When the dust settles and life gets back to normal, you will find yourself with thoughts of dating. You may miss the companionship of the opposite sex and we all know that developing a new relationship means dating.

If you jump back in with both feet you may find that dating isn’t like “riding a bike.” If it’s been a while since you have dated you are going to need to fine tune those old dating skills a bit. Dating after divorce is a daunting experience. So, I’ve put together some tips on how to help you get back into the dating game and enjoy your new found freedom.

1. Leave the details of your divorce at home.

   Nothing is more unattractive than prattling on and on about the problems in your past relationship. The subject is bound to come up and when it does keep it brief and focus your attention on your date and having a good time in that moment. You can be open and honest with your date without spilling your guts.

2. Be yourself.

   Relax and let the real you shine. Dating is about getting to know the other person. Finding out if that person has traits we like and whether or not we care for a second date. Keep in mind that your date...read more about dating after divorce

From: Charles D. Jamieson

Our family law firm has just completed its yearly round of resolving holiday visitation disputes. Preplanning will often prevent disputes over visitation among divorced parents or parents who are separated.

The following are some suggestions to minimize conflict and maximize visitation.

• At the beginning of each year, plan out vacations you wish to take around the major holidays such as spring break, summer, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah andChristmas.

• Each parent may have their own particular individual days they wish to see their children. Those days should also be included in the planning.

• When planning Holiday visitation, individuals who are divorced should consult their settlement agreement or final judgment of divorce or separation in order to make sure that they understand clearly the contact schedule for which they have been provided. In addition, those individuals should carefully note any pre-notice time, which said agreement or orders require.

• Once your planning has been completed, you should communicate in writing, outlining your request for contact/visitation for the upcoming year. If contact/visitation is provided for in a specific settlement agreement or court order, you should...read more about Holiday visitation

You probably didn’t expect to be divorced or separated on Thanksgiving at this time in your life. You probably feel like saying, “Gee, thanks for another #@*!! personal growth experience.” Well, instead of staying at home feeling sorry for yourself and ordering pizza for Thanksgiving, here are some ideas to help you make it through the long holiday weekend.

The first thing you have to do is get into action. Move your body and the head will follow. Go for a walk or a jog. Get to the gym and start losing that marriage fat. Start a dance class or take tennis lessons. Any activity is good that will get you moving. Don’t think about it. Just do it. Force yourself.

The next thing to do is build a support network. This can be your friends, relatives, religious leader, neighbor or therapist. Join a support group. Participate in online support groups. It may seem to you that you are the only person in the world going through a divorce, but you are not alone.

Now, get outside of your troubles. Find someone with problems bigger than yours and help them. Volunteer to feed the homeless for Thanksgiving. Visit a nursing home or a hospital.

Invite some friends over for a potluck supper. Everything is attitude. Stay positive and strong and have a great Thanksgiving. Leave a comment if you have an activity or idea that helped you survive Thanksgiving when going through a divorce.

If you are newly divorced, you may have spent years in a marriage where you ignored all the red flags. It’s easy to make excuses for bad behavior when we are trying to make a marriage work.

Now that you are single, again you need to learn to pay attention to those red flags. It will keep you from sailing, head first into disaster and another failed marriage. No matter how good looking and alluring your new “friend” may be those red flags tell the true story about who you are dealing with.

It isn’t easy to walk away from a relationship. We all want to hang in there hoping things will change. That, by the way, is how most people end up in abusive relationships. I’ve put together a list of 3 red flags that should never be ignored.

• Avoidance:

  Some people absolutely refuse to deal with an issue or problem in a relationship. They will avoid dealing with it rather than face it directly. If you find yourself in a relationship with an avoider, you will probably spend most of your time focused on finding solutions to problems in the relationship. You can bet the avoider won’t help you so, most of the responsibility for the relationship will fall on you.

  An avoidant requires unconditional approval of everything they do. If they don’t get it then they don’t open up with you and fully engage in the relationship. Since unconditional approval is impossible when in a love relationship, you never find yourself involved with an avoidant who is taking full responsibility for their share of the relationship. What they do is spend most of their time...read more about red flags

When the dust settles and life gets back to normal, you will find yourself with thoughts of dating. You may miss the companionship of the opposite sex and we all know that developing a new relationship means dating.

