Forbes Wants You to Have a Dog

An electronic article in Forbes Magazine Online raised my concern: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefflanders/2014/04/17/how-are-pets-handled-in-divorce/

Thankfully, Forbes is encouraging its readers to think long-term and consider the business of divorce rather than the emotional fighting that sometimes occurs. Of course, the article details the numerous courts and litigants who want the Judge to decide who gets fluffy and who gets visitation with Fido.

Too many decisions are left to the Judge when there are ways for people to make their own decisions, with help of counsel of course! Collaborative Divorce or Conscious Uncoupling is a Great Place to Start. Visit http://www.collaborativepractice.com/ to learn how this might be right for your family.

There are even websites tailored to Men and Women considering divorce such as: www.Divorceformen.us and www.dadsdivorce.com or http://www.womansdivorce.com/ and http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/divorceadvicepolls/a/adviceforwomen.htm

My favorite magazine, The WEEK ran an article for Men getting a divorce titled: 8 financial tips for men getting a divorce.  http://theweek.com/article/index/250324/8-financial-tips-for-men-getting-a-divorce

Suggestions include: Don't be afraid to pay Alimony. Don't be Afraid to Ask for Alimony! If you haven't read The WEEK, this article is a great example of why you should be reading The WEEK every week.

Some websites target women by featuring books that imply divorce should be a hard fought battle. One book, Divorce: Think Financially, Not Emotionally® – What Women Need to Know About Securing Their Financial Future Before, During and After Divorce, by Jeff Landers, even promises you will learn how to:

Avoid the top mistakes divorcing women make

Shore up your financial position so you enter the divorce process prepared

Choose between regular alimony or an up-front, lump-sum alimony payment

Decide whether to keep your marital house – and how to do so if it makes sense, financially

Protect your business, intellectual property and personal assets

Divide your assets in a way most favorable to you, from a tax and financial point of view

Disinherit your husband

Determine whether your husband is hiding assets

Build a qualified divorce team

You can even download and preview a chapter at http://thinkfinancially.com/book/!

By using language like "Devastating Mistakes" and "Where Husbands typically hide assets" this guy just wants to scare you into buying his book.

There is a better way!!!

Men and Women benefit from Collaborative Divorce. More importantly Children and Families benefit from "Conscious Uncoupling" as Collaborative Divorce is now being described.

Men Only Divorce Firms - Is this a good idea?

One of the many feeds I follow asked the question, "Men Only Divorce Law Firms

What does this mean for the practice? For children?"

 

Responses varied but routinely agreed this MARKETING STRATEGY was INEFFECTIVE in helping families in general and men in particular.

 

I tend to agree. While I have represented many Men in divorces, with much success, I have never limited my practice to me or advertised as a "Men's Divorce Firm."

 

Representing only one side consistently produces inconsistant results and may lead the court to believe an attorney does not truly represent his client's "best interests" but is merely stating the Same Position Again.

 

Effective advocacy requires understanding the Court's view of each Individual family situation. In one family, full-time parenting by Mom OR Dad may be in the children's best interests; however, in a somewhat similar situation, Shared Parenting by both Dad and Mom, with an Equal Timeshare may be the most appropriate Parenting Plan. Having an Open and Objective viewpoint and legal knowledge of the issues at hand are imperative to competently representing a client in a Family Law matter.

 

Attorney Eileen Fein writes:  Some attorneys have noticed that on average, men make more money then women and can pay more fees.. Firms that represent only men tend to market to "men's rights" . and represent mostly angry men. Great strategy for making money. Not so good for families. I think it actually does a disservice to their client in that once the attorney gets that reputation, everyone (including Judges) understand that and the client is negatively typed before he gets a chance to do it himself.      (emphasis added)

 

Another, Jeffrey Wasserman writes: Family Law is what we practice. We do not practice men's or women's law. If you pigeonhole yourself by representing just one side, you can lose perspective on the family as a whole. I have gained a tremendous amount of insight by continually representing both sides and would encourage family lawyers to maintain an open an objective point of view regardless of which side you might represent.      

 

When you have Family Law questions, please call me at 407-645-3297 or visit my website at www.aubreylaw.com . You may also send me an email to aubreylaw@gmail.com 

 

I look forward to hearing from you. Aubrey