How Can We Support Those Who Are Going Through Divorce?

Mette Harrison is a novelist who also works in the financial industry. She was blindsided by her husband’s leaving her after six kids and 30 years of marriage. She also lost half of her friends. Sound familiar? According to a 2013 study headed by Brown University scholar Rose McDermott, if people in your close social network divorce, the risk of your marriage ending greatly increases. The result is that many divorced people find themselves losing not only a mate but the family home, their lifestyle and their friends.

Learning to accept and ask for help

One woman who was mourning the loss of friends also admits that “I didn’t know what I needed even when people asked.” One friend offered a bed until Ms. Harrison could find an apartment; another walked her through a frank assessment of her financial situation. A third texted every day for a year — a simple back and forth that she depended on to calm her panic in the early months. Her older brother set up a recurring monthly payment for rent and food plus a wish list on Amazon.

I can’t fix it, but I’m here for you

There are many ways to help those slammed by the shame, shock and economic panic of a separation or divorce. Ashley Mead, a New York psychotherapist who specializes in divorce, recommends connection. “Divorcees are losing the person they have been most connected to for their whole lives,” said Ms. Mead in an email. “They are often desperate and feel incredible shame.”

“Show up,” but forget “I told you so.” If you don’t know what to say, try this: “I know I can’t fix it but I am here for you. Trying to cheer someone up is often about calming our own discomfort.” Ensure that your friend has a place to vent, cry, laugh and think out loud.” Don’t stop inviting divorced friends to parties just because they are single. Call them on holidays even years after the divorce is over. Remember that it takes a few years to make new friends and rebuild a social network. A supportive person helps you see yourself in a bright next chapter, not someone who urges you to complain or stay mired in victim mode.

Offer to help with small projects

Divorce often means that now there’s just one person to manage daily chores–carpooling, paying bills, yard work. If you’re looking for creative ways to support a friend, think about offering to babysit one night/week, helping clean house once/month, car repair or small projects around the house.

Grief, loss and validation

For those who tell their friends they’re divorcing and their friends respond with “Great!”–that’s validation that it’s way past time to get out of a bad relationship. The language around divorce is all about failure, but sometimes it’s a victory that can help people make needed change.

The economics of divorce

The economic impact of almost every divorce hits hard; studies show that income may drop, especially for women. In an earlier article, we noted women’s standard of living may drop 27%. Details around spousal and child support take months and to get ironed out. Sydney Petite left her marriage in July of 2018 with three children. While she was awarded support from her ex-husband, she didn’t receive any payments for nearly three years. “I am where I am today because of unexpected support,” she said.

Other avenues of support could include gathering friends to pay for a few hours of an attorney’s time or organizing meal deliveries. “It can take years to get back to a stable financial situation,” said Alex Beattie, co-founder of Divide and Thrive, a downloadable financial divorce tool. “Dropping off a few meals or a few movie tickets can lighten someone’s spirits without costing much.”

Guideway’s Divorce and Mediation Services

Guideway has been assisting Bay Area couples with Divorce for nearly 20 years. While the majority of our clients may not have worked out the details, they know they are willing to reach agreement on division of assets and a parenting plan—and those are the critical components of an Amicable Divorce. Our Guided Mediation is for couples whose Divorce has stalled for whatever reasons. We guide you through it, and we prepare the legal documents. Schedule an appointment with Guideway today.

Guideway services the entire Bay Area

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

This article based on an article in The New York Times.

Women, Divorce and the Economic Realities

Each year, nearly 2.8 million men and women go through Divorce. In the first year after the Divorce is final, a wife’s standard of living may drop almost 27 percent. Compare that to her husband’s standard of living—it may increase by as much as 10 percent! In the nearly 20 years that Guideway has been assisting our clients with Divorce, it’s hardly surprising that women are concerned about financial survival in the high-priced Bay Area.

Many factors contribute to lowering the standard of living         

Women generally end up with custody of the kids, and child support may not be enough to cover the actual cost of child rearing. For stay-at-home moms or those who held part-time jobs, getting back into the workforce and finding well-paying jobs is extremely difficult. It takes years to get on a career path to start making a good living. Divorce is expensive—there are court costs, therapist bills, getting established in new living situations based on a single paycheck. If you are contemplating divorce, now is the time to rethink your spending. Where can you cut back and start saving money that you’re going to need?

