Blog | M. Hart Divorce & Family Law

10/14/13

What Happens if I Move Out of the Marital Home Before the Divorce is Final?

If you are thinking about separating or divorcing your spouse, it is common to wonder whether you would relinquish rights to the marital home if you move out. It may very well be healthier emotionally for one of you to move out during this tumultuous time, especially where there are children. You can feel secure in the knowledge that if you do decide to move out, you would...

10/7/13

How To Pay Less for Your Divorce

The age-old question for many going through divorce is “how much will it cost?” While it’s difficult to predict the actual costs with any degree of certainty, below are 3 things you can do to keep the costs from spiraling out of control: 1. Hire a lawyer who is settlement oriented and practices exclusively in divorce and family matters. 2. Become familiar with the marital assets,...

9/23/13

How much does divorce cost?

If you are thinking about divorce or have already started the process, you might be wondering whether this divorce will cost you a fortune as you add up all the dollars being spent – over the course of a seemingly never-ending process. In answer to the question “how much will my divorce cost?” there is both good news and bad news. The bad news first: the...

9/13/13

How Long Does Divorce Take?

If you are thinking about divorce or have already started the divorce process, you might be wondering how long your divorce will take to be finalized. The answer essentially depends on the actions and attitudes of both you and your spouse as well as each of your attorneys. You should first ask yourself how much time, energy and money do you each want to spend fighting over...

9/4/13

What Really Happens In Divorce: Myths vs. Reality

It’s common to feel afraid to get a divorce when there is so much information out there that is, well, just plain scary. It’s like getting to the edge of a cliff and being afraid to jump off. Fortunately, most, if not all of this “information” is simply not true. You might call it pure myth. Some of the most common myths I’ve heard include: I will have...

8/18/13

Need Strength? Tap the Power of Community

When facing an extremely stressful life-changing event like divorce, it’s common to feel scared and isolated. You might ask yourself how you can hold on to the strength to keep going each day. Community is the glue that can help you hold it together. What is a community – the kind that can provide strength, support, courage and companionship? It’s where each member shares a...

8/9/13

Behave Yourself – Your Children are Watching: Co-parenting with Your Ex

It’s common to feel anger, resentment, and hurt towards your ex. Your child’s happiness and sense of security, however, could be at stake unless you are able to successfully separate these negative feelings from how you behave in front of and towards your child. Remember, children are like sponges. They are constantly watching and absorbing what we do and how we relate to others. This...

8/1/13

What Does Your Marriage or Relationship Say About You?

Believe it or not, you can tell a lot about how you feel about yourself by looking at the people that you spend the most time with. For many of you, this is likely to be your spouse or significant other. When you feel good about yourself, your spouse or significant other generally tends to reinforce that feeling by his or her actions and behavior. Even though there might...

7/24/13

How to Keep Fear from Getting in the Way of What You Want in Your Divorce

The divorce process can be overwhelming and scary because many– if not most – going through it simply don’t know what to expect. Rather than stay stuck in fear, however, there are certain actions you can take to feel more in control and focus on achieving what matters most to you. First, decide on your primary goals and list them. Do you want your children...

7/17/13

Get the financial information you need to settle your divorce case

It is very important that you have full knowledge of the marital income and assets so that a fair divorce settlement can be achieved. Therefore, in a typical divorce case, the process of “discovery” allows you or your lawyer to obtain this information from your spouse with such tools as Interrogatories, Requests for Documents, or Depositions. The danger of relying on your spouse to disclose...