Blog
Barney Connaughton on divorce and mediation: custody, support, property, and how the process works.
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Fault and Divorce.
The issue of “no fault” divorce has become a recent topic of interest on the national stage. There has been talk of certain conservative states walking back their “no-fault” divorce policies and reinstituting a requirement for a spouse seeking a divorce to show that the other spouse is guilty of inappropriate behavior warranting a divorce […]
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What About a Postnup Instead of a Divorce?
Usually by the time couples have come to see me at least one has already firmly decided they want a divorce. Every once in a while I will hear things from one or both spouses that give reason to pause, and explore if there are other options available to avoid a divorce. In some situations […]
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Why Not Guideline Spousal Support?
I have written blogs in the past about how the Court addresses the issues of child support and spousal support. For the issue of child support in California, we have an algebraic formula set forth in Family Code section 4055. The Court is largely mandated to order guideline child support consistent with the formula which […]
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Remembering our Younger Selves and Divorce.
I have this picture of myself placed strategically in my office that was taken by a photographer for the town newspaper where I grew up in Ojai back when I was 17 and running cross-country my senior year in high school. Despite it being taken nearly 40 years ago, I remember that place in time […]
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Hurry up, it’s June and Divorce.
No, I am not trying to hurry anyone into getting divorced. This is a big decision and any couple considering divorce should first explore the various options available to avoid it altogether. We are just now entering mid-June and couples who are ready to move forward with their divorce have a fleeting opportunity to get […]
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When Not to Mediate Your Divorce.
Ever since I took my very first divorce mediation training course back in 2003 I have tried to do my part in educating the public on what should be the standard way to get divorced. Why wouldn’t couples first choose to attempt to sort out their divorce issues in a collaborative setting focused on getting […]
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Getting Your Spouse to Consider Divorce Mediation
When a couple decides they are getting a divorce, or when either spouse begins to feel like it could be an option, it is quite easy for each of them to contact their own divorce attorney and schedule a consultation to have their initial questions answered and to come up with a plan on how […]
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The Dead, Transition and Divorce.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend three nights at the Sphere in Las Vegas, enjoying the latest rendition of the Grateful Dead, Dead & Company. Back in the 1990’s a group of my friends and I would descend on Las Vegas each year to see a weekend worth of shows as tie […]
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Involving Children in Custody Decisions and Information Gathering
When I first started practicing Family Law another attorney shared with me about a contentious custody case that he had been involved in where the Court wanted to receive input from the teenage child to help with resolving the pending custody trial. To elicit the child’s input, the child was scheduled to meet with a […]
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A Celebration of Mothers.
I count myself extremely lucky that as soon as I make it through this full Friday of work that awaits me, I get to head off and spend this Mother’s Day weekend with my Mother. As a divorce professional I have to be careful celebrating one parent over the other. I recognize and advocate for […]
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Out of Breath, Starting Over and Divorce.
I consider myself a runner. I ran cross country and the distance track events in high school, ran a number of 10k’s over the years with fairly competitive times and whenever I decide it is time to get myself back into shape, I dawn my shorts and lace up my running shoes and head out […]
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Divorce and the Impact of the Length of Marriage
I was recently reading through a study that provided a variety of divorce related statistics. One such statistic indicated that the average length of a marriage ending in divorce was 7.8 years for men and 7.9 years for women. In this week’s blog we will explore some of the impacts that the length of a […]