Do your research. Talk to single moms; consult with a financial adviser

If you’re contemplating Divorce, start doing some research. Talk to your friends who are single moms. Be fully aware of just how difficult it will be—especially if you don’t have family to help with the kids. Consult with a lawyer and a financial advisor. Make sure you’ve fully considered the impact of Divorce on your kids, your spouse and your life. Think about timing. If you’ve been married nine years, you might want to stick out the last year, so you can collect on your ex’s earnings record.

Make copies of all financial documents

Make a copy of all tax returns, loan applications, wills, trusts, financial statements, your mortgage, banking information, brokerage statements, loan documents, credit card statements, deeds to real property, car registration, insurance inventories, and insurance policies. If you have assets that you brought into the marriage, these will remain yours as long as you can document your ownership.

Be suspicious. Look for signs that your husband may be hiding income

Make sure you’re including any safe deposit boxes and reviewing pay stubs, retirement plans, and insurance policies. If your spouse’s business generates a lot of cash, find a forensic accountant to look for signs of additional income that he may be hiding. Don’t overlook hobbies or side businesses that generate income. Here’s an example: My neighbor Allen makes exquisite knives in his workshop that he sells for up to $1K/each. Working with iron and metal is his hobby, and when he sells something, there’s no record of it, and he doesn’t pay any taxes. But at $1K/each, he’s generating a nice little revenue stream. California is a community property state, and you’re entitled to half of this kind of income.

Did you help your husband get a degree or pay for grad school?

My accountant put her husband through law school, and he’s now a partner in a prestigious San Francisco law firm. When he wanted a divorce, she put her savvy CPA brain to work and received a generous compensation for those years she worked to put him through school.

Consider big-picture tax consequences

Get an accountant to help you make these decisions because they will have profound effects on your future and that of your children.

• Monthly alimony or a lump sum?
• What is his retirement plan worth?
• Should you keep the family home or sell it now?
• Who pays the mortgage until it sells?

Selling the family home is a difficult decision, but in too many cases, women hang on to the house because of the emotional bonds. They want their kids to stay in a neighborhood where they have friends and feel safe. But in too many cases, that home is too expensive to maintain. The constant upkeep, the landscaping and repairs, the mow and blow guy who comes once/week. All of this becomes a burden. Better to move to a smaller home in a neighborhood that’s more affordable.

Become your own advocate. Prepare for your future

Be informed. Taking an active role in the divorce negotiations will help you reach a better settlement. During our Guided Mediation, we often see couples improving communication through the mediation process. They will need this as they raise their kids together. Stand up for yourself and get your share so you’re able to take care of yourself and your children financially.

If you stayed home to take care of your kids, you’ll need to find a way to support yourself and your children. Get career counseling and training. You may need to go back to school, so prepare for the expense of tuition and books. You’re creating a new life for your family.

Guideway’s Divorce and Mediation Services

Guideway has been assisting Bay Area couples with Divorce for nearly 20 years. While the majority of our clients may not have worked out the details, they know they are willing to reach agreement on division of assets and a parenting plan—and those are the critical components of an Amicable Divorce. Our Guided Mediation is for couples whose Divorce has stalled for whatever reasons. We guide you through it, and we prepare the legal documents. Schedule an appointment with Guideway today.

Guideway services the entire Bay Area

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

If you’re planning a divorce in 2022, you’ve got lots of company. Few couples want to disrupt the family’s holidays with Divorce matters, and statistics show that Divorce rates are highest early in the year.

These are things you can be doing now that will help move the process along, minimizing the impact on your family.

