The Mediation Confidentiality Privilege: How Broad Is It? When you seek to resolve a dispute through mediation, one of the reassurances you will often receive from counsel is that “all mediation communications and documents are privileged.” On its face, this seems to indicate that any documents produced for purposes of the mediation may not be subject to disclosure in subsequent litigation. But … [Read more...]
Important Questions to Ask about Whether You Want the House in a Divorce
Knowing Why You Want the House in a Divorce Though divorce can sometimes feel like war, it’s not supposed to be a competition, with a winner and a loser. Unfortunately, many parties treat it that way, particularly with respect to property. The perception is often that the party who takes home the most property is the winner, and that award customarily goes to the person who keeps the marital … [Read more...]
Managing Your Emotions During a Divorce Proceeding
Keeping Your Emotions from Derailing You during a Divorce Divorce has been called “the living death.” You have many of the consequences you would have had, had your spouse passed away. But they’re not gone. In fact, for many, you have regular contact with them, as you shuttle minor children back and forth between custodial and non-custodial parents. The emotions that you experience during a … [Read more...]
Hidden Assets — Is It Really Possible to Find Them in Divorce?
All too often during a divorce, one of the spouses is not playing it straight when it comes to assets. They stash cash in the hopes of keeping it from their soon-to-be ex. They lie, they cheat and they don’t want their schemes to be revealed. However, there are ways to search for and find hidden assets. First, there is such a thing as a forensic accountant. These are individuals whose … [Read more...]
Animal Custody — an Emerging Area of Family Law
People who live with dogs, cats, birds and other nonhumans consider those animals part of the family. They often even consider their animal as their child. So who gets to keep the family pet when a couple divorces, and how do you come to a fair decision on this critical issue? According to a recent American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers survey, some 27 percent of attorneys have seen the … [Read more...]
Setting Yourself Up For Success After Divorce
It’s been said that how you separate and divorce is how you move into the next phase of your life. So, what’s in the way of your experiencing success in your personal and professional life after your divorce? Many times, a divorce can shake the very foundation of a person’s life. Many people are drained, physically, emotionally and spiritually, after a breakup. You need to rebuild. You need to … [Read more...]
Contested vs. Uncontested Divorce in Texas
If you haven’t been able to get along in your marriage, it may seem unlikely that you will be able to work together to end your marriage. There can, however, be significant advantages, if you can find a way to resolve your differences amicably. This blog post looks at the advantages and disadvantages of contested and uncontested divorce proceedings in Texas. At the office of Len Conner & … [Read more...]