Author Archives: Jay Butchko
How Do Personal Injury Settlements Affect Equitable Distribution In Divorce?
People exchange marriage vows in which they promise to remain together in sickness and in health and in poverty or in prosperity, but physical and financial hardships put more strain on marital relationships than most newlyweds realize. You don’t know how a chronic illness or a situation where one spouse must leave the workforce… Read More »
Does Keeping Your Finances Separate During Your Marriage Simplify Your Divorce?
Some couples insist that the secret to the longevity of their marriages is maintaining separate bank accounts. This way they don’t have to fight about money or resent each other for making impulse purchases or vetoing each other’s splurge wishes. It is also why some couples sign prenuptial agreements in which they agree to… Read More »
Co-Parenting Is Not A Zero-Sum Game
It is obvious to you that your ex-spouse is a loser, and it is probably obvious to your family and friends, too, but you do not have to prove it to the divorce court. The family law courts of Alabama know that no one is perfect, and you do not have to worry that… Read More »
Selling The Marital Home After Divorce Is As Unpleasant As It Sounds
Listing your house for sale and preparing to move out is stressful no matter the circumstances, even if you are doing it so that you can move on to a happy new chapter of your life, such as a spacious house where each of your children can have his or her own bedroom, or… Read More »
How Much Supervision Is Involved In Supervised Visitation?
If you have heard about supervised visitation after divorce, your mental image probably does not seem much like a recipe for family togetherness. Doing jigsaw puzzles in a quiet room, surrounded by social workers with clipboards is not the best way to get your children to open up to you, especially when you consider… Read More »
3 Sources Of Holiday Co-Parenting Stress And How To Deal With Them
You know you are an adult once the holidays become stressful instead of fun. Many types of holiday stress, such as being in close quarters with your know-it-all siblings or enduring sideways glances from your sister-in-law about your baby’s fondness for formula while your mother bombards you with unsolicited advice about weight loss, can… Read More »
How Does Equitable Distribution Work When Neither Spouse Has Employment Income?
Income is just one of several factors in determining equitable distribution in Alabama divorce cases; the value of each party’s separate assets also matters, as does each party’s financial obligations unrelated to the marriage, such as living expenses after the divorce and payment of nonmarital debts. If one spouse is capable of working but… Read More »
Alimony In Alabama Is An Inexact Science
Alimony orders are not supposed to be a punishment, but that is how they feel for both parties. If the court orders you to pay alimony, you might think, “I tried everything to save my marriage, but my wife’s mind was made up that she wanted a divorce, so not only did she keep… Read More »
Which Financial Transactions Are Off-Limits While Your Divorce Case Is Pending?
Divorce can be an escape from a marriage plagued by conflicts about money. Unfortunately, things sometimes get worse before they get better. In the simpler cases, you can resolve the problem through a few frank discussions with your divorce lawyer, followed by mediation sessions where your lawyer negotiates with your spouse’s lawyer, since it… Read More »
Does The Duration Of Your Marriage Affect Equitable Distribution?
If you go to a consultation with a divorce lawyer after receiving a surprising divorce petition from your spouse and anxiously asking the lawyer whether your ex will keep half of your marital property, it is hardly comforting if the lawyer says, “it depends,” but it is the truth. Alabama is an equitable distribution… Read More »