If you jump back in with both feet you may find that dating isn’t like “riding a bike.” If it’s been a while since you have dated you are going to need to fine tune those old dating skills a bit. Dating after divorce is a daunting experience. So, I’ve put together some tips on how to help you get back into the dating game and enjoy your new found freedom.

1. Leave the details of your divorce at home.

   Nothing is more unattractive than prattling on and on about the problems in your past relationship. The subject is bound to come up and when it does keep it brief and focus your attention on your date and having a good time in that moment. You can be open and honest with your date without spilling your guts.

2. Be yourself.

   Relax and let the real you shine. Dating is about getting to know the other person. Finding out if that person has traits we like and whether or not we care for a second date. Keep in mind that your date is probably anxious also and wanting to make a good impression. Be yourself and encourage your date to do the same. Smiling and enjoying the moment is contagious and before you know it, you both will be...read more about dating after divorce

A rebound relationship is one that occurs shortly after the break-up of a significant love relationship. If you are in a relationship but have distanced yourself emotionally from your relationship partner, you may begin a rebound relationship before you even leave the relationship you are in. If you move quickly from a long lasting relationship into another relationship then you are probably in a “rebound relationship."

Rebound Relationships Serve a Purpose:

A rebound relationship is a distraction. It is a connection to another person that keeps us from having to experience the full extent of the emotional pain of our resent break-up. It is a misguided attempt to move on with our lives. Many people will jump back into the dating scene because they fear being alone. It’s a quick fix, one in which we...read more about rebound relationships

When parents date, it creates anxiety in children. The changes and losses they have gone through often cause them to feel insecure. They may become withdrawn and rebellious or over attached to you. Each child, depending on age and personality, will react differently. But it is important to understand that they are struggling. Below are a few tips to help your child adjust to the idea of you dating.

• Give them reassurance.

  They need to know that their relationship with you will not change because you are beginning to date. If you child feels secure in their relationship with you, they are less likely to feel threatened or afaid. Don’t allow dating to interfere with visitation schedules or normal child/parent activities. Quality time with you tells your child they are important and that you are paying attention to their needs.

• Allow your child to express all their feelings about your dating.

  Listen and show concern, do not over react by yelling, judging or criticizing them or their feelings. The goal is to help them express their needs and feelings about the situation without doing damage. Don’t ignore it or try and gloss over it just because you are uncomfortable with it.

• Don’t introduce casual dating partners to your children.

  Children become attached easily and then suffer more loss. Having a revolving door with many short - term relationships in your child’s life causes...read more dating tips

The courts have no authority over non-marital property. So, the first thing the court has to do is determine whether they have authority over property. Generally speaking, all property acquired by either spouse before the marriage is considered non – marital property. All property acquired after the marriage is considered property of the marriage or marital property. If the property is marital property then the court must “equitably” divide the property.

Property is presumed to be marital property with the following exceptions:

• Property acquired by gift, legacy or descent.

• Property acquired in exchange for property acquired before the marriage or in exchange for property acquired by gift, legacy or descent.

• Property acquired by a spouse after a Judgment of Legal Separation.

• Property excluded by valid agreement of the parties.

• Any judgment or property obtained by judgment awarded to a spouse from the other spouse.

• Property acquired before the marriage.

When marital and non – marital property has been combined the process of determining marital property can be quite complicated. For example, what happens when one spouse uses non – marital property to buy a house with the other spouse? What happens when one spouse inherits money and that money is...read more about marital and non-marital property

Your state will be either an equitable distribution state or a community property state. Once it is determined how marital property is divided in your state, four concerns need to be dealt with.

• Marital assets owned by you and your spouse will need to be identified.
• The assets will need to be categorized by marital or non-marital property.
• A value will have to be assigned to the assets.
• A plan for division of the assets must be established in accordance with your state laws.

Due to no-fault divorce laws, most states separate the division of marital property from any grounds for the divorce. Most states will, however consider financial misconduct when dividing marital property. If your spouse has gone through a mid-life crises and foolishly spent money, or has been engaged in an affair and given money to the other man/other woman, then your spouse should expect to be penalized when splitting....read more about marital property