Location
7700 Irvine Center Drive,
Suite 800
Irvine, CA 92618
Posted on 12/19/2021 at 02:00 PM
It is often said that the dominant culture of divorce is an adversarial one. A culture where winning and losing is the name of the game and that divorce is war. Family attorneys most often identify with the litigation community. If family litigation is the prevailing divorce culture then the family mediation community is a counter culture.
The way one identifies with a community or culture is to look at the following factors: 1) How do the members of the culture or community behave; 2) What do its members believe, and 3) To what organizations do they belong?
The members of the Family Mediation Community behave in a manner that fosters consensual and amicable decision making. They act in way...
Read morePosted on 11/08/2021 at 01:20 PM
Many people will advise divorcing couples to rely on their attorneys and the Judge assigned to their case to obtain the best result in their divorce proceedings. Divorcing couples and their well meaning friends and family members may believe that the court will be the best place to solve all of their family law disputes and that magically the Judge will know what to do in their case and will grant them all their wishes in the divorce. Like Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion who are "off to see the Wizard" and travel to the Emerald City because they are certain the Wizard of Oz will provide them all they desire, divorcing couples go to the Courthouse eager to present th...
Posted on 09/12/2021 at 10:12 AM
Many of us learned the gymnastic term the “twisties” this week when the news broke that world-renowned gymnast, Simone Biles, had withdrawn from the women's all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics. “I just don't trust myself as much as I used to," Biles told reporters in Tokyo and she stated that she “wanted to focus on her mental health.”
Apparently, getting “the twisties” is a gymnast’s biggest nightmare. The twisties are described as a mysterious phenomenon -- suddenly a gymnast is no longer able to do a twisting skill he or she has done thousands of times before. Elle Reeve, a CNN reporter who used to compete in gymnastics said the twi...
Read morePosted on 07/28/2021 at 01:30 PM
Many divorce litigation attorneys are highly skilled and knowledgeable about family law and may be Certified Family Law Specialists. Litigation attorneys often reassure their clients that they will fight for them and secure all they are entitled to in the divorce. A spouse going through a divorce will often find that their litigation attorney is comforting, caring, and understanding, but litigation attorneys like the great boxing champion, Mohammed Ali, are trained to fight. They may look like butterflies, but they can sting like bees.
Attorneys are first trained to fight in law school, where they learn how to persuade, negotiate, apply pressure, and use the strength of the law to convince a ...
Read morePosted on 07/14/2021 at 03:52 PM
Most couples marry without a prenuptial agreement; however, even if the couple does not create a prenuptial agreement, they are in essence getting a prenup when they marry, because the entire family law code is now imbedded in their relationship. Couples who marry in a community property state have in essence formed a partnership with terms that were never negotiated. Other than the parties’ mutual agreement to marry and their wedding vows, there is usually no specific “meeting of the minds” on the specific terms and conditions of the marital relationship. Their marital agreement is also going to be impacted by societal values, norms, and laws that often change during the...
Read morePosted on 06/25/2021 at 04:47 AM
If you are divorcing and have avoided litigating with your spouse by using mediation to resolve your divorce you have given yourself and your children a gift that keeps on giving. It is a gift that demonstrates your ability to put your family first. It is a gift that will empower you to make wise decisions and control the outcome of your divorce. Mediation is a gift that allows you to preserve your finances so that your retirement and your children’s college fund will remain intact after the divorce. It is a gift that will give you skills that you can use to resolve the inevitable conflict that will arise with your ex-spouse as you co-parent in the future. Be sure and share the gift ...
Read morePosted on 06/19/2021 at 07:52 AM
As children most of us heard the saying “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Perhaps the author of this ditty wanted to teach their child that kids who bully and say mean things can only hurt you if you let them, or maybe the point was an attempt to encourage “toughness” and to “turn the other cheek.” However, we all learned early on that the words we speak and the words that are spoken to us can hurt us.
A more accurate version of this saying is found in a poem by Ruby Redfort:
Sticks and Stones
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can also hurt me.
Stones and sticks break only skin, while words are ghosts that ha...
Posted on 06/11/2021 at 09:14 AM
Marriage counselors often talk about how couples repeat the same "dance steps" when they argue. It is common for couples who are divorcing to have developed some bad communication styles, and they may have engaged in these styles for so long that they are now habitual. A marriage counselor may try to teach couples new dance steps to save their marriage and handle conflict. Unfortunately, if the couple continues to be stuck in old patterns of conflict, these destructive patterns do not get any better when they divorce.
Destructive Divorce Dances
THE LIMBO
Characteristics
How Low Can You Go?
THE MACARENA
Characteristics
Posted on 05/29/2021 at 10:34 AM
Whether the parties have agreed to sell the Family Residence, or one spouse is going to “buyout” the other spouse’s marital interest in the home they will want to consider the following before they negotiate the final settlement terms and conditions regarding the disposition of the Family Residence:
• Are they emotionally ready to negotiate with the other party?
• Have they gathered sufficient legal and financial information for wise decision-making?
• Have they generated options based on the total marital estate and incorporating a global perspective?
• Have they had sufficient opportunity to consider the input of financial advisors and real estate professi...
Posted on 05/20/2021 at 06:51 PM
When you commit to a cooperative mindset, choose a sensible dispute resolution model and assemble a team of divorce professionals to guide you through the process, you and your spouse will be empowered to make wise decisions regarding the termination of your marriage.
Call now to schedule an initial consultation with one of our Mediators.
Secure a bright future for your family.
7700 Irvine Center Drive,
Suite 800,
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone. 949.788.2992
Fax. 949.788.2993
Email. terri@breerlaw.com