Domestic Violence Series: What is Battered Woman Syndrome, and how can you help?
Thursday, January 31st, 2019
Battered Woman Syndrome is recognized in the psychological community as a subcategory of post-traumatic stress disorder. Women experiencing this syndrome often show shame, guilt or a false sense of responsibility for the abuse they have endured, in addition to typical PTSD symptoms; so, it is typically treated as a more complex form of PTSD. Women […]
Read More »Domestic Violence Series: Resources for Leaving an Abusive Relationship
Thursday, January 31st, 2019
There are many reasons that someone facing domestic violence may remain in an abusive environment, be it from a romantic partner, close friend or a family member. In fact, people in the midst of an abusive relationship might not even be fully aware that what they are experiencing “qualifies” as domestic violence or abuse. This […]
Read More »Closure After Divorce: A Unique Celebration
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019
Divorces are rarely pleasant experiences, but there can be benefits after the successful conclusion of a divorce (and even, for some, reason to celebrate). The obvious benefits is that (one way or another) the disputes between the parties are resolved… either by agreement or by a court order. There is a limbo that many people […]
Read More »Avoiding Conflict as a Step-Parent
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019
According to statistics maintained by the Step Family Foundation, 1300 new stepfamilies form every day in the United States. Over 75% of divorcees remarry, and of those families 2/3 have minor children. The children of these blended families shuttle back and forth between the two families’ homes, creating an additional layer of complication to traditional […]
Read More »How to Lower Divorce Costs
Tuesday, January 15th, 2019
Every day, we get a call from a potential client asking about the cost of a divorce. Of course, the answer is always “it depends.” However, we’re happy to advise our current and future clients on ways they can try to lower their costs during the legal process. Here are some of our best […]
Read More »Literacy in Juvenile Detention Centers
Tuesday, January 15th, 2019
According to a November 2015 article in The Tennessean, roughly 2,500 children and teenagers from across Tennessee come through Knox County’s juvenile detention center each year. Juvenile inmates are accused of all sorts of crimes, some as serious as murder and others as (relatively) minor as shoplifting. Some of these inmates stay at the center […]
Read More »Do High-Cost Weddings Create High-Quality Marriages?
Thursday, January 3rd, 2019
“Crazy Rich Asians” is a recent movie depicting various family members attending a lavish wedding in Singapore. In the United States, with the average age of first time marriage parties increasing, the average cost of weddings is also increasing. What do these high-cost weddings say about the bride and groom? For some, the expense of […]
Read More »What’s an Order of Protection, and is it the same thing as a Restraining Order?
Thursday, January 3rd, 2019
An Order of Protection is an Order that either directs the defendant to stay away from you entirely and/or directs them to refrain from certain behavior if they do come around you. These are different from “restraining orders” because they only apply to certain parties and have varying levels of severity. Many people believe you can […]
Read More »Tax Changes and Divorce Planning
Saturday, November 10th, 2018
We’re entering a “new era” of divorce planning because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. Rose Swanger, CFP®, RICP®, CDFA®, EA explains, “for new divorces that are finalized after Dec. 31, 2018, all alimony payments will be treated like child support payments, which are not deductible. Before, the alimony payor could deduct the amount of their alimony […]
Read More »What’s Our Firm’s Success Rate at Trial?
Friday, November 9th, 2018
We often get asked what our success rate is, or how many cases we win versus lose. It is a complicated question for any lawyer to answer. Here’s why. We first have to define what it means to “win” a case. Many people define a “win” as getting everything they asked for. But a divorce, […]
Read More »