1. Identify assets and liabilities

• Identify separate assets for each spouse. These are the individual assets that you brought into your marriage and are not subject to division. They might include real estate, valuable collections, such as antiques and cars. This also includes brokerage, savings and retirement accounts.
• Identify marital assets–those things you and your spouse acquired together during your marriage, to be divided equally.
• Identify liabilities. Identify individual and marital debt. It may be that you’re still paying off your college loans. If so, these likely are separate debts that you brought into the marriage—your spouse bears no responsibility for repaying these debts. If, however, you and your spouse buy a home together, your mortgage is a shared liability.

2. Gather/copy important records and financial documents

It’s helpful to have copies of your records in one place when going through your divorce, and you will need to have copies. Deeds, mortgages, car titles and other financial documents that show proof of ownership or investment are essential.

3. Amicable Divorce

While it can seem overwhelming, Divorce is actually a very methodical process. If you can agree on division of property and a parenting plan, you don’t need an attorney, and Guideway can save you a lot of money. We are available for questions throughout the process. Either you or your spouse will serve the other with a petition, which Guideway files with the court. You will need to exchange detailed financial information that includes both assets and debts, mentioned above. Our team is compassionate, knowledgeable, and responsive. We guide you through it, and we prepare the legal documents.

4. Guided Mediation

Guideway is an experienced, neutral third party that guides divorcing couples through the issues that have stalled their divorce, helping them reach a mutually acceptable resolution. There’s no judge, no winning or losing. Instead, our Guided Divorce is based on the principles of negotiation, open-mindedness, and compromise. Both parties must be our clients and must be willing to listen and compromise.

You’ll be asked to prioritize:

• What can’t you live without? It may be your house–your biggest asset that keeps appreciating, and the place your kids call home.
• What will you give up to keep it? Retirement benefits? Long-term financial support?

Our skilled guides help couples divide their assets and work through custody matters to reach mutually agreeable solutions.

Now is a good time to begin thinking about your priorities

• Do you want to continue living in the family home? Remember that you’re now living on one income rather than two, and home maintenance is expensive. It may make sense to sell the house and move to a more affordable neighborhood.
• How important will it be for you to obtain alimony (or minimize your liability for alimony)?
• What can you expect from your spouse in terms of co-parenting your children?

5. Think about your spouse’s priorities

Note areas where your and your spouse’s priorities are likely to overlap. This will help you to be better prepared to address potential conflicts.

6. Create a post-Divorce plan

Get realistic about your post-Divorce life. While Divorce represents a fresh start, the high cost of living in the Bay Area also makes it stressful. By preparing a budget and identifying your want-to-haves vs need-to-haves, you can be realistic about the new life you are trying to create for yourself and your family.

7. Keep a low profile

Hiding assets is a very bad idea and has serious consequences if it backfires. Maintain a low profile and keep your spouse and your Divorce off social media.

8. Manage stress

While your Divorce is a major life event with long-term consequences, try to keep this in perspective. You will get through this.

Guideway’s Divorce and Mediation Services

Guideway has been assisting Bay Area couples with Divorce for nearly 20 years. While the majority of our clients may not have worked out the details, they know they are willing to reach agreement on division of assets and a parenting plan—and those are the critical components of an Amicable Divorce. Our Guided Mediation is for couples whose Divorce has stalled for whatever reasons. We guide you through it, and we prepare the legal documents. Schedule an appointment with Guideway today.

Guideway services the entire Bay Area

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Divorce in the New Year? Inspiring Stories of Coming Back Stronger

The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers tells us that the number of Divorce filings are one third higher than normal in the month of January. Not hard to figure out why. Too many people make silent promises that they’ll never spend another year—and most of all—another holiday, with their current spouses.

It takes hard-hearted parents to leave during the holidays, so they don’t

They wait until January, “Divorce Month”. But it’s still November, and while we’re just ratcheting up to the holidays—many people are absolutely miserable, secretly planning their escapes. While Divorce will be emotional and disruptive, take inspiration from a few New York Times readers who moved on from their divorces—stronger, happier and more capable!

