Month: December 2018

December 2018

Arlyce Asks

December 21, 2018 / NEXT: An Empowerment Series

Arlyce asked for two things. One: To celebrate on the actual day. Two: Cards. Arlyce was clear. Her birthday falls four days before Christmas. For decades it has been gifts “for your birthday and Christmas” wrapped in Santa paper. She understood that the birth of Jesus trumped her special day. But still. After too many times of feeling like a footnote to Jingle Bells, Arlyce marks this milestone differently. For her 90th Arlyce asked for what she wanted. I admire Arlyce. She zips around in her scooter on her daily walks with her dog Mojo. She lives in an elegantly

Family Flexibility

December 20, 2018 / Doing Divorce

I didn’t want to think about it. Let alone talk about it. Worse even to write about it. All of those actions would make it more real. Several weeks ago, I reluctantly agreed that my former spouse could take our daughters on a trip over the holiday. The rub is that they will be gone from December 22 through the morning of December 26th. I will miss all of Christmas with them. A first. I have preached more times than I can count that holidays are “just days” and can be re-created on a different day. I have advised repeatedly

3 Techniques for Finding Hidden Income in a Divorce

December 18, 2018 / Divorce Made Simple, Legal Process

The amount of your spouse’s income has two significant impacts on your divorce: child support and alimony. While most spouses are forthright about their income, some minimize or hide their earnings in an attempt to improve their outlook on child support or alimony. This is especially true in cases where spouses are self-contractors, business owners, or cash laborers. Here are three legal techniques your legal team can employ to provide an accurate calculation of your spouse’s income: Discovery Requests Discovery requests are written demands to your spouse to produce information and documents. These demands are typically the first technique used

Beautiful Things

December 14, 2018 / NEXT: An Empowerment Series

I didn’t notice that the paper was red and green, only that it was beautifully wrapped. It was three days past my December birthday. I assumed the gift awaiting me at the end of a long day did not want to wait another moment to be opened. I removed the plaid bow. I carefully lifted the tape. I opened the small brown box and pulled back the tissue. I gasped. A soft pink and white tea cup, decorated in gold, was tucked inside. Instantly I knew it was not a reproduction but an antique. I carefully lifted it out by

Quality Time Correction

December 13, 2018 / Doing Divorce

I couldn’t wait. It was likely going to be our own version of a Hallmark Christmas movie. But this one would be about a mother and her teenage daughters having the most magical Christmas time ever. No plot twists were allowed that would involve a hardship to overcome. My daughters and I were off to Chicago for two days to sight-see, shop, and spend time at a German Christmas market. To ante up the expectation, for calendar reasons, this was to be my only weekend with the girls until after Christmas. This needed to be good. The first night we

Remembering Night Man

December 7, 2018 / NEXT: An Empowerment Series

This week marks a decade since Howard died. Like my father, he died within weeks of a lung cancer diagnosis. Dad had died on Christmas day, Howard the first week of December. Two years later my mother’s would also be a December death. With the arrival of my December birthday, my heart memory reminds me to reflect on the good fortune to be on this earth to celebrate another year. Howard married my sister Diane when I was six and she was sixteen. He became my sixth brother. He was the first person I remember teasing me, an experience of

#TBT The Christmas Crash

December 6, 2018 / Doing Divorce

I remember a year I had big expectations and along with them, a big discovery when they were decidedly dashed. My daughters, my mom, and I, set off on what I declared to be a great family adventure. We were going to romantically tromp through a tree farm and cut down our own magical Christmas tree. And we did… sort of. In reality, the trees were pre-cut and Sophia sighed at the lack of snow on the ground. We tried our best to ignore the frosty wind making our faces and fingers hurt while we searched for the perfect tree.

5 Common Misconceptions About Child Support in Nebraska

December 4, 2018 / Children, Divorce Made Simple

In Nebraska, child support is calculated by using a mathematical formula established by state law. While determining child support is an inevitable issue to be resolved in divorce involving minor children, many parents may not understand the specific nuances of child support. For example: How can child support be spent? Am I responsible to pay for anything else beyond my monthly payments? When does child support begin and end? Answers to these questions often surprise divorcing parents. Below are five common misconceptions about child support in Nebraska. Misconception 1: If my ex-spouse and I share joint custody, no child support