Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What Do The Five Modes Of Conflict Management Have To Do With Your Divorce?
When you and your spouse first got married, the things that stood out to you about her the most were her beautiful eyes and her contagious laughter. Now that you are getting divorced, the most memorable thing about her is her conflict style. The four horsemen of the communication breakdown are contempt, criticism, defensiveness,… Read More »
On The Challenges Of Co-Parenting Teens Who Are Adults In All But Name
Babies are so cute that you don’t want to share them with anyone, but before long, they grow into someone you barely recognize, and, if you are being honest with yourself, someone you would rather not know. You look forward to a time when you and your child can interact with each other as… Read More »
Can You Agree To Disagree In Your Divorce Settlement?
If you and your spouse could agree on everything, you would not be getting divorced. Somehow, though, going through a divorce is just as stressful as staying in an unhappy marriage. Once your divorce petition reaches the court, you begin the process of reaching an agreement with your spouse about property division and parenting… Read More »
What Happens To The Engagement Ring After A Divorce Or Broken Engagement?
You did everything right, saving up for months to buy an engagement ring that cost thousands of dollars. You staged a perfect proposal, but only after discussing the matter with her parents. You got professional engagement photos taken and invited your friends and both of your families to an engagement party. You went to… Read More »
Lifestyle Clauses In Prenups May Be Legal, But They Are A Big Red Flag
The purpose of prenuptial agreements is to formalize a strategy for dealing with your finances and debts. The fact that your inherited house is a non-marital asset, even after your spouse moves in, and because you and your spouse agree to this, matters whether the marriage ends in divorce or in the death of… Read More »
Why Is March The Most Popular Month For Divorce Filings?
By now, we have all heard that a divorce lawyer’s busiest day of the year is Divorce Monday, the first business Monday in January. More people file divorce petitions and contact divorce lawyers on Divorce Monday than on any other day of the year. You might think, then, that January sees more divorce cases… Read More »
Will The Divorce Court Require You To Take A Parenting Class?
Divorce is freedom, except when it isn’t. Your spouse can no longer micromanage your finances or your relationship with your children, but now, if your ex-spouse takes issue with something you do, especially if it involves money or children, the issue can turn into a full-fledged legal dispute to be decided by a judge. … Read More »
Being A Source Of Stability For Your Children When Your Ex-Spouse Gets Divorced From Your Children’s Stepparent
We all have our vices, but sometimes we have to give them up temporarily for the sake of our children. For example, a glass of wine after work might have been the highlight of your day ever since you got your first 9-to-5 job, but while you were pregnant, you had to replace your… Read More »
Be Proactive To Avoid Draconian Punishments For Unpaid Child Support
Most of the threats that divorcing spouses make are empty. Your ex can’t get the court to take away your parenting time just by saying bad things about you to the judge; if anything, this will make the judge want to give you more parenting time. Your ex cannot impoverish you, because Alabama’s equitable… Read More »
Can Co-Parenting Finance Apps Prevent Conflict With Your Ex-Spouse?
Chat GPT can compose prose that flows like human speech, but it has no manners. It simply remixes what it reads online, much of which is unspeakably rude, and then produces new content in a matter-of-fact way. Web content is frighteningly effective at pushing our buttons and provoking our anger in ways that no… Read More »