Family Mediation LLP

The New York Times Real Estate Section ran a piece 4/10/11 entitled “Avoiding Refinancing Costs After Divorce.” Many mediation clients co-own a home and must negotiate the division of what is often the most valuable asset of the family. In so doing, a consideration is whether one party can refinance a mortgage in his or [...]

What are some of the latest tools parents are negotiating into their mediated agreements?  Just like revolutionaries who are finding  innovative ways to use technology in their quest for true freedom, so too can embattled parents find Twitter, Facebook, Skype, et. al.  remarkably effective tools for  connecting with children and for communicating with each other.   [...]

Yesterday’s NYT featured an article about an orthodox Jewish couple who have been divorced for several years and have a young child.  The Husband is an aide on the House Ways and Means Committee and has refused to grant his ex-Wife a religious divorce, known as a GET.  Apparently, a Judge ordered an untenable visitation [...]

There’s been much to report on in the world of divorce journalism.  First off — the Huffington Post has just added a divorce column filled with a range of advice from experts and insight from divorced parties.  And we are happy to report, we too will be part of the conversation —  of course from [...]

Happy Labor Day!  The end of the summer has brought lots and lots of mediation and divorce law items in the news. Here are two pieces to check out.  We’ll update with more after the holiday…. -NPR ran a piece last week on the Mideast peace talks.  The transcript is here:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129609437 And we highlight [...]

Yesterday, Governor Patterson signed into law no-fault, bringing NY up to speed with the rest of the nation.  He also signed the temporary post-marital income bill and the counsel fees bill.  We are anxious to see how (and when) these three important steps are implemented.

Married for life – yes, but separated too?  Pamela Paul writes about couples who decide to avoid the messiness of divorce and opt instead for a lifetime apart.  Many do so for financial reasons:  tax advantages, health insurance and  social security benefits, others out of friendship.  Whatever the cause, we mediators see this among older [...]

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in Boston.  DOMA, signed into law by Bill Clinton, severely restricts the rights of gays and lesbians. across the country.  For example, unlike their heterosexual counterparts, they are denied full faith and credit under the law, so if a marriage is [...]

In today’s Science section of the New York Times, Tara Parker-Pope writes about the benefits of marital counseling and the general cultural resistance to it. In fact, the majority of divorcing couples never even try it.  In our practice, we consistently notice that those who have had counseling prior to mediation bring a deeper understanding [...]