The hard law of pet ownership The hard law of pet ownership dictates that in most jurisdictions, animals are still classified as personal property, much like a sofa or a sedan. However, progressive states like California and Alaska have moved toward a best interest of the pet standard, forcing your divorce lawyer to argue equity.…
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I recently spent 14 hours deconstructing a contract that was designed to be unreadable, only to find the one clause that changed everything. It was a custody agreement that used the word reasonable no fewer than twenty two times. To the layperson, reasonable sounds like a promise of peace. To a seasoned divorce attorney, it…
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The structural failure of joint legal decision making Joint legal custody requires consensus on education, healthcare, and religious upbringing. In high-conflict litigation, this consensus is impossible. The family court often ignores the reality of domestic friction, leading to repeated motions to compel and spiraling attorney fees. I watched a client lose their entire claim in…
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I watched a client lose their entire holiday visitation claim in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about silence. They felt an overwhelming need to fill the void with justifications for why they deserved every major holiday. The opposing counsel sat back, sipping cold water, and waited. My…
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My office smells like strong black coffee and old files. Your case is failing before you even say hello because you think the truth matters more than the evidence. It does not. I watched a client lose their entire claim in the first ten minutes of a deposition because they ignored one simple rule about…
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The Brutal Reality of the Custody Evaluation I watched a client lose their entire claim for primary physical custody in the first ten minutes of a clinical interview because they ignored one simple rule about silence. They walked into the office of a court-appointed psychologist and began a frantic, caffeine-fueled monologue about the failures of…
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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 thought they were protecting their child by venting about the other parent. Instead, they handed the defense a silver platter of evidence regarding parental alienation. This is the reality when…
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The deposition disaster that ended a custody claim 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 was not about what they said aloud; it was about the hundred messages they had sent at three in the morning the…
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The air in my office smells like strong black coffee and the metallic scent of old file cabinets. You are sitting across from me because your marriage is dead. You want to get a divorce and secure your children. But I have bad news. I just read your phone. You think you are being honest…
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The tactical reality of high conflict custody management The air in my office usually smells like over-extracted black coffee and the metallic scent of old filing cabinets. I have sat across the table from thousands of parents during a divorce. Most of them think they are fighting for their children. In reality, they are fighting…
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