Blog | M. Hart Divorce & Family Law

6/11/18

Six Scientifically Proven Persuasion Strategies To Help You Get What You Want In Your Divorce Agreement

Your divorce is likely to go much quicker and more amicably if you negotiate directly with your spouse on such essential issues as child custody, spousal and child support, and division of marital assets. By the same token, you’re more likely to get what you want by using scientifically proven principles of persuasion. In the New York Times Bestseller, Below are the six principles and how you...

6/4/18

Simple Divorce Checklist for a Quicker and Less Costly Divorce

Divorce can be one of the most difficult life experiences, particularly when you don’t know what to expect. You can maintain greater control of the ultimate outcome, minimize legal fees, and speed up the divorce process by taking these two actions when considering divorce. Consult with a competent family law attorney to find out what to expect. Consult with a competent lawyer that concentrates in...

5/31/18

The Surprising Secret to Successful Relationships: It’s Not What You Think

We The secret is cultivating the art of listening. And anyone can do it. As the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus said: “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Listening is a lost art these days. Listening is at the heart of close relationships with others. Unfortunately, in today’s environment, it’s becoming more and more...

5/21/18

12 Most Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring a New Jersey Divorce Attorney

One of the most important decisions you will make in separation or divorce is selecting the right attorney. Not all divorce lawyers are created equal. Your selection should be made very carefully because the divorce lawyer you choose can profoundly affect the course of your life and your children’s lives, now and for years to come. The lawyer you choose is charged with safeguarding your...

5/14/18

Three Ways to Negotiate and Preserve or Improve Personal Relationships (Even if You’re Not Involved in Divorce)

I often write in my blogs about how divorcing spouses can save much time and money by reaching divorce agreements out of court. I emphasize that Below are 3 ways to negotiate and preserve or improve key relationships (even if you’re not involved in divorce): Identify limiting core beliefs that distort thinking. Most of us carry around a variety of limiting core beliefs about...

5/10/18

Three Consequences to Consider before Moving Out of the Marital Home During Divorce

If you and your spouse have decided to divorce, before your divorce is final, consider these three consequences before moving out of the marital home: If you have children, make sure you have a custody and parenting time agreement in place. Otherwise, you could unintentionally create a new status quo where you have less parenting time. You would likely be obligated to continue to contribute...

4/30/18

Two Alternatives to Paying Alimony and Three Key Actions to Take When the Federal Alimony Tax Deduction is Eliminated

If you are separated or considering divorce in New Jersey, you might be concerned about potentially being obligated to pay alimony to your spouse, especially in light of the new federal tax law. Significantly, for divorce agreements executed Therefore, instead of risking a costly outcome by the court, you might negotiate with your spouse for an alimony “buy-out” or disproportionate distribution of marital assets...

4/20/18

The Surprising Key To An Amicable Divorce

Divorcing spouses can save much time and money by reaching divorce agreements out of court on all issues related to the marriage, including asset allocation, custody, child support, alimony and more. After over 20 years of practicing family law, I’ve learned that the root cause of divorce is long-term miscommunication or lack of communication and disconnectedness. Ironically, the same communication difficulties that existed during the...

4/10/18

Separated or Considering Divorce? What You Must Know About the New Federal Tax Law

In December 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 into law. If you’re separated or considering divorce, the new federal tax law can have a major impact on your divorce settlement negotiations. While tax law changes relevant to divorcing spouses include home mortgage and home equity loan interest, attorney fees, IRA contributions, child dependent exemption, child tax credit, and 529 Plans,...

4/3/18

Is It Better to Postpone Divorce Until the Children are Older?

It’s very common for parents to postpone divorce until the children are older, perhaps after they’ve finished high school and are off to college. Many believe that it’s better for the children to stay in an unhappy marriage than subject them to divorce. Understandably you’d want to avoid uprooting your children from the only life of family, friends, and home that they’ve ever known. Therefore,...