How to Land on Your Feet After Divorce

David M. Gabriel & Associates

Divorce takes a toll emotionally, physically, and mentally on everyone involved. It’s not uncommon for individuals going through a divorce to want to curl up in bed all day and abandon all responsibilities. As tempting as this sounds, it’s not practical. In fact, doing so can even make things worse. The first step to landing on your feet after divorce is finding acceptance. Just because you’re making the right decision to split up with your partner, doesn’t mean it’s easy, but accepting your post-divorce life means finding new normals. This will look different for everyone. However, there are several steps you can take to make your new normal as seamless as possible. For starters, get clear on the unknowns. You’ll need to answer questions such as where you will live, what your child custody arrangements will look like, and what your financial needs will be. Answering questions to unknowns will help ease anxiety and allow you to gain a new perspective on your future. To answer these unknowns, you’ll need to create a financial plan with a post-divorce budget. If your ex was in charge of handling finances in the past, this might be daunting; however, managing a budget can be empowering. To start, be realistic about your living situation. The basics of creating a budget involve gathering all of your financial statements. Make a list of all sources of income, including alimony and child support. Make a second list of all outgoing expenses starting with the necessities, such as

If my ex purchased our marital home before we were married, can I request the house as part of my divorce settlement?

David M. Gabriel & Associates

In an ideal situation, you’d work with your ex to divide up assets fairly. Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible. Many couples hire attorneys to negotiate divorce terms on their behalf. Some couples even go to court and ask a judge to divide the marital estate. So the simple answer is yes, you can request the marital home as part of your divorce settlement. A property owned by one spouse at the time of the marriage can become considered marital property by the court and be subject to division as part of the marital estate. The court may consider factors that include both spouses paying the mortgage or other expenses, or contributing toward significant improvements to the property. Divorcing couples may request specific assets during the division of property, but that doesn’t mean their request will be awarded. Massachusetts law requires the division of property in a divorce to be equitable. This means property division must be fair, though not necessarily equal. Massachusetts law allows a judge to divide all property regardless of when it was acquired or which spouse actually owns it. When dividing assets, such as property, a judge will consider the length of the marriage, the present and future needs of any dependent children, each spouse’s income and contribution, and much more. Monetary value will be assigned to the house, along with other assets for a judge to consider. Many couples opt to sell property in order to divide their assets, however, if one spouse wishes to keep the house, they may choose to forfeit other assets

Prenuptial Agreements: What They Are And Who Needs One

David M. Gabriel & Associates

Prenuptial agreements might have a bad reputation from tabloid accounts of celebrity divorces, but these important legal arrangements are for more than the rich and famous. Nor are prenuptial agreements a statement that a couple plans to divorce or otherwise wants an exit strategy. When done right, a prenuptial agreement can help a couple take stock of their assets and set the stage for efficient and open communication about joint finances, thus strengthening the marriage. In essence, a prenuptial agreement enumerates one or both of the partners’ assets and stipulates which of these assets will not become jointly held upon marriage but instead remain individual property. While one of the most common reasons, and the most notorious in pop culture, is to protect an individual’s assets in case of divorce. This is especially important when a couple’s assets are imbalanced; if one partner makes or owns ten times the other’s worth, the assumption of each partner being entitled to half the property at divorce is not fair. Prenuptial agreements, however, have many other uses and can serve the needs of many kinds of people. For instance, a prenuptial agreement can protect one spouse’s assets from the other’s liability. For example, if a woman is a doctor, and her husband owns his own business, they may have a prenuptial agreement as part of an asset protection plan. If the wife is sued for malpractice, her husband’s business is not counted as part of her property, limiting her potential payout amount and

Don’t Fall Victim to Hidden Assets During Divorce

David M. Gabriel & Associates

When it comes to divorce in Massachusetts, everything related to finances must be fully disclosed. This includes every single asset, purchased together or otherwise, as well as all accumulated debts. Each spouse is instructed to report known findings through a financial affidavit. It is against the law to purposely hide, understate, or overstate assets, as well as any marital property, debt, income, or expense. In extreme cases, this can potentially lead to the withholding party being sentenced to serve time in jail. If you suspect your spouse of attempting to hide assets, it’s imperative to retain a divorce lawyer who has significant experience discovering hidden or undervalued assets. A top-notch Massachusetts divorce lawyer will know the tricks used to hide assets and work with forensic accountants, investigators, and other experts to uncover these attempts to mislead the system. Some common methods of hiding assets are outlined below. Overpaying the IRS Spouses who anticipate that their divorces will be finalized during the next tax season have been caught intentionally overpaying the IRS. If undetected, this gives them a way to shelter money and provide them with a head start on the following year’s taxes once the divorce becomes final. Selling Assets to Friends Be wary of transactions made between a spouse and a close friend or confidante. This is a tactic commonly used to hide assets whereby an arrangement is made to return or ‘sell back’ assets following divorce finalization. Delaying Financial Gains It is not uncommon for a spouse expecting

Is it legal to videotape my spouse behaving badly (verbal or physical abuse, infidelity, etc) as evidence in a divorce case?

