I smell the strong black coffee before I even see the case file. It is the scent of a morning spent looking at a client who is about to destroy their own financial future because they believe the law is a movie. I watched a client lose their entire claim in the first ten minutes…
Read more
I smell like strong black coffee and the cold reality of a courtroom. You are about to make a tactical error that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in your settlement. You think you are just telling your sister or your parents that you have decided to get a divorce. You think you…
Read more
I watched a client lose their entire claim in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about silence. We were in a mahogany paneled room in downtown Chicago, the air smelling of ozone and the mint tea my client kept nervously sipping. The opposing counsel, a bottom feeder who…
Read more
Managing mediation sabotage during your divorce proceedings I watched a client lose their entire claim in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about silence. The air in the conference room smelled like ozone and mint. The opposing counsel sat motionless, waiting for my client to fill the void.…
Read more
The deposition room was cold, smelling of stale air and expensive cologne. I watched a client lose their entire claim in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about silence. They felt the need to fill the void. They spoke when there was no question on the table, offering…
Read more
The price of ego in the conference room Refusing to negotiate during mediation triggers a cascade of financial and procedural penalties that often exceed the value of the disputed assets. When a divorce attorney fails to secure a settlement in the conference room, the case transitions to a high-cost litigation phase where legal fees, expert…
Read more
Sit down. Drink your coffee. Your case is currently a disaster. You think you want to get a divorce in front of a judge because you want vindication. You won’t get it. I watched a client lose their entire claim in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about…
Read more
The brutal reality of mediation failure I watched a client lose their entire claim in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about silence. It happens in mediation too. You walk into a room with a cup of black coffee and a stack of files, knowing the person across…
Read more
The failure of the neutral observer Mediator neutrality is a myth designed to make the divorce process feel less like a war. In reality, a mediator who refuses to evaluate the legal merits of a claim allows the more aggressive divorce lawyer to steamroll the proceedings. You need a strategic legal advocate who recognizes when…
Read more
I watched a client lose their entire claim for primary custody in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about silence. They tried to justify staying for the kids while admitting to five years of police calls and documented shouting matches. The jury did not see a martyr. They…
Read more
