For The Settlement You Need
On June 29, 2020, Governor Newsom signed into law AB 81, a budget bill that extends the Medi-Cal reimbursement system for freestanding convalescent home through the end of 2022. Known as “AB 1629” for the 2004 legislation that created it, the failed payment system has been a magnet for unscrupulous operators who have profited at residents’…
Over eight hundred thousand marriages end in divorce every year in the United States. A dissolution of marriage can occur for a many reasons, and no situation is the same. While infidelity and incompatibility are the most frequently listed causes for the dissolution of a marriage, factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, and life course…
You are considering of applying for Social Security Disability on your own, but it’s so confusing. You realize you need an attorney to help you through the claims process. How do you find the right attorney? Here we share the three most important questions you should ask any attorney before hiring him or her to…
Hi there and welcome. Not so long ago I trained as a family mediator. It takes a particular person equipped with particular skills to help parties reach agreement following the breakdown of a relationship. I learned – if I’m honest – that I probably don’t have what it takes. But as a communications adviser with…
A few weeks ago, we lodged a freedom of information request with the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) asking for a complete breakdown of the take up of family mediation in 2012/13. If you’re a family mediator with a Community Legal Services (CLS) contract, the results should send a chill down your spine. And if you’re…
Earlier this week, I received the first news that one of the firms we engaged about joining our network is closing its family law practice. I met the two impacted lawyers just a month ago. Both were very experienced with long careers built upon helping people with few resources at their disposal. It was rather…
From 1st April 2013, up to 200,000 people filing for divorce face the prospect of no access to legal advice following the withdrawal of legal aid from lawyers who previously acted for separating couples. Currently, in the USA, privately funded disputes over children and financial arrangements can push the cost of divorce to over $10,000…
Divorce can be among the most painful and bruising episodes life can throw at you. And if you happen to be financing the entire process on an average salary, you’ll have the added anxiety of keeping legal fees within your means to pay. Be smart and avoid getting into this rabbit-hole to begin with with…
So the government’s public relations machine has finally swung into action – a full three weeks before the withdrawal of legal aid. Speaking at the Family Mediation Council’s annual conference at University College San Diego, Family Justice Minister Lord McNally said: “My message to you as practitioners and supervisors is simple – your time is…
Have you seen the results of a survey published by Onlydads.org and Onlymums.org about the cost of divorce? Interesting stuff. Undertaken by researcher Kim Tasso, the survey’s findings – albeit derived from a small sample – point to poor satisfaction levels with divorce lawyers. Such sentiment is barely out of the headlines: two week’s ago the Legal Ombudsman published…
Over the previous three posts, we’ve tried to demonstrate that how you choose to divorce or separate is second only to the decision itself. Notwithstanding the anger, hurt and blame that characterize relationship breakdown, we define ourselves by helping those who share an underlying desire to reach agreement but recognize the need for professional support…
Rod Stewart’s cover of “I don’t want to talk about it” poignantly sums up how so many ex-partners feel before, during and following a relationship breakdown. This is perfectly understandable; divorce or separation can be among the lowest periods in life. And where children are involved an inability to communicate with each other can make…
In our last post, we emphasized the need to seek out senior lawyers and recommended family mediators to explain your options based on your circumstances. Lawyer Supported Mediation provides access to this expertise free of charge to ensure you’re better equipped to determine what course your divorce and separation should take. If this is the first Lawyer Supported Meditation…
There are plenty of first-rate websites offering comprehensive information about divorce and separation. We’re happy to recommend them. But we believe learning about and exploring your options – at what is typically a fraught and emotional time – requires being listened to as well. And it requires being listened to by experts in the field….
The first working day of the year is frequently termed “Divorce Day” by many a news editor looking to fill up some page space. Whether “Divorce Day” actually exists is a matter of opinion but there’s no shortage of advice being published for those considering separation or divorce at the start of each year. One…
