Mediate Michigan

John F. Kennedy once said, “Civility is not a sign of weakness… Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” Negotiation is a highly valued skill in business, and is perfected over years and years of practice. Though most of us negotiate every day in our personal relationships, it is difficult to muster up the courage to apply the natural skills we possess, when confronted with a dispute with our former or soon-to-be-former spouse. It’s the heat of the moment, the high emotions, and the tension that causes us to blunder and stumble, lose our cool, get lost in the weeds of the argument. Your demeanor in the process can mean the difference between a successful or failed mediation.

People often confuse mediation with arbitration, leading to misplaced expectations, and oftentimes, disappointing outcomes. Both mediation and arbitration are forms of alternative dispute resolution methods, designed to resolve conflict between parties without the need for protracted and expensive litigation.

via Your Demeanor Can Affect Your Divorce Mediation | Diane L. Danois, J.D..

Parenting teens under any circumstances will test your patience. But co-parenting teens who move between two households presents particular challenges. Here are a few practical issues to think about and actual language to use for your co-parenting plan. These suggestions are useful whether a separation or divorce occurs later in the life of the child or if your children are young and you’re setting up a parenting plan that will last until they turn 18.It is wise for co-parents to be on the same page regarding the following:

1. Allowing the minor child to obtain a driver’s license and providing an automobile for the child to drive. We all know how important driving is to teens. A car should not be used as a tool to lure a teen into spending time at a parent’s home. Cars are just like the child’s other property; unless you’re sharing your car with your teen, the child’s car should travel with him or her and should not to be held for exclusive use in the home of the parent who purchased it.

via Tara Fass: 7 Tips For Co-Parenting Teens.

My 92-year-old aunt, who is cognitively impaired and requires a walker or wheelchair to get around, still lives in her own apartment, where round-the-clock home health aides help her get to and from the bathroom, bathe, dress and undress, and go outside each day for some fresh air. The aides shop, prepare and serve meals, do light housekeeping and make sure she takes her medications on time.But last month, my aunt’s long-term care insurance ran out, and her meager savings will soon do the same. Then what?

via With Help Here and There, Preserving Independence in Old Age – NYTimes.com.

In early 1992, a census report predicted that 40% of children would soon live in divorced homes. As one of the most famous children’s-television programs in the world, Sesame Street was determined to take on a topic most kids shows wouldn’t touch. They cast Snuffy, a.k.a. Mr. Snuffleupagus, for the part of a child with divorced parents.

via ‘Sesame Street’ Tackles Touchy Topic of Divorce | TIME.com.

Boston University economist Larry Kotlikoff’s Social Security Secrets have become one of the hottest online features ever at the NewsHour. He’s been building his list of secrets for the past two months at various web venues — the Huffington Post and Forbes.com — Making Sense incorporating reader feedback, learning more and passing it on to readers here on Making Sen$e.

We present these latest additions: seven new Secrets, as well as a link to the previous 34. And remember, “Ask Larry” is our now-regular Monday feature in which Larry answers your questions on Social Security, and perhaps other retirement quandaries as well.

35. If you take your spousal benefit before full retirement age, you will be forced to take your retirement benefit as well. But both will be smaller than if you waited until full retirement age.

via On the QT: A Few More Social Security Secrets | PBS NewsHour.