Barton Goldsmith

Deseret News

So the bloom is off the rose, and your relationship has been heading south for a few months or perhaps even years. Both of you know it, but neither of you talks about it. You have entered the relationship doldrums. There have been broken promises, harsh words and hurt feelings. Add to that the combination of poor communication and avoidance, and you get to the point where just looking at your partner fills you with ire.

Divorce may be a thought but not an option. Between the kids and the economy, it would only cause more pain, and neither of you can handle that. So you choose to live as a couple but don’t connect, and that has got to be one of the most difficult places to be in. If the two of you don’t change this dynamic, you will only hurt yourself and your partner more by acting out your pain.

Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700015151/Relationship-When-you-and-your-partner-hit-the-doldrums.html

Barbara Moss

Tennessean.com

Sometimes when a married couple is not happy together, they choose to live apart but don’t bother to get a divorce. In one such case, a couple married in 2000, lived together for only a few months before separating, but did not divorce. The wife drafted a will specifically disinheriting her husband and stating the reasons. Later, she signed a will leaving all of her property to her brother and sister, who had been supporting her.

Unfortunately, the wife wasn’t aware of Tennessee laws, which completely frustrated her estate plans. Regardless of her will, her surviving husband, the man she hadn’t even seen for years, was entitled to receive 40 percent of her net estate. Every surviving spouse in Tennessee is entitled to an “elective share” of a deceased husband’s or wife’s net estate. If the parties were married for less than three years, the elective share is 10 percent of the deceased spouse’s net estate; three to six years, 20 percent; six to nine years, 30 percent; and 9 years or more, 40 percent.

Source: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100309/COLUMNIST0302/3090329/2047/BUSINESS

Hilary Potkewitz

Crain’s New York Business

For most, dissolving a marriage has become prohibitively expensive, and divorce rates nationwide have plummeted during the economic crisis. But for a subset of New Yorkers, particularly high-tax-bracket financial and legal types, divorce is the latest means of wealth preservation. “For those high-wage earners who are in a marriage that they want to end, there has never been a better time to get divorced,” says Jason Marks, a partner with law firm Kluger Kaplan Silverman Katzen & Levine.

Since most financial executives earned less over the past year or two than at any point in a decade, filing for divorce now means a much lower income for calculating alimony. The end of hefty cash bonuses on Wall Street is also nudging unhappy couples into divorce, and the nearly 40% drop in investment portfolios since the 2007 peak means there’s less to divide.

Source: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100307/SMALLBIZ/303079963#

Nathan Bachrach and Ed Finke

Cincinnati.com

Question: I am looking for a financial planner with credentials who can figure out how much money will be required to live on after my divorce is final. Where do I start?

Answer: A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) is a designation that a financial professional can earn by taking courses and exams offered by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. These advisors specialize in divorce-related financial issues. The role of the CDFA includes acting as an advisor to one party’s divorce lawyer or as a mediator for both parties. There are nine located in the Cincinnati region. To learn more about divorce-related financial planning considerations, visit the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts and review their frequently asked questions and referral resources to determine if your situation requires assistance from a CDFA.

Source: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100305/BIZ01/3050382/1076/BIZ/Simply+Money++Finding+a+divorce+advisor 

Susan W. Savard

Orlando Sentinel

Q Full custody of our only grandchild was recently given to her mother, who went through a bitter divorce with our son. The mother refuses to let us have any contact with our 7-year-old granddaughter, who we worship and adore. The only time we hear from her is when she can sneak a phone call, and she tells us how much she misses us. As grandparents do we have any legal rights to see our granddaughter?

A The issue you raise has caused much heartache and heated debate concerning the tension between constitutional rights of parents and what is best for our children. Unfortunately, you don’t have any legal right to see your granddaughter. The prior Florida grandparental visitation statute has been declared unconstitutional. Parents, whether divorced or married, have a fundamental liberty interest and constitutional right to privacy and decision-making in raising their children.

Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/law/os-ask-a-lawyer-contact-with-granchild-0320100308,0,6247643.column