thought power and motivation towards getting better, towards happiness, joy and health. The danger of letting the power of the breakup and upcoming divorce events drag you down and obscure your mind from any positive thought and progress is what you should avoid, and what better way to do that than focus on getting better, stronger and healthier?
A good relationship is comprised of two, healthy and happy partners, try and remember this as you work to strengthen your inner self. Good luck.]]></description>
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	<title>What A Divorce Lawyer Is Going To Do For You</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/What-A-Divorce-Lawyer-Is-Going-To-Do-For-You.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:30:43 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/What-A-Divorce-Lawyer-Is-Going-To-Do-For-You.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Getting a divorce is not something anyone looks forward to and it is certainly not something that we plan for when we get married. Unfortunately divorce is a reality for many people in many different situations. If you are getting a divorce or even just considering it then you need to be sure to choose the right divorce lawyer.
You will find many a divorce lawyer in your area but be aware that not all of them are as good as others. You need to have the best divorce lawyer that you can afford when it comes to your divorce. If you don't you could end up paying much more than you though and I am not talking about the divorce lawyer fees. I am talking settlement or even alimony or palimony. Then there is custody to consider if you have children. So take care with your divorce lawyer choice.
When you are trying to get a divorce your divorce lawyer is going to petition the courts to get your marriage dissolved. This means coming to an agreement in terms of all property and money that you as a couple have had possession of. There are several grounds for divorce and your divorce lawyer will help you to choose the grounds that suit your particular situation the best. You will have the choice of adultery, time apart, unreasonable behavior and sometimes even fraud or irreconcilable differences are the way to go. Bottom line is that you should never make any important decisions concerning your divorce without first talking things over with your divorce lawyer. Your divorce lawyer is the professional who has the experience that will help you through this trying time.
What will your divorce lawyer be doing all of the time they are working for you? Your divorce lawyer will spend most of his or her time working on the distribution of conjugal property. How your property is divided will depend on a couple of things. Some of these things will be how much there is to begin with and how much belonged to whom before the marriage, the length of the marriage and the place in which you live. Every country, even every state has its own rules concerning the distribution of property and only your divorce lawyer will be able to help you make all of the right decisions.
Your divorce lawyer is considered to be your legal representation. This means that this divorce lawyer is the person who will often speak for you in court and out of court. Your divorce lawyer needs to be present at every meeting that you have with your spouse&rsquo;s lawyer or your spouse. Never talk about the case without your divorce lawyer being present and on hand. You never know what you could say that could jeopardize your divorce case, it is far better to be safe than sorry.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>Divorce Attorneys</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-Attorneys.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:30:15 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Divorce-Attorneys.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[As with any legal process, the help of a competent and skilled lawyer is vital. This is because a good lawyer can get the best results for their clients. In divorce proceedings, this principle also applies as divorce can be very painful and complicated, which is why there is a need for a lawyer that can help mitigate more pain and complexities through excellent legal advice and good skills. However, getting a good lawyer can be very challenging because apart from the fact that there are a lot of lawyers out there, finding a lawyer that you think can best help you may also require that you would have to talk to a lot of them. However, there is one effective way of &ldquo;shopping&rdquo; for a lawyer, which can give you the assurance that you would be able to get a lawyer that can really help you with your divorce.
Shopping for a lawyer through referrals
One of the best, proven ways to find a good divorce lawyer is to ask a trusted friend or relative who has had a good experience with a good divorce lawyer. This is because by being able to have a feel of how a lawyer works through the first hand accounts of your friend or relative, you would be able to judge right away if their lawyer is the one who can help you. However, you should not just base your decision on their experiences, as you also need to check out the lawyer yourself.
Once you have decided on a number of lawyers that you may be interested in getting, you can now start calling their offices. One of the first things you should ask is the cost of his services, as this can help you eliminate the lawyers who may charge more than you can afford. You can expect to be quoted a rate of $50 to $200 per hour of service. In addition to calling, you may also opt to go to their offices personally so you can get a feel of how the firm or the lawyer would take care of you and your interests.
