— Rachel K. Miller, Attorney at Law, Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC The divorce is final. You are no longer husband and wife. Is your relationship finished? If you have children, absolutely not! You and your former spouse will be connected for the rest of your lives. Your relationship will continue indefinitely. One of the most difficult […]
The first year following a divorce presents numerous challenges for the newly divorced. It is especially difficult for divorced parents to navigate that first holiday season. Not only do family members have to deal with the typical holiday stressors (family demands and financial strain), but also face changing long-standing traditions, shuttling children between two households […]
You have all had cases wherein a child of divorce refuses to visit or have meaningful contact with one parent. Sometimes the reasons are obvious. (Perhaps the child is the victim of abuse.) Other times there doesn’t appear to be a logical reason for refusing visitation. Too often, the parents provide conflicting explanations for the […]
Co-parenting while in a healthy and successful marriage has its challenges and is certainly a difficult task. Now add in the correlates involved in many divorces (e.g. unhealthy communication patterns, anger, frustration, revenge, and living in two separate homes) and you have a situation ripe for dysfunction. Divorcing parents hear from their attorneys, judges, therapists, […]
We are not sure of the actual origin of the picture below. This picture has made its way through many a professional presentation on evaluating children. Let’s assume the following picture was drawn by a 6-year-old girl. This girl was hypothetically asked to draw a picture of her mother as part of a forensic evaluation […]
This article was written by Rebecca Lindstrom, WXIA and originally published on 11Alive.com – “COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Two years ago, police say Marilyn Edge took her two Cobb County kids to California and killed them. The story shocked the nation and emotionally paralyzed their father, who until now has resisted talking publicly about his loss…” “…For six […]
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that occurs in a percentage of people who have been exposed to a traumatic event. This diagnosis was formulated to account for the set of anxious symptoms that some soldiers experienced after combat. Current research suggests that approximately 2 to 14 percent of soldiers show symptoms […]
Most divorce-related court hearings are filled with the trappings of legal rituals. Both sides present their cases. Objections are made to testimony. The judge renders a decision, which is crafted into an enforceable Order. In the end, the “losing” attorney might blame the judge. The “winning” attorney might take credit for a decision that may […]
Best interest of the child is a standard most often used to determine post-divorce behavior and lifestyle. Two children can be similar and yet what is best for one may not be best for another. Child custody evaluators, guardians ad litem, and ultimately judges assess the child’s needs from slightly different perspectives. Nevertheless, each strives […]
We often assist family attorneys by reviewing reports and records of mental health professionals. This helps attorneys put the findings and recommendations in perspective, make sure that proper procedures are followed, and prepare the attorneys for possible cross-examination of the professional. Family lawyers often ask us if a particular parent coordinator has exceeded their authority […]