If you have a prenuptial agreement (“prenup”), the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), now in effect, may have a serious negative impact, especially those prenups setting forth the amount of spousal support, also known as alimony or maintenance, in the event of a divorce. As many of you probably know, one major change […]
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and Divorce
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is expected to be signed into law before the end of 2017. Regardless of your political view, there are sweeping changes that will almost certainly affect your finances. This article looks at one very small, but significant, change that is likely to become part of the final legislation. Under […]
Practical Questions to Ask Before Divorce
Practical Questions to Ask Before Divorce By Jonathan Leinheardt It should be no surprise that one of the tensest areas of any law practice is divorce, also known as “family law.” Because it is so stressful, many divorce practitioners find that a prospective client may not even know the appropriate questions to ask when prospect […]
Exercising Reasonable Emotion: Knowing When to Walk Away from Personal Property Arbitrations
Your divorce is finalized: the court has heard your testimony and the arguments of your lawyer and has divided the real property, bank accounts, and other major assets you owned jointly with your spouse. All that remains to divvy up is your marital personal property, such as furniture, sporting equipment, artwork, jewelry, and other personal […]
So You Are Thinking About Divorce…
If you have started to think about divorce, you should be starting the groundwork early. Even if you decide to not pursue a divorce now, these are steps that can help you gain clarity about your own financial and personal life. Gather information: Knowledge is power. Many times, one spouse is in charge of the […]
Justice and the Law
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. What is a lawyer’s responsibility: to “win” or his or her client, or to achieve “justice?” Every client carries his or her own expectation of success in a legal matter. Some clients deemphasize pursuing justice, choosing instead to focus on winning a […]
A Baker’s Half Dozen; A Few Things to Know about Divorce
When in the swirl of a divorce, things might seem more than a little crazy. It is often a trying, draining, emotional time. And so, a few words from the trenches, guideposts before entering the arena of what can be one of life’s more stressful undertakings. 1. Punishment is not the goal. The goal […]
Valuation and Division of Employee Stock Options in Divorce
An employee stock option is a contractual right to purchase stock during a specified period at a predetermined price.(2) Increasingly, corporations are granting stock options to employees as compensation for services that have been, or will, be performed. The increasing use of employee stock options has translated into expanding litigation concerning whether stock options are […]
Family Law and Dissolution of Marriage
The Firm considers that no field of law requires a broader knowledge, a higher standard of ethics, or a knowledge of human psychology and development, than family law, and in particularly those areas associated with divorce. The following areas and issues are frequently encountered in domestic relations cases: Property: In divorce, the marital property needs […]
Women Initiate Divorce Proceedings More Frequently Than Men
In a research study commissioned by the American Association of Retired People (AARP), a randomly selected and nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 79 answered a survey about divorce. The final analysis was based on answers of participants who had been divorced between the ages of 40 […]