Skip to content

Category: Divorce Made Simple

This blog provides practical information on the legal process of divorce. Our attorneys break down the divorce process in a way that is easy to understand.

Divorce Made Simple

This blog provides practical information on the legal process of divorce. Our attorneys break down the divorce process in a way that is easy to understand.

Punched In The Gut

We argue about the garlic in the guacamole. He storms outside. I stand at the bathroom mirror, my shaking hand focused on my mascara. I hear the front door open, his footsteps coming up the stairs. He opens the door, and silently pounds his fist into my gut.   “Now you can tell your friends I abused you,” he said calmly.  A feminist activist and fierce advocate for victims of intimate partner abuse, my own life had become a constant eggshell dance. I justified buying a two-dollar tube of lipstick or a lunch with a friend. I defended a night at the
Read More

Who Needs Collaborative Divorce? Misconceptions, and Clarifications About Collaborative Divorce

With rising legal fees and court costs, the uncertainty of trial calendars and outcomes, and the overall toll that litigation can take on a divorcing couple, Collaborative Divorce may be a better option for Nebraskans going through divorce. Generally speaking, those who choose to proceed collaboratively agree that they will not resort to the court for any judicial relief, voluntarily disclose all of their assets and liabilities and come to temporary and permanent agreements on all issues in their case. Yet, common misconceptions and questions about Collaborative Divorce persist. Here are just some misperceptions, and reasons why the right clients
Read More

If my spouse and I agree to everything in our divorce, do we need to hire a lawyer?

If you and your spouse agree to everything, or nearly everything, in the divorce process, you may be confused about the best path to take to finalize your divorce.  Legally, you don’t need a lawyer to get divorced. But if your case has any nuances or complexities, what you don’t know, may turn out to negatively impact you.  There is a lot of paperwork, and “getting it right” the first time, will give you peace of mind and protect your rights and interests in the future.  Furthermore, even for simple or basic divorces, the legal system can be complicated and
Read More

What’s the Difference Between Collaborative Divorce and Mediation?

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution in which spouses meet with a neutral third party to reach agreements regarding the issues in their divorce.  The mediator’s role is to help spouses understand each other’s interests, provide clarity regarding the issues, and help craft the parties’ agreements.   Not all mediators in Nebraska are lawyers.  However, if you want to mediate all of the issues in your divorce, including the division of your assets and debts, child support, alimony, and the parenting plan, for example, you need to work with an attorney-mediator. However, in mediation, the attorney-mediator is not allowed to
Read More

Dealing with Student Loans in a Nebraska Divorce

If you are getting divorced in Nebraska, there are three main areas where student loans may be involved.  Those three areas are: (1) when either party incurs student loans during the marriage; (2) when student loans that were obtained by either party prior to the marriage are paid off/down during the marriage; and (3) when the party paying child support desires to use their student loan payment as a deduction from their income in the child support calculation.  The first, and most common, situation involving student loans in divorce cases is when student loans are incurred during the marriage.  Before
Read More

Divorce Mediation for Division of a High Net Worth or Complex Financial Estate  

In Nebraska, pursuant to the Nebraska Parenting Act, parents are required to attempt mediation to agree to a Parenting Plan for their minor child(ren) in a divorce or custody action.    So, while many people are familiar with the mediation process as it relates to children, custody, and parenting schedules, people are less familiar with the idea of divorce mediation for financial issues.  One myth about divorce mediation is that you can’t use the mediation divorce process for large or complex financial estates.   This myth is not true.  You can mediate all of the terms of your divorce, including division of
Read More

Divorce Mediation for Business Owners 

At Koenig|Dunne, we know that divorce is one of the most challenging and stressful times of your life, regardless of the circumstances.    For business owners, facing a divorce can seem even more challenging.  Many business owners are worried about the impact the divorce will have on their business, or if their business will survive the divorce at all.   Going through a contested, litigated business divorce may negatively impact the business, as the divorcing owners’ time, attention, and energy is pulled away from work to tend to meetings with lawyers, experts, and court hearings that can last months (to years).  That
Read More

The Benefits of Divorce Mediation – Part II

Divorce mediation is a cooperative and voluntary process for people to reach resolution of their divorce case outside of court.    In Part I of this blog series, we discussed several benefits of divorce mediation, which include putting your children first, a quicker divorce process, a more affordable and cost-effective method of divorce, and retaining control of your divorce case.    For couples interested in divorce mediation, there are additional benefits of this process:  Reduces Conflict   While no divorce is easy, the divorce mediation process generates much less conflict than contested litigation.  The divorce attorney-mediator is specially trained to minimize conflict between
Read More

The Benefits of Divorce Mediation- Part 1

When facing divorce, there are many factors to consider, and no two divorces are the same.  For spouses interested in a mediated divorce, you will focus on achieving a fair and equitable settlement through the mediation process.  You will work with a neutral third-party mediator to reach a mutually acceptable and sustainable resolution without court intervention.    For many spouses, the divorce mediation process has benefits over the traditional litigated divorce process, including:  Puts Children First  Divorce mediation does not focus on tearing one parent down to build the other one up.  Both parents come to the table to work with
Read More

Answers to Common Questions Regarding Same-Sex Marriage, Divorce, Custody, and Estate Planning in Nebraska

Koenig|Dunne is proud to have served the LGBTQIA community for many years, including partnerships with the ACLU, the Nebraska ACLU, and Lambda Legal Defense Fund, to protect and preserve the rights of the LGBTQIA community. Last weekend, our team was happy to show our support for the LGBTQIA community here in Omaha at the 2022 Heartland Pride Parade. During our conversations with members of the community during the event, we heard similar questions being asked of our legal team. Below is a summary of the common questions we were asked and our brief answers.  1. What does the Dobbs decision
Read More

Archives