Month: August 2019

August 2019

Walking in Their Feet

August 30, 2019 / NEXT: An Empowerment Series

I knelt on the floor at his feet. He sat in his arm chair, a red pack of Pall Malls and brown quart of beer nearby. We didn’t speak. I tugged away, loosening the leather strings of his heavy work boots, using a fork on the most stubborn knots. I pulled with all my might, freeing his feet to rest in their thick white socks. It’s one of few fond memories of time with my father. My older siblings tell me Dad was exceptionally intelligent. An intuitive once told me he was horribly abused as a child. He never had

How to Protect Your Premarital Assets from a Divorce

August 27, 2019 / Assets and Debts, Divorce Made Simple

Protecting premarital assets from a divorce means understanding the difference between marital property and non-marital property — and taking the necessary steps to shield your non-marital property before divorce may even be a consideration. First, you need to know what constitutes non-marital property, which is: Property you brought into the marriage that was kept separate from marital assets Any gifts you received from a third party An inheritance you received that was kept separate from marital assets Any property designated as separate in a separation or settlement agreement in a divorce In 2017, the Nebraska Supreme Court issued a ruling

Celebrating Second Hand

August 23, 2019 / NEXT: An Empowerment Series

“Can you stay after school?” she asked. As a second grader, home wasn’t an especially happy place to hurry to. Dad’s drinking had worsened over the years and Mom had bigger worries than after school milk and cookies. “We’ll wait until the others are gone,” Sister Leodegard said. I was the teacher’s pet, so I suspected that I might be the recipient of some special privilege that she didn’t want my classmates to see. The hallways eventually emptied and she opened the wooden closet door. She pulled out a woman’s red wool coat. In the 1960s we would have called

The Grounds for Annulment in Nebraska

August 20, 2019 / Divorce Made Simple

Under Nebraska law, if your marriage is annulled, it is as if it never happened. Even in 2019, there are still some people who believe that divorce carries a stigma, so opt to pursue an annulment instead. A civil annulment is not the same as a religious annulment, which can only be granted by a church and has no legal effect on your marriage in Nebraska. Nebraska allows for an annulment only under certain conditions: If your marriage is prohibited by law (for example, If you or your spouse are too closely related to be married, making the marriage illegal)

Back to School: The ABC’s of Co-Parenting

August 15, 2019 / Doing Divorce

For 13 consecutive years now on a back-to-school morning I have awakened with excitement. In the early years I picked the perfect bow for my daughters’ hair and took my time while they let me brush and style their pretty hair. In the latter years I have helped chose the outfit or made sure group pictures were taken with friends at school. I am not ashamed to admit that I have cried on every single one of these days. Every. Single. One. I am proud to say that for each of these days, their dad and I met up with

How Unemployment Affects Child Support in Nebraska

August 13, 2019 / Children, Divorce Made Simple

Losing a job is stressful for many reasons, but especially so if you are responsible for paying — or if you’re receiving — child support. How your unemployment affects your child support payments depends on your individual situation. However, one thing is certain: Nebraska courts take child support obligations very seriously, so you shouldn’t believe that you can get your support order modified immediately because of a job loss. If you have lost your job and have child support obligations, you should work to find another job immediately. The court can assign an income level to you based on your

Flower Power

August 9, 2019 / NEXT: An Empowerment Series

I was about to cut off her head when I stopped. The faded flower’s bloom had enough life left to share some wisdom before she landed in the compost pile. “Pay attention!” I had substituted my morning meditation with time attending to my flowers. I set my intention to focus only on what was directly in front of me. No thinking about yesterday’s mistakes. No thinking about today’s to do’s. Simply. Stay. Present. I am in a season where I have the undeniable privilege of enjoying many of life’s luxuries, including my very own rooftop deck with pots of flowers