A divorce is a legal process, and as such, you would need to get good legal advice during the process, which you can get from a divorce lawyer. One of the best ways to find a lawyer is through a trusted friend or relative who may refer you to a good divorce lawyer. This together with doing your own canvassing can help you find the right lawyer for your needs.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
	<title>What You Need To Know About Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/What-You-Need-To-Know-About-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:29:55 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/What-You-Need-To-Know-About-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Going through a divorce or separation is not only painful, but it is a complicated process as well. This is because in most cases, the process of divorce or legal separation boils down to a battle regarding income and assets. As a result, the process is won by the party who employed the right strategy and planning when it comes to the separation of the assets, and the party that did not do his homework is left with huge alimony payments and without a house.
However, this does not mean that a person who goes through a divorce process should always think of sneaky ways to get more than the other party. Instead, this stresses the fact that there is a need to undergo a process of preparation and planning when it comes to the process of dividing the assets to make the process more bearable. Below is a guide on how a person can &ldquo;better&rdquo; prepare for divorce proceedings.
Getting the right lawyer
Divorce is a legal process, and as such, you need to get a lawyer that will represent your interests and who could provide you with good legal advice. For divorce proceedings, the lawyer that is usually contacted is a family or a domestic lawyer. These lawyers have vast experience with regard to divorce proceedings and they are competent with the needed maneuvers that need to be employed to protect the interests of their clients. Given this, it is important to get the help of a competent, skilled divorce lawyer.
Other preparations
On the part of the parties in a divorce, there are some steps they can take in addition to what their lawyers can do for them. One of this is being able to obtain all relevant documents about their finances, which is a very important step since it can provide the information that is needed to reach a settlement. One of these documents includes past income tax returns, which can easily be obtained from the IRS. Parties should also be able to outline the history of their marriage as this can provide their lawyers with the necessary information in addressing issues like fault, the custody of the children and the appropriate support to be provided. This does not only help your lawyer prepare better for the proceedings, but is can also save the parties both time and money.
Going through a divorce is never easy, as it can be both a painful and complex process. However, there are some steps that parties to a divorce can take, such as obtaining all the relevant financial documents that help both the lawyers and the parties to &ldquo;prepare&rdquo; for the battle ahead.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>Should You Have An Attorney For A Divorce?</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Should-You-Have-An-Attorney-For-A-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:29:29 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/Should-You-Have-An-Attorney-For-A-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[If you are thinking about a divorce or your spouse has already filed for a divorce, it is a good idea to get an attorney. This is something that you should do to protect yourself. You will have a lot of questions and you will defiantly need to have answers. You need to be made aware of all the possible outcomes and do what you need to in order to protect your future.
There is always the option of representing yourself in a divorce proceeding. However, this is not always the recommendation. If there are serious questions involved like children or assets, it is better to have the assistance of an attorney. The attorney can represent only one of the parities involved. If you are not able to afford an attorney, the judge may seek assistance for you from your spouse.
One reason to get an attorney for a divorce proceeding is because there may be spousal support involved. This is called alimony. Depending on the length of time you were married, the age and health of the parties involved, and the ability for one of the parties to earn income and maintain the marital standard of living, the court may order support paid by one spouse to another. This is different question from child support.
Spousal support can be for a limited time period or for an indefinite period depending on the circumstances. It can be reviewed if there is a significant change in the circumstances of either the former spouse. If the spousal support question is waived, then the party giving up the support may not ever come back to ask the court to award it again.
You may also want to have an attorney to protect pensions and retirement accounts. Pensions and retirement are marital property and it can be divided in a divorce. They can be given a present value based on the kind of pension and the parties&rsquo; rights to receive an income from that pension. Usually the court system is fair in this decision, but an attorney will fight for your rights and make sure that your side of the fight is heard.
If you are not happy with the attorney that you have hired, you should defiantly talk to them about it. Explain your case and make them understand why you are not happy with their work. If you cannot work out the situation with your attorney, you do have the right to find another attorney at any point in the game.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>Keeping Positive During a Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Keeping-Positive-During-a-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:29:08 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Keeping-Positive-During-a-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[If you are someone that is facing a divorce, you may be feeling very depressed or emotionally in distress. These feelings are very normal. You cannot predict what is going to happen when you get married. Some marriages work and others do not. It is important to understand that this is not the end of the world and things like this happen all the time.
