Is Your Protective Instinct Backfiring?

By Sharon Strand Ellison and Ami Atkinson Combs The love we feel for our children often prompts strong protective instincts, which can be intensified during the trauma of divorce. We just want them to feel good, safe, and secure. When our children are sad, scared or...

What is all this about Community and Separate Property?

One of the tasks that must be solved by couples going through a divorce is how to divide their assets and debts. A marriage is viewed as a partnership where whatever either spouse earns or creates during the marriage belongs to both. Income, including bonuses, stock,...

Nesting: What is it? Is it right for us?

Perhaps you have heard of parents “Nesting” (sometimes called “Birds-nesting”) while separated or divorcing.  Nesting refers to a transitional arrangement where parents continue to share the family home and take turns being “on duty” with their children.  The children...

I Don’t Know How Much We Spend per Month!

When one is first contemplating leaving a marriage or when one is first told their marriage is ending, panic can set in.  Oh my gosh, will I be able to stay in my home?  Where will I go?  What kind of place can I afford?  Will I have to get a roommate?  All of these...

The Law–Is it the Elephant in the Room?

One of the first things people want to know when they are seriously thinking about a divorce is – what does the law say?  I often hear “I want to be fair, but I don’t know what fair is.”  People tend to think the law will determine what is fair.  However, when they...