Mediate Michigan

The stress of settling into a custody arrangement can put a strain on the parent-child relationship, sometimes to the point it appears permanently damaged. While it may be less than ideal, most relationships do go back to normal once the family moves past the divorce crisis.

What you need to remember is that your child is also experiencing the trauma of the family breakup and needs a little extra love during the chaos. Developing a plan to connect with your children or repair the parent-child relationship is possible. You just have to be deliberate about making it happen.

Relationships that are not tended to and nurtured on a regular basis tend to become problematic and eventually can break down. TheSuccessfulParent.com advises divorced parents to make sure the time spent with kids is characterized by interacting in a way that shows caring, dependability, trust, empathy, acceptance, energy, and time.

via Nancy Fagan: Don’t Divorce Your Kids.

What’s in a name?

There might be more than you thought, especially when it comes to tax time.

If you changed your name after a recent marriage or divorce, the IRS reminds you to take the necessary steps to ensure the name on your tax return matches the name registered with the Social Security Administration. A mismatch between the name shown on your tax return and the SSA records can cause problems in the processing of your return and may even delay your refund.

Here are five tips from the IRS for recently married or divorced taxpayers who have a name change.

1. If you took your spouse’s last name or if you hyphenated your last names, you may run into complications if you don’t notify the SSA.

via 5 Tips for Recently Married or Divorced Taxpayers With a Name Change – Laguna Niguel, CA Patch.

(A good reason to explore using mediation in your divorce rather than leaving the decisions up to the Judge)

When it comes to divorce, there’s almost always at least one party who thinks they got the ugly end of the judgment.

This leads some people to ask for a do-over.

A reader named Phil says he has a friend who went through the process of appealing a divorce judgment, and he is interested in what the process entails.

The first thing someone seeking an appeal will have to do is find a lawyer experienced in the State Court of Appeals when it comes to divorce – no easy task.

via Law Talk: Appealing a divorce — a good bet or prolonging the agony? | MLive.com.

Check out our Suggested Reading section for a variety of useful books.

I recently had some experiences in mediation that I would like to share with you. I believe that mediation is the best way to resolve a divorce or any other dispute because it has the parties going through a process where they are actively involved. They make decisions that impact upon their lives with the aid of the mediator and their attorneys. It is a way to stay out of the court. It is cost effective, and works in most divorces.

The problem in some mediations is the attorneys. A good attorney believes in mediation and will encourage it as a tool to try for a settlement on an amicable basis. When done in a hands-on manner and properly handled, mediation should be a win-win procesdure.

via Henry Gornbein: How Lawyers Can Sabotage Mediation.