Image from Wikipedia Two of my favorite articles regarding leadership were written by Alex Knapp of Forbes:   Five Leadership Lessons From James T. Kirk ; and  Five Leadership Lessons From Jean-Luc Picard .  While both captains were very different leaders, and each definitely has their own devoted cult following, there were still similarities in how they led.  For example, Alex points out that Captain Kirk surrounded himself with advisers who had different world views, and that Captain Picard was willing to ask for help when he needed it (whether from advisers or even sometimes from his opponents). What can these leadership qualities teach us about Collaborative Divorce? Ultimately when we are assisting divorcing couples, whether through the court process or through negotiation, we are leading them through a complicated and emotional process.  As leaders in this role we should be considering what types of leaders we want to be. ...

Guest Post Introduction: Jessie L. Foster, CFP®, CDFA™, MBA is a Collaborative Law Financial Professional who works with clients and their attorneys to fully understand the financial complexities surrounding divorce. She offers comprehensive analysis of the short-term and long-term impacts of proposed divorce settlements that may impact clients and their families well beyond divorce. Ms. Foster serves as Chair of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council (MCLC) , Members Meeting Committee and is a member of The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the Divorce Center and The Massachusetts Council of Family Mediation. What does a Collaborative Law Financial Neutral Do? By Jessie L. Foster, CFP®, CDFA™, MBA Financial issues in divorce are complex and the decisions a couple makes as part of the divorce process may be some of the most important fiscal decisions they will make in their lifetime. On the Collaborative Divorce Team the financial professional is ...

In 1994, the United States Congress enacted the Violence Against Women Act, which was the first U.S. federal legislation criminalizing domestic violence and sexual assault, and assigned federal resources to combat violence against women on a community level.  It was reauthorized in 2000, and again in 2005 ( read the text of the 2005 version ).  The 2005 version which recently expired, also addressed dating violence and stalking, expanded services to include children and teenagers, and established funding for rape crisis centers. Since this legislation was recently allowed to expire by Congress, it's important that you know what we are losing and why it was allowed to expire.  If after reading about the benefits of this Act and the reasoning for letting it expire you think Congress made a mistake by not renewing the Violence Against Women Act, then we encourage you to contact your representatives and tell them your opinion. The Violence Against Women Act -...

In a recent opinion, in which the Massachusetts Appeals Court affirmed the trial court's divorce judgment, a very expensive bachelor party in Las Vegas turned into an even more expensive divorce. In a marriage as short as Frank the Tank's  marriage in Old School (and 21 days shorter than Kim Kardashian's second marriage ), a physician ended up paying one year of alimony for a two month marriage. The story-line of T.E. v. A.O is right out of the movies  involving a husband who went to Las Vegas five days before his wedding in October 2008 and while there charged over $20,000 at a "men's club" and met a woman who he then began an intimate relationship with.  Upon his return from Las Vegas, the parties were married on October 4, 2008 in a wedding that cost approximately $150,000.  In clear violation of the Vegas marketing campaign , soon after the wedding, the wife learned of the extravagant Las Vegas charges and of the husband's ongoing relationship ...

These are the victims of the school shooting that occurred on the morning of Friday, December 14, 2012 at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. We have purposefully not included a link to a news story in this post because the news is concentrating on the details of the gunman's life.  We believe that is a mistake.  Here is the information that we believe is important and undisputed: All of these victims deserved a longer life, and a better ending to their story. This tragedy was preventable, and future tragedies like this are preventable. Everyone of us has the ability to contribute in some way towards making our country a better place where violence like this is a history lesson instead of a headline. The only way that we can take away the power of one bad man to write the ending for these victims, is to change that ending by recognizing our ability to contribute, and taking action. We have all had three days now to voice our pain and outrage.  As a...

We all know that to have a successful marriage, the relationship has to be nurtured and fed.  Spouses who do not pay attention to the needs of their relationship are doomed to grow apart instead of growing together.  But just because a marriage withers on the vine, doesn't mean that a divorce has to result in sour grapes. Many of the problems that prevent people from having a successful divorce stem from the false assumption that divorce is an endpoint. Divorce, like marriage, is a relationship.  Anyone who has been through a divorce can dispel the notion that a divorce is just an event, begun one day and over the next.  Divorce is a process, that takes time, requires patience, and still involves a relationship between spouses.  And when spouses have children together, that relationship doesn't end when the divorce becomes final, it continues for graduations, weddings, grandchildren and more. Divorce, like marriage, is a relationship.  Bo...

On October 31, 2012, a new statute took effect in Massachusetts adding protection for domesticated animals in restraining order cases.  This does not mean that you can obtain a restraining order for your puppy from that feisty dog next door.  The new provisions only allow for a court order relating to the possession, care and protection of a pet when a temporary or permanent vacate, stay away, restraining or no contact order is already in effect or has been requested.   In simpler terms: this new law allows custody orders and protection orders for pets to protect them from the abusers of their human owners. So what do you do when your pet asks you how this new law affects them?  We've provided some helpful answers to make that conversation go more smoothly: "Super Awesome Best Friend, how can I help protect you from that angry guy?" "That's not something you have to worry about anymore.  The court provided me with an order that prevents him from co...