• Twelve years after a difficult divorce, I look back with pride at the life I’ve built. I went back to graduate school, built a career and kept the house and maintained it beautifully. Took trips around the world with my girls and taught them how to be strong independent women.
• I relish each small successful repair, every picture hung perfectly, done by me with no screaming or worsened damage. I never felt as good sitting in a psychiatrist’s office as I do now when I’ve selected just the right drill bit to mount that anchor.
• Six years ago, I left a 30-year marriage and was terrified I would not know how to handle things — an apartment, finances, car repairs, caps on jars. All this fear, despite holding a demanding job. I learned how to use tools and fix things, and it was so satisfying. Now I know I can handle anything on my own.
• One very capable woman tells her story. Last fall, when local infections were sky high, the firewood still needed to be cut and split and family couldn’t come help me — so out I went. I felled over a dozen trees, cut everything into pieces, got it all back to my house, and split all the logs into firewood.
• A single dad weighs in. After the divorce I stayed in the marital home, took on shared custody and relished the opportunity to prove to both myself and my girls (and my son) that I could manage both a taxing job and being a good dad as well as a passable “mom”. It was a hectic period with very long days and short nights, but boy, was it worth it!

Guideway’s Divorce and Mediation Services

Guideway has been assisting Bay Area couples with their Divorces for nearly 20 years. If you and your spouse can reach agreement on division of assets and liabilities and a parenting plan, you don’t need an attorney, and we can save you a significant amount of money.

Divorce can seem overwhelming, but it’s a very methodical process

If you can figure out division of assets, you don’t need a lawyer, and we can save you a lot of money. Most of our clients may not have worked out the details, but they know they are willing to reach agreement—and that’s the critical component of an amicable Divorce.

Best of all, we guide you through it and we prepare the legal documents. Schedule an appointment with Guideway today.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Judge Orders Deadbeat Dad to Pay Child Support

Robyn and John, both in their late 30s, had been together for seven years. When Robyn got pregnant, though she knew that John had a son from a former relationship and was an indifferent father, she wanted to have this child.

Everyone had always told John how brilliant he was

John graduated from Rutgers with a Ph.D. in cell microbiology. He returned to Seattle and took a post-doc position at the University of Washington. That was 15 years ago. Post-doc positions generally last two-three years; they don’t pay much and they’re meant to be learning periods, after which people move on to careers in academia or research. John did neither. After 15 years, he was still a post-doc.

Robyn took this deadbeat dad to court

Robyn and John were no longer together, but she needed John’s financial support to raise their son. John’s view was that he didn’t make enough money to be paying child support. He spent most days working from coffee shops and was content to be muddling along on his meager post-doc salary. The judge threw the book at John and told him he needed to get a job, start making some real money and contribute to the support of his kids. The judge scheduled dates when John had to be back in court to show progress.

Unpaid child support compromises the wellbeing of children

Nonpayment of child support is an offense that’s punishable by jail time. Unfortunately, that doesn’t solve the problem. It still leaves the custodial parent, generally the mother, trying to make ends meet, and it ultimately punishes the child. What many may not realize is that there is a statewide Child Support Guideline that defines how child support is determined. It’s neither arbitrary nor subjective. Rather, it’s a formula that’s predicated on both parents being responsible for supporting their children, and it’s part of the California Family Code.

The Guideline is designed to provide a minimum level of support

The standard guideline provides a minimum level of child support and uniformity in the way it’s calculated and applied. Both judges and parents are expected to adhere to these guidelines. Child support orders must ensure that children receive fair, timely support that’s consistent with California’s standard of living.

Applying the Guideline

The Guideline is a formula that uses parents’ income, deductions and time spent with the child to come up with a dollar amount for child support. An online child support calculator helps couples contemplating Divorce estimate their child-support commitments.

Child support is based on:

• Each parent’s gross income.
• The percentage oftime each child spends with each parent. If there is more than one child and each child spends different percentages of time with each parent, this starts to get complicated.
• Any available income tax deductions that the parents can claim, such as mortgage interest.
• Mandatory payroll deductions, such as health insurance, pensions, and union dues.
• Child-care costs. If there are young children, there will be childcare costs that likely need to be shared.

The calculator will generate the child support estimate. In general, the greater the disparity between the two parents’ income and the less time the higher earning parent spends with the children, the more child support that parent will owe.

Breaking down the formula

Here is the formula California uses to calculate child support:

CS = K (HN – (H%) (TN)).