You are not a bad person because you are getting a divorce. If you and your spouse cannot longer get along, there is no reason to live together in a situation that makes you unhappy. You need to worry about your future and the well being of yourself and your children if any. Sometimes a divorce can be avoided with the right consoling and other times, there is just no hope.
You have to keep positive when you are going through a divorce. You cannot let yourself be taken down by what is happening around you. If you are being accused of untruthful accusations, you have to keep strong so that you can defend your name and your reputation.
Do not give up. You have to be able to fight for what you think is right until the end. If you are determined to get something that is rightfully yours, you need to stand up for it. Getting what you want in a divorce is not always possible, but you do have to keep up a good fight for it. You have to make sure that you are doing this so that you can keep up your positive attitude about what it going on.
Keep yourself surrounded by others that are positive as well. Keeping your friends and family around you is important. You need to keep having fun and laughing when you can. This will keep you in a positive atmosphere and keep you ready for what is ahead.
Once the divorce is over and done with no matter what the outcome, you have to be ready to go on with your life. You need to be ready to get on with your future and to make your dreams come true. Your life is not over even if you think that it is. There are always second chances and you deserve to have one. Your time will come for love again and if it does not, you will know that you are better off without the other spouse. You can make it on your own and have a good life.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>How to Protect Yourself from Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Protect-Yourself-from-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:28:49 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Protect-Yourself-from-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[When you learn that you are going to be getting divorced, it may be have been coming for a long time or it may come as a complete surprise. Either way, there are certain things that you can do for yourself, your children, and your finances. This does not mean that you have to take all of your bank accounts and all that you have and wipe them out.
You have to take the responsible interests throughout the marriage so that you can protect yourself and all that you before and after if the marriage ever dissolves. There are ways that you can act reasonably while you are protecting your interests. These are only precautions that you will need to take care of if the divorce is not being ended amicably.
Depending on how well you and your spouse can get along at the time of the divorce, you may choose not to act on some of the suggestions that are given. You may decide that you and your spouse can work arrangements for everything without arguing. Whenever possible, try and make everything go as well and as easy as you can.
You should always get an attorney when you are heading towards divorce. They will make sure that you are taking the necessary precautions so that you can protect what you have and all the assets you have accumulated during the marriage.
Try and protect all of your own personal property that you have accumulated over the years. You need to move papers and documents so that you are the only one that knows where they are. If you must present them at a court hearing then you must do so. However, you need to make sure that you can keep all of your valuables safe so that you have a better chance at keeping them throughout the divorce.
Once of the best things that you can do before you decide to get married, is make sure that you know the person. Get to know them for a long period before you decide to take the big step into marriage. You have to be able trust so that you can feel good about marrying them. Have a long engagement so that you can see if the person changes any. If so, you may want to get out of the relationship before you decide to marry. This could be the best thing for both of you.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>How to Help Children Through Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Help-Children-Through-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:28:27 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Help-Children-Through-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Divorce is a very hard time for everyone to deal with. It can be very hard on a person emotionally and physically as well. This is especially true for children. They have to have the proper help during this difficult time. They need to know and understand that it is not their fault and that both parents still love them very much.
Parents are going to have to work hard at putting aside their anger and hard feelings toward each other. They have to sit down and make an arrangement that will be suitable to them and to the children. This is going too much easier and less painful than having to go into court and have them decide this for you.
You have to be able to pull together with your spouse and help the children. This is the only way to help them through this hard time. If one parent decides to go against their commitment to help their child the responsible way, you should still keep your values as a parent and help them the best that you can.
You should not keep the divorce a secret from the children. You need to tell them when you make your decision and what is going to happen. Try to give them at least a little bit of notice before the parent moves out so that the child can have the time to deal with it and ask questions. Reassure the child that both parents are still going to be there for them and that nothing has changed in that sense.
