Written By: Helen Honorow The American Institute of Stress ranks going through a divorce as the second most stressful life event. The only thing more stressful is the death of a spouse. Both spouses in a divorce have fears about what will happen next. They are unsure of what their life will be like after …
Category: Articles
Collaborative Divorce an Alternative To Adversarial Divorce
Written By: Karen Ela Kenny & Ann Conway There has been much discussion about the adverse experiences of divorce litigants and the NH court system. Collaborative Divorce is an alternative to court and is practiced in New Hampshire. The process was codified in our statutes in October 2021 (N.H. RSA Section 490-J) for citizens to use …
What is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™)?
Written By: Kristina George, CPA, CFP, CDFA Divorce is an extremely turbulent, stressful, and emotional process during which people are tasked with making some of the most important financial decisions of their lives. For better or worse, the reverberations from these financial decisions will impact them for years (if not decades) into the future. So …
Privacy in the Collaborative Process
Written By: Jane M. Schirch, Esq. Many people choose to engage in the collaborative process for many reasons. One of the reasons I hear over and over again from clients that have chosen this process is that it allows them to maintain privacy and confidentiality of their intimate family conflicts. In the traditional divorce process, …
Why a Collaborative Agreement is Better than a Court Order
Written By: Katherine J. Morneau, Esq. There are many reasons individuals seek a collaborative process for their divorce. One of the major benefits of a collaborative divorce is that the agreements are much more comprehensive and tailored to your needs than a Court Order. What happens when a Court makes the Final Orders? When people …
Prenups Can be the Answer
Written By: Sally J. Boyle Why are more and more millennials seeking Prenups before marrying? A prenuptial agreement or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple prior to marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the legal rights that they would acquire upon marrying, and …
Collaborative Financial Neutrals Help with Difficult Issues
Written By: Jill Boynton, CFP I worked as a Financial Neutral on a collaborative divorce case several years ago involving a high-earning wife and low-earning husband (we’ll call them Louise and Roger.) Roger acknowledges that he could be earning more if he went into sales, which he is good at, but it gives him no …
Adult Children of Divorce – Easy to overlook!
Written By: Ann Conway When we think of adult children and the divorce of their parents, I am troubled by the idea that a lot of people may assume that they can deal with this better than younger children. We focus on Parenting Plans that assure time with each parent for younger children, but for …
Why the Collaborative Divorce Process is better for Children
Written By: Karen Ela Kenny, LICSW Therapists have long known that children whose parents have divorced will do better when their parents are able to remain emotionally strong and supportive for their children. Divorcing parents who can co-parent in a respectful manner help their children adapt more easily to a stressful time in the family’s …
Splitting College Expenses Between Divorcing Parents
Written By: Catherine McKay & Jill Boynton One of the most difficult challenges families face is paying for college. Although it is wise to save for college in a 529 Plan or other type of financial investment, not many families find that they are able to contribute much to these accounts while paying for the rest …