A Child Focused Divorce

The Huffington Post posted an article written by Risa Garon, a licensed social worker and Executive director of the National Family Resiliency Center, discussing the needs of children during and after a divorce. Below is an excerpt of the 7 tips she suggests to promote a sane and child focused divorce. Follow this link to  view the full article: www.huffingtonpost.com/risa-garon/7-tips-to-promote-a-sane-_b__1000570.html?vie

1. Understand what therapy is, what goals are and how therapists and clients work to achieve those goals. Choose a therapist you trust and support that therapist in working with your child.

2. Explain the transition in easy-to-understand ways for children; reassure them that they are loved and children can love each parent.

3. Model for your children how you want them to treat you. If you take the time to reach out and listen, you will have the answers

4. Take the money you would have spent on legal professionals in court and distribute to your children's educational accounts.

5. Each parent needs to hear the voice of their children before they make decisions about activities, access, school, religion, etc.

6. Helping parents through transitions is a life-long process. Conflict, violence and hostility don't support children; these behaviors destroy them. Every parent has a choice to take the "high road" and provide for their children the very factors that predict healthy divorce adjustment -- the number one factor being that parents don't put their children in the middle of their conflict.

7. Those of us who are parents know that it takes a village to raise children; it also takes a village to support parents through a healthy transition, one that includes letting go of the hatred, vengeance and retaliation.

(6/25/12)

Getting Divorced?  Suggestions Regarding Your Personal Privacy Especially When Working with Your Divorce Attorney.

Ken D'Angelo of Target Investigations http://www.target-investigations.com/home.html gave these helpful hints during a Law Day program sponsored by the Montgomery County Maryland Bar Association on May 18, 2012. 

1. Create a new Email Address with a unique password for your legal correspondence.
2. Consider purchasing a pre-paid cellphone to use for your legal communications.
3. Do not use cordless or landline telephones at home.
4. Always lock your cell phone, tablet and computer and change the passwords.
5. Use password protected screen savers and turn off computers when not in use.
6. Change passwords for Email accounts regularly and do not use actual words as passwords.
Use long, complex passwords instead.
7. Do not share your cellphone, tablet or computer with others, including your children.
8. Consider using a work or friend’s computer for your legal communications.
9. Turn off all location tracking apps on mobile devices. When in doubt turn it off.
10. Be aware of the use of hidden and computer/IP cameras.
11. Have your mail forwarded to a secure private mail facility or P.O. Box.
12. Separate financial/utility accounts and password protect them.
13. Always lock your vehicle and maintain control of all keys.
14. Be aware of your surroundings, especially when leaving your home or office.
15. Communicate with neighbors and report any suspicious vehicles to the police.
16. Shred unwanted personal papers and place important documents in a secure location. Be
careful what you put in your trash bins.
17. Suspend use of any social networking, IM’ing, chat rooms and/or dating websites.
18. Don’t discuss your legal case with casual friends or outsiders.
19. Consider consulting with a personal security professional regarding any specific concerns.
20. Behave. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want discussed in open court.

Same Sex Couples Can't Get Married in Maryland (yet), But They Can Get Divorced.

                  Even though Maryland does not recognize same sex marriage, the Court of Appeals ruled that a valid out of state same sex marriage should be treated by the Maryland Courts as worthy of divorce.   Jessica Port and Virginia Anne Cowan married in California in 2008, during a time when same sex marriage was legal in that state.   The couple then moved to Maryland and two years later they agreed to mutually separate.   Port filed for divorce in Prince George’s County, and Cowan did not contest the Complaint.   The Judge hearing their case denied the requested relief on the basis that the marriage was “not valid” and “contrary to the public policy of Maryland.”   Both parties appealed the Circuit Court decision.  

“Must the Circuit Court grant a divorce to two people of the same sex who were validly married in another jurisdiction and who otherwise meet the criteria for divorce under Maryland law?” The Court of Appeals answered in a 7-0 decision, yes and remanded the case to the Circuit Court with direction to grant a final divorce.

 http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/coa/2012/69a11.pdf