• CS is the child support amount. This is what the formula will calculate once you’ve plugged in all of your information. The amount will be for one child.
• K is the combined total of both parents’ income to be allocated for child support.
• HN stands for high net: The net monthly disposable income of the parent who earns more.
• H% is the approximate percentage of time that the high earner has or will have primary physical responsibility for the children compared to the other parent.
• TN is the combined total net monthly disposable income of both parents.

Division of property, parenting plans and calculating child support—it can all seem confusing, but Divorce is actually a very methodical process. Guideway guides you through it and we prepare the legal documents.

Guideway, assisting our clients in Divorce and Guided Mediation

As Legal Document Assistants, we assist our clients in Divorce and Mediation. If you can agree on division of property and a parenting plan, we can save you a lot of money. Our fees are significantly lower than those of attorneys. Why work with Guideway? One flat fee. There are never annoying add-on charges for copying, phone calls and other miscellany. Where appropriate, we also notarize documents and file them with the County Recorders’ Office.

We’re a single point of contact. You’ll work with a dedicated specialist who is available for questions and support throughout the process. We’ve been in business since 2003 and have expanded to three Bay Area offices–Dublin, Oakland and Walnut Creek. More than 60% of our business comes from referrals and repeat business.

We’re also proud of our comprehensive Living Trust package that includes a Power of Attorney and Advanced Healthcare Directive. We provide a hard copy as well as a soft copy of your documents. More questions? Contact us today.

Guideway services the entire Bay Area

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Guideway assists our clients with uncontested legal matters, including Divorce. If you and your spouse can agree on division of property, you don’t need a lawyer, and we can save you a lot of money. We prepare the legal documents and guide you through it. 

There’s a general perception these days that Divorce is on the rise

Yet according to the Institute for Family Studies, the divorce rate reached a record low in 2019—for every 1,000 divorces, only 14.9 ended in divorce. But after a year and a half riding the pandemic rollercoaster, it’s a wonder anyone’s still married. Too much forced togetherness, economic insecurity and job loss. It’s been particularly hard on women—they’ve shouldered the bulk of childcare duties as whole families have switched to working and learning from home. But just as post-pandemic job hunters are seeking higher pay and more benefits, Covid has made many couples realize that they are no longer satisfied with the status quo. They want more from their relationships. 

According to Matt Lundquist, clinical director of Tribeca Therapy:

The pandemic has exacerbated issues that couples might have previously ignored, or tried to ignore. Alongside the enormous stress that Covid has created, many people in long-term marriages have found themselves at a crossroads. “I think this has been a forced moment of profound reflection. People are thinking a lot about what matters to them, what they want in life, what they tolerated living without that they don’t want to tolerate anymore. People are realizing that they have choices.”

 

Family attorney Alton L. Abramowitz: with SSRGA: “People are reexamining their lives, thinking: Is this the way I want to live for the next ten, 20 years?” he says. “There is this pent-up desire to move on with their lives.”

New York Magazine-The Covid Divorce: Couples want more from their relationships

He had promised he was sober, and then I found empty bottles

“What shifted for us is the lack of coping skills and distractions. We were in a very small house with our kids in lockdown. There was no place to hide. My ex’s alcoholism began to loom during the lockdown. I’m trying to raise the kids and he’s struggling with his addiction. With all of the stress of the pandemic, I needed the partner that I never got. I caught his stashing bottles around the house. My father has addiction issues, and it was not lost on me that I’m calling my mom, and she’s crying to me about this exact issue 20 years down the road. I had to end this cycle because it was not going to change.”

— Maya, 39, Montreal; married 16 years, together 21

 

She wanted a breadwinner, and I didn’t know how to get a six-figure job

“Before the pandemic, I was working for myself as a wedding photographer, and I was planting seeds for screenwriting and writing a book. I had worked hard to carve out a successful creative career. The pandemic changed things overnight—no one was having big weddings, so my income dried up; we didn’t meet our financial goals and ended the year with debt. I took a job with my wife’s company as a salesperson. The CEO loved my wife and hired me because of her. I never really succeeded in this culture. It cracked open big differences between us on how we define success and value money. We ended up separating, I moved to California and realized that I was happier alone. We are now planning to divorce, though not rushing to file papers.”

