High-Conflict Personalities in Divorce
There are four basic characteristics of HCPs: Preoccupation with blaming others All-or-nothing thinking Unmanaged emotions Extreme behaviors Their behaviors are so habitual that the HCP is in denial of them. While these characteristics seem daunting, it’s not impossible to work with these people for…
5 Cognitive Biases That Lead to Difficulty in Divorce Finances
A cognitive bias is a systematic mistake or error in thinking that affects our judgment. Some of these biases helped our ancestors survive on the savannah, but often no longer serve a good purpose in modern life. Our brains did not develop with the…
Child Contingency Rule
If any amount of spousal support specified in the divorce decree is reduced (a) upon the happening of any contingency related to the child or (b) at a time that can be clearly associated with a contingency related to the child, then the amount…
Planning for Mid-Life Real Estate Purhases
Purchasing real estate can be a daunting prospect at any point in life. However, if the purchase is the result of financial negotiations related to divorce or separation in mid-life, this decision is even more daunting due to variables of health, wealth, retirement and…
Child Support and Beyond: How to Handle Expenses Child Support Doesn’t Cover
Child support is an attempt by the court to ensure that the children’s basic needs are met, and that as they go from one household to the other they have a relatively comparable standard of living. In most states, there is a formula or…
Making Sure Accounts Are Valued Equally During Divorce
Dividing property can be one of the most challenging and complex pieces of a divorce. What appears to be an easy decision such as “I want the house, you keep the retirement account,” may in the end deliver a settlement nobody bargained for. Peggy…
Buying a House During a Divorce
during the divorce can be a bumpy ride. Title Issues Colorado law presumes that all property purchased by either spouse during the marriage is marital. Marital property is to be divided equitably. If the husband purchases a new home to live in while a…
Dividing Rental Properties During Divorce
As of January 1, 2009, a new housing law placed a restriction on the $250,000 exclusion allowed on gain from sale of a principal residence. If there is a period of “non-qualified” use after 2008, the portion of the gain allocated to that period…
Divorce and Your Credit Score
As nearly half of the American population already knows, divorce is a difficult, emotional process to go through. This difficulty can be compounded depending on the number of years a couple has been together, the dollar amount of their acquired assets, and whether or…
Passive Appreciation in Retirement Accounts
If you do not have a pension as your primary retirement vehicle, then you likely have a 401k or IRA. The money that accumulates as a result of your contributions during the marriage is considered a marital asset. By contrast, the portion accumulated before…