The OurFamilyWizard website

Managing debt can either involve dealing with debt that has already accrued or avoiding it in the first place. These 10 debt management strategies give you the tools you need for sound financial management, no matter what your current situation might be.

The top ten life, disability and long-term care insurance features and strategies during divorce that your attorney or financial advisor may not tell you about.

 The family courts continue to see a large increase in the number of litigants who appear before them "Pro Se" or without legal representation.  There are no national numbers tracking this phenomena, but many independent workgroups and investigations have yielded some startling numbers.  The numbers sighted below are a few years years old and do not take into account the effect of the decent downturn in the economy.  We have heard from some of the professionals that we work with, that the tough economy has only made this problem worse.

 Your parenting plan is the piece of the puzzle that is going to inoculate you from most of the causes of the conflict. Your parenting plan must include specifics of the day of the week and the time of the day for the pick up and drop off. Be specific - not after school. If kids are not always in school, we need a time. Sometimes, that actually means when it