What is Collaborative Family Law?
One of the things I love about Collaborative Family Law is that we get the opportunity to really dig into how we function as people. It’s like the human side of law. Looking at our own values as individuals, as professionals, and how that affects our clients, we as professionals come to understand where clients are in… more
Let’s Own Our Roles
Dear Clients, You may not understand what happens behind the scenes of your case, so I’d like to let you in on the inside view. We work really hard for you. We hear everything you say. We feel your pain. We know this is a trying time in your life, perhaps the most trying time… more
Building Balance in Your Work
Every month, we have opportunities to do things better, be mindful of how we proceed, and build our best life every single day. For me, the most important step is being mindful of the need to build balance. As a busy family law attorney and entrepreneur, it’s easy for me to get caught up in work every minute… more
New Alimony Tax Laws
This year brought new tax laws, following President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In my world, the biggest impact of these new tax laws is how it impacts divorcing couples where alimony is involved. Read about it here. It used to be that when a divorced spouse paid alimony, the payor could claim 100 percent of that payment as… more
A Conversation with Brette Sember: How to Avoid Returning to Court & Other Family Law Kernels of Wisdom
Brette Sember has represented adults, children and adolescents in family law court. She offers a unique perspective on advocating for client needs, empowering them, and supporting their journey from one stage of life to another. From Clarence, N.Y., Brette practiced family law and mediation until her second child was born. She then retired from law and… more
Process: Waiting in Court
So many times, I’ve gone to court on a motion, and I spend a lot of time sitting and waiting. We all do. Clients sit and wait for lawyers to negotiate. Lawyers sit and wait for referee or family counselors to make decisions. Judges wait for referees to make recommendations that judges can rule on…. more
It’s Never Too Late
I met with a client recently who wished he had called me sooner. He hired me for limited scope representation, a new offering in Michigan legal circles. He just didn’t have the right chemistry with the first attorney he worked with. In fact, he felt his attorney didn’t explain things well to him. And even… more
A Jewish Family Law Attorney Reflects on the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting
Have you ever said something, thinking you were clear and focused, only to have the other person in your conversation blow up in response? What did I say, you wonder? Why are they reacting that way? I thought I was simply conveying information. In the world of Collaborative Family Law, we call ourselves peacemakers. We… more
Travels
It’s important to step out of our routine, get away from familiar surroundings to gain a new perspective. This happens for me when I travel, but you don’t have to leave town to gain this important insight. It can be as easy as taking your spouse to the mall and offering to buy some sexy… more
Managing Time
Time management is the bane of my existence. Truly. One of the hardest things is making time to evaluate success and failure, catch up on to-dos, clock in everything you need to do. I struggle with this. Do you? When you feel like you’re always behind the eight ball, there’s always something to do, always… more