A brand new year & The Legal Journey from Separation to Divorce
Podcast: What to expect on the legal front: from separation to divorce
January is known as the most likely month of the year for couples who have decided to end their relationship, to begin the journey from separation to divorce. For those who celebrate Christmas, many decide to wait so as not to cause distress during what is typically regarded as a joyous time. January is also a time of fresh beginnings. And for some couples, a separation may denote the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. During this podcast I chat with family law lawyer, Lisa Gelman.
Over the course of this episode you will learn more about:
First steps towards formalizing a separation
What separation means and whether a couple actually needs to be living in separate places in order to be considered legally separated
Whether there is a period of time that has to lapse before a couple can file for divorce and whether they need lawyers in order to do this
The difference between a mediator and a lawyer and when to use one or the other
What collaborative law means and when its best to work with a collaborative lawyer
How to try to maintain an amicable relationship during the legal process
As I write this - the last of my columns for 2014 - I'm anticipating a different kind of New Year's Eve. For the first time in 23 years, we will bring in the New Year without our children. Chloe wasn't born until Talia was 8 years old and by then, being together as a family for New Year's celebrations was a ritual. Whether with extended family or friends, there were always young children around - nieces, nephews and friend's children. Sometimes (when they too young to know any different), we pretended that New Years arrived around 10pm, after which we went our separate ways so that the adults could get their kids to bed before they brought in the New Years quietly as their children slept soundly upstairs. But things have changed...