— Parker, 30, Southern CA; married four years, together seven

Why work with Guideway?

 

Guided Mediation. For those divorcing couples who have difficulty reaching consensus or for whom the Divorce process has stalled, our Guided Mediation, through a process of compromise and negotiation, assists couples in reaching successful conclusions.

One flat fee. There are never annoying add-on charges for copying, phone calls and other miscellany. Where appropriate, we also notarize documents and file them with the County Recorders’ Office. We’re a single point of contact. You’ll work with a dedicated specialist who is available for questions and support throughout the process. We’ve been in business since 2003, with three Bay Area offices–Dublin, Oakland and Walnut Creek. More than 60% of our business comes from referrals and repeat business. Schedule an appointment today. 

Guideway services the entire Bay Area

 

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.

Too Busy to Get Divorced?

The pandemic has played some cruel tricks on relationships. Too much stress. Too much anxiety from worrying about jobs, kids and trying to stay healthy. Too much time together without a break. The result is a whole lot of people who can’t wait to get out of their unhappy marriages. One of the ironies of Divorce is that no matter how unhappy you and your spouse may be, it requires a significant effort to get even an uncontested, or amicable, divorce.

A woman from Concord, Shelley, who had filed for a Divorce nearly a year ago recently came into Walnut Creek office and wanted to know if we could help her. She and her spouse had tried a do-it-yourself (DIY) Divorce, but their economics didn’t fit the DIY mold. She’s not alone. Trying to equally divide your life and how you will share the raising of your children requires some heavy lifting.

Like many Bay Area women, her life is a constant juggling act

Shelley has two children under 12 who are involved in a variety of activities. She has a good job, but works long hours and her husband works for a nonprofit. By the time she deals with the challenges of her job, her kids and running her home, she’s exhausted and can’t seem to find time to focus on the Divorce, and her husband isn’t much help.

Disclosure: A listing of assets and liabilities

Shelley and her husband agree that they want a divorce, so they will identify the assets and liabilities that constitute their financial status. The next step will be to determine how they will split their assets and share the responsibility for their debts.

For their two children, there must be a parenting plan

The more thought and care that goes into this, the more successful the parenting plan will be. Shelley and her husband tried to stick to their kids’ existing routines as much as possible. They’ll need to decide:

• If they’ll share legal custody or if one will have sole physical and legal custody. Will one of them keep the family home? If so, that ensures that the kids remain in the same neighborhood and school. This is a tricky one. Owning and maintaining a home in the Bay Area can be challenging on a single income.
• Who will be responsible for the kids’ health insurance, for transportation to and from activities, from doctor and dental appointments?
• Where their kids will spend school holidays and summer vacations?
• Who will buy their clothes and deduct them on their income tax?

While a parenting plan will evolve as children grow, the more thoughtful and complete, the better the family will adapt.

We created a project plan and a timeline for the Divorce to be finalized

Guideway identified tasks and a timeline for Shelley and her husband to complete them. They now know exactly what they need to do and have set a goal to be divorced by September. We were delighted to provide the structure and accountability that got Shelley’s Divorce back on track.

There’s a better solution: Guideway 

Guideway has been assisting Bay Area couples with their Divorces for more than 15 years. If you and your spouse can reach agreement on division of assets and liabilities and a parenting plan, you don’t need an attorney, and we can save you a significant amount of money.
Divorce can seem overwhelming, but it’s a very methodical process. Most of our clients have a pretty good idea how they are going to divide their property and share custody of their children. They may not have worked out the details, but they know they are willing to reach agreement—and that’s the critical component of an amicable Divorce.

Best of all, we guide you through it and we prepare the legal documents. Schedule an appointment with Guideway today.

We service the entire East Bay and North Bay areas

Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley Newark, San Lorenzo, Concord, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Tracy and Fremont. Our clients also live in the Napa Valley, Benicia, Vallejo, Martinez, Fairfield.