David M. Gabriel & Associates

As thoughts turn towards divorce, tempers can flare and people may behave in ways they normally would not be proud of, even in a relatively amicable situation. Of course, the bad behavior of a spouse—ranging from neglect of household duties to infidelity to abusive actions—may well have begun long before the divorce, and may well be the reason for it. In seeking a favorable divorce settlement, one that compensates you for violations of the marriage contract and shields you from your spouse’s ongoing bad behavior, you will want to have evidence to bolster your claims. In a world of smart phones, where everyone has both a video camera and a broadcasting station in their pockets, you may be tempted to record your spouse’s bad behavior. In a word: don’t. Massachusetts laws on recording interactions between persons are possibly the strictest in the nation. While many states have “two-party consent” laws, meaning that both (or all) people on a recording must know they are being recorded and consent to it, the Commonwealth takes it a step further. Recording private conversations falls under Massachusetts statute chapter 272, section 99, also known as the wiretap statute. Explicitly instituted as a measure against organized crime, the statute is of theoretical interest to law students because it addresses both police and civilian conduct with regard to recording in the same law. For civilians, there is an explicit ban on recording wire communications (i.e. phone conversations) and a ban on any audio recording by other means

Holiday Custody

David M. Gabriel & Associates

The winter holidays may be the most wonderful time of the year, but they are also a top contender for the most stressful time of the year. Regardless of family structure, holiday gatherings and visits can be contentious. Under the stress of cleaning and cooking and visiting in-laws, even close-knit nuclear families, amicably divorced co-parents, or happily mixed step-families might experience some tension and conflict around this time of the year. Given the stress of preparing for holidays, and the emotions invested in family celebrations, it is more important than ever for there to be good channels of communication about scheduling. When child custody agreements are involved, communication is even more important, especially if custody arrangements or their enforcement have been contentious issues in the past. Many shared custody agreements drawn up as part of the divorce settlements will specify holiday visitation and custody rights for each parent. For example, one parent may have the children for Thanksgiving and New Year’s, with the other parent having Christmas and the surrounding days. In the next year, the parents might swap time periods, following an alternating schedule laid out in the custody agreement. Changes happen, however. A flight back from a visit to grandma might be delayed by snow. A family wedding might be scheduled for the days after Christmas. A teenager with a mind of her own might want to go to a friend’s cookie-decorating party close to mom’s house an hour away, even though dad has custody for that date.

When mediation may be your best option in divorce

David M. Gabriel & Associates

Divorce, while never easy, does not have to be an ordeal. For couples who wish to amicably end their marriages, there are a number of processes available that do not involve a combative mindset and are designed to minimize conflict in favor of compromise. One of the most common processes that aim for a more cooperative dissolution of a marriage is mediation. Mediation is the non-adversarial divorce process most familiar to the general public. In mediation, a couple meets with a third party to discuss the division of assets, custody issues, alimony, and any and all other issues that need to be settled in the course of a divorce. With an agreement in place, the couple files for divorce in the courts. How, then, does a couple choose the best course when seeking to end their marriage without going through a lengthy and costly bout of litigation? While every couple and family’s situation is unique, if your working relationship with your spouse is professional and your separation truly is amicable, mediation may be the best option for you. Mediation has many factors in its favor. With the couple using one mediator, together, it is possible for them to split the costs. Along with a generally lower hourly rate, mediation offers couples more control over the scheduling of sessions and the total time frame of the process than litigation in the courts. Mediation is intended to reduce conflict by encouraging the calm and constructive expression of needs and wants. It is

What is Collaborative Divorce?

David M. Gabriel & Associates

More and more couples, facing divorce or legal separation, are already turning away from contentious court proceedings and long-lived litigation to legal mediation. Yet, there is a third option, separate from litigation and mediation: the collaborative divorce process. This method is only a few decades old, but it already boasts a worldwide network of legal practitioners. Mediation involves a couple meeting with a trained and licensed mediator to work out the terms of their divorce, consulting separately with their respective attorneys and financial professionals as needed. On the other hand, collaborative family law involves the two partners’ attorneys meeting directly and separately from their clients. This approach can be beneficial when clients do not trust themselves to talk directly with each other, or where there is a concern about spousal abuse. The “collaborative” in the collaborative divorce process refers to attorneys working together to create an agreement in the best interest of both their clients. Collaborative family law has a scope beyond that of divorce cases. It can also help cohabiting couples separate, or with post-divorce financial issues that arise such as college tuition or support for adult children. Though it is not widely known in public consciousness, collaborative family law practice is not fringe, nor is it risky. Thousands of families worldwide have benefited from the collaborative divorce process in a way they would not have if they had undergone mediation or litigation. The collaborative divorce process originated in the Midwest United States in the early 1990s. Over the

Divorce

How to Land on Your Feet After Divorce

If my ex purchased our marital home before we were married, can I request the house as part of my divorce settlement?

Prenuptial Agreements: What They Are And Who Needs One

Don’t Fall Victim to Hidden Assets During Divorce

Is it legal to videotape my spouse behaving badly (verbal or physical abuse, infidelity, etc) as evidence in a divorce case?

Holiday Custody

When mediation may be your best option in divorce

What is Collaborative Divorce?

Categories

TAGS

David M. Gabriel & Associates

Is Ready to Help You

Main Office

Salem Office

Burlington Office

Life Complicated? We Can Help

Life Complicated?
We Can Help

Divorce

Categories

TAGS

TAGS

David M. Gabriel & Associates

Is Ready to Help You

Main Office

Salem Office

Burlington Office

Life Complicated? We Can Help

Life Complicated?We Can Help

Life Complicated?
We Can Help