An amicable divorce is a rare thing. Usually, one spouse feels bitter or vengeful and, without intervention, the court proceedings that follow can degenerate into total warfare. Last year, after many years of working in the trenches of that war, …
The positive impact of mental health counseling is fundamentally dependent on a client’s perceived trust that the information shared will be treated confidentially and will not be shared with others.1 This is especially important for children, whose mental health records …
Somewhere along life’s trajectory—say, toddlerhood?—the fields of interpersonal conflict begin to accumulate fertilizer. Sure, differences of opinion signify healthy individuality. But chances are everyone has experienced an argument as tenacious and devastating as kudzu in a corn field. A good …
Holidays, especially those that are particularly important to their children, can be fraught with emotion and stress for divorced co-parents. Both parents want to share in their child’s activities and enjoyment of the holiday, but it is often difficult for …
Trick-or-Treating with Your Ex: Co-Parenting on Halloween Read more »
Halloween is often overlooked by California courts. It never seems to get the attention that Christmas, Fourth of July or even Labor Day receive. Because people don’t get time off for Halloween, it is often simply forgotten in custody orders. …
Co-parenting on Halloween: How not to make candy night into a nightmare Read more »
With celebrities splitting left and right lately, I decided to ask an expert for the best way for parents to tell their kids they're breaking up. David Arquette recently told shock jock Howard Stern the way he broke the news …
I was recently given a copy of "Making Divorce Work: 8 Essential Keys to Resolving Conflict and Rebuilding Your Life" by Diana Mercer, JD, and Kate Jane Wennechuck, MA. I spent most of last weekend reading it, and finally finished …
Catharine Dugan La Belle is my hero. Not because she fed the homeless or climbed Mount Everest, but because she decided to do everything in her power to have a civil divorce. "I wanted to be a positive influence for …
A MOTHER in the middle of a custody dispute has been caught boasting on her Facebook page how she thought about ripping her husband off for another $20,000. "Felt like being a smart arse," she wrote, signing off "Bwahahaha lol." …
What are couples really fighting about in a contentious divorce? It's not just kids or "things"--frequently it's about the family pet. Five years ago a Pennsylvania judge likened a dog to a lamp or a chair in a "custody" battle. …