Do not put blame on anyone when you are talking to your children. Do not put down the other parent in any way. It is important that the children know that they still have two dependable and trustworthy parents to take care of them. Let them know that it was a mutual decision and that you both did your best to avoid this ending.
Make your child aware that they are not going to be able to get the both of you back together. Tell them that there is nothing that they can do to make the situation go away. Also make it clear to them where they are going to live and that they can see the other parent any time they want to. You can tell them that there may be some changes in that later on, but it is not going to affect their relationship. Give them the opportunity to ask you any questions that they may have for you both.
Giving the child the right information and not too much information is important. You do not want them to feel anxious or worry about anything that is not their concern. They have to feel comfortable with the news that you told them and give them some time to adjust to the idea.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>What is a Fault Divorce?</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/What-is-a-Fault-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:28:07 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/What-is-a-Fault-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[There are many reasons for a divorce, and it may be the last choice made by many. In some cases, it can be a decision that is hard for both parties to agree on. They have tried all that they can but they cannot seem to make the marriage work. For this reason it is called a no fault divorce in the courtroom. For other divorces where one or both of the parties have done something to cause the need for divorce, it is referred to as a fault divorce.
A fault divorce may be granted when the proper grounds are there and at least one spouse asks that the divorce be granted on the grounds of fault. Not all states allow fault divorces. There are traditional reasons for fault divorces. Some of them include the following.
Cruelty to one of the spouses is another cause. This is when one spouse will inflict unnecessary emotional or physical pain on the other spouse. This is the most usual cause for divorce. Adultery is another. This is when one of the spouses has an affair on the other spouse. This is another very popular reason why people end up getting divorced with a fault decision.
Desertion can also be determined as a fault divorce. This is when one party leaves the other for a certain length of time. This usually means that one spouse moves out of the home and lives independently or with another person. They will leave the other spouse to live on their own and not want to be with that person anymore.
If a person is confined to prison for a certain number of years, this can mean grounds for divorce by the spouse that is free. They can determine that they want to end the marriage and start the necessary divorce proceedings. Another reason may be if one party has an inability to engage in sexual intercourse, as long as it was not disclosed before the marriage took place.
The reason to choose a fault divorce is because some people do not want to wait. They do not want to have a separation required by their state&rsquo;s law for fault divorce. In some states, a spouse who proves the other person is at fault, this may end up getting them a greater share of the marital property or more alimony. This is why the fault divorce is so popular these days.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>What is a Legal Separation in Divorce?</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/What-is-a-Legal-Separation-in-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:27:47 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce Law</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce-Law/What-is-a-Legal-Separation-in-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[When a couple gets a legal separation, it is a lot like a divorce. It will involve the same process of filing papers with the court to start a legal action. The court will then have to make the decisions about where the children will live, debts, and assets in a divorce. At the end of the process, the parties are legally separated instead of being actually divorced. This means that they are still married but not responsible for each other and what the other party does.
A legal separation is the best thing to do in the last stages of couples not getting along. It can be a way of taking a break and finding out what each party wants. There is no reason to rush into getting divorce for some people and it is a decision that has to be well thought out just as the marriage should have been.
Sometimes when people are on a legal separation, they will try and work things out. However, there are some cases, where it will not work and the parties&rsquo; involved want to get a divorce. One year after the legal separation is granted, one of the parties can petition to convert the separation to a divorce. They can do this without further hearings and the other party cannot prevent it from happening. People will sometimes prefer the separation instead of a divorce because of their religious beliefs or for insurance purposes.
If the party then decides to get a divorce, it will terminate their marriage. In order to do that, parties involved will go to court and decide how to handle questions of the children and how to divide their marital property. Each party is going to be responsible for one half of the marital debts.
Marital property is anything that the couple bought while they were married. It does not matter whose name the property is in or who actually purchased it. Bank accounts, pensions, and stocks are marital property even if they are held in one name only. Property brought into the marriage is still marital depending on the length of the marriage and what type of property it is. The court will be as fair as it can and sometimes the parties involved will make the right choices about being fair in the divorce.
