High Conflict Divorce Litigation Can Turn in to a Very Long and Expensive Legal Proceeding. Here are Some Facts to Consider.

Divorce court documents used in high conflict litigation

Divorce court documents used in high conflict litigationII have been handling high conflict divorce litigation cases for over 40 years. As part of my practice, I have encouraged collaborative settlement efforts in divorce cases for decades. This is due in large part because of the emotional and financial costs and damage attendant to high conflict divorce Court litigation.

I have found that there is little information online about how grueling and expensive this high conflict divorce litigation battle can become. So, I thought it might be worthwhile to lay out what could be involved in the Court process for folks thinking about ending their marriage to consider before jumping into filing a divorce Complaint. I am not trying to scare anyone. This blog is intended to shed light on what can happen to those embarking upon the battleship “Divorce”. It hopefully can also serve as an “eye opener”and justification why it makes sense to avoid escalating to high conflict divorce litigation as one starts to consider how to dissolve their marriage.

OVERVIEW OF THE OHIO DIVORCE COURT LITIGATION PROCESS.

  1. The divorce Complaint is filed typically with a request for temporary orders and restraining orders (and also with the other required forms).
  2. The Defendant spouse needs to be
… Read More... “High Conflict Divorce Litigation Can Turn in to a Very Long and Expensive Legal Proceeding. Here are Some Facts to Consider.”

Tips to Avoid Exhaustion After Your Divorce

divorce litigation tips

divorce litigation tipsI tell new clients to prepare themselves at the start of their divorce. My warning – A divorce is typically not a sprint but is usually a marathon! So, prepare yourself accordingly! So, how does one go about avoiding that “marathon”?

Here are my top tips to help you avoid total exhaustion after your divorce.

Tip One: Establish Your Top Priorities

I can’t tell you how critically important this truly is. Contested divorce litigation moves slowly and is very expensive! Some individuals come to the initial conference with a warrior’s mindset. They are often “hurt” and want to lash back by fighting everything. Please understand that there is really no “winner” or “loser” in divorce litigation. That “fight at all costs” approach is a mistake for most people. Why? Because litigating all the small issues will take forever and likely cost a fortune!

Some divorce lawyers may not agree with me on this. Many are willing to champion every fight their client wants. Others seem to have a form “checklist”. They start with the first item on the top of their checklist and won’t move on to item 2 until number 1 has been resolved. Yes. This is … Read More... “Tips to Avoid Exhaustion After Your Divorce”

Blast From The Past: The Benefits of Four Way Settlement Conferences

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

Is a Settlement Conference Worth it?

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Below is the repost of a blog from February 19, 2011 that has stood the test of time! Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques have flourished over the last 10 years! With escalating litigation costs and Court delays, 4 way settlement conferences are a great tool to move a case towards resolution. Operating in “good faith” and being willing to compromise is a major key in reaching success.

Settlement Conference 101: How to Schedule, what to Expect, and how to Prepare

settlement conference domestic relationsThe topic for this Family Blog Article is one that is I like to use and one that I highly recommend to clients and to other practitioners.  A four (4) way settlement conference is a meeting or conference attended by both parties (Husband and Wife) and their respective attorneys.

The meeting generally takes place at one of the attorney’s offices but it could be held at an absolutely neutral location such as the Bar Association, a local library, or a church having meeting rooms available for the public.  The meetings can take place during normal business hours but can also be held during evening or weekend hours as no one from the … Read More... “Blast From The Past: The Benefits of Four Way Settlement Conferences”

The Benefits of Four Way Settlement Conferences

settlecon.jpgThe topic for this Family Blog Article is one that is I like to use and one that I highly recommend to clients and to other practitioners.  A four (4) way settlement conference is a meeting or conference attended by both parties (Husband and Wife) and their respective attorneys.  The meeting generally takes place at one of the attorney’s offices but it could be held at an absolutely neutral location such as the Bar Association, a local library, or a church having meeting rooms available for the public.  The meetings can take place during normal business hours but can also be held during evening or weekend hours as no one from the Court needs to be present and no one from the Court needs to oversee or supervise the conference.  Therefore, the scheduling of settlement conferences can be done to accommodate each of the parties’ schedules and their respective attorneys’ schedules.

If I am scheduling a settlement conference, I generally set aside at least two (2) hours of time and I prefer to schedule them for 2:00 p.m or 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon with the thought that the conference will last up to two (2) hours of time and … Read More... “The Benefits of Four Way Settlement Conferences”