It is always a good thing when a couple can make the appropriate decisions about how things should be split up before actually going to court. Both parties should have attorneys and this will help things progress along without having to worry about any legalities. This is the best way to protect each party&rsquo;s assets and to make sure that the proceedings are fair.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>How to Protect Your Finances for Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Protect-Your-Finances-for-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:26:55 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/How-to-Protect-Your-Finances-for-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[If you think that you will be ending your marriage in the near future and you are uncertain what the future will hold for you, you may want to start taking the right precautions now. You have to make sure that you are protecting your financial security for later.
Reduce unnecessary expenses as soon as you can. Meet with your spouse and agree to cancel utilities and other bills. You will probably need to have money later on and this is a way to save money. Sell off your personal property that you do not need or want anymore. You can do this now to avoid losing it later on.
Cancel all of your jointly owned credit cards. You both should agree to cancel the cards and get separate ones. You need to cancel the cards because the spouse can charge up all kinds of different charge on the cards and you will get stuck paying them back. Canceling the cards now can save you money that you will need to have later on.
You may want to separate the jointly owned bank accounts. If you have bank accounts together, you may want to divide the money first. If not, your spouse may decide to go and take care of the money on their own and leave you with nothing. If you have outstanding bills for the home, explain this to the spouse so that the arrangements can be made to pay for them. If you do open up a different bank account, do it at another bank. Do not stay with the same company.
Stop contributing to combined accounts like 401K and pension plans. Telling your place of employment usually does this. Make the necessary arrangements so that your money is not being added to this account. You have to do this until you find out what will happen to those accounts and who will benefit from them.
Keep your job or try and find one. You have to make sure that you are protecting yourself and able to raise your family. If you are not getting any income from your spouse, you will have to do something to support your monthly needs. You may want to ask your &lsquo;soon to be ex&rsquo; if they can help you financially until the divorce proceedings are over. This is only recommended if you are ending the divorce in a good way. If you are fighting over everything and not getting along, you need to contact your attorney and have them ask for you.]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>Starting Over After Divorce</title>
	<link>http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Starting-Over-After-Divorce.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:26:07 -0400</pubDate>
<category>Divorce</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.Divorce-Domain.com/info/Divorce/Starting-Over-After-Divorce.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Starting over after divorce can be overwhelming. How do you learn to date again? What steps do you take to create a social life? What can you do to start your life over and not make the same mistakes you made in the past?
Men and women lose at least half of their social network when they get divorced. Their relationships with relatives, in-laws, neighbors, work colleagues, and spousal friends all shift and change. It takes determination to start building new social connections when you are alone and starting over.
Here are Five Tips to help you start over.
1. Mourning the loss of a marriage is necessary. Following that, you need to find ways to get positive.
Therapy and counseling can help. Give yourself at least a year to mend. Eventually, there comes a point when you need to change your focus. Think about what you have always wanted to do and where you have always wanted to go. Take one specific talent and polish it. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong in your life, start looking at what you have going for you.
2. Date cautiously.
The danger in the awkward pre-dating state is that you can get into a mini-marriage (a relationship that is exclusive but not committed) before you really know the person. After one or two dates, you could start seeing a person out of habit and loneliness without thinking it through. Then, you will not be available to find the love you have always wanted. When you go out, stay open to meeting lots of people, and try not to get hooked up with just one person yet.
3. Plan your weekends.
When you are alone on the weekends, you are vulnerable. Plan ahead. Call a cousin, or your mother, father, sister, brother, uncles, aunts, or nieces and nephews. You have someone in your life you can take places with you who will not look like a date, no matter what gender they are. Always have a plan for something on the weekend.
4. Find something new to do that you love.
Nothing revitalizes our life like doing activities that we love. When you do this, you will become more attractive, and will find it easier to meet others. What have you always wanted to do and kept putting off? If you don't know where to start, pick up an adult school catalog and plan from there.
5. Visualize.
Before you go to sleep at night and before you start your day in the morning, visualize how you want your day to be. Following that, picture how you would love for your life to look all the time. What do you want to do in your work and what kind of relationships do you want around you? Picture yourself with all the love and attention you want and need.
You can build a new and wonderful life. Starting over starts with taking one step at a time. You can do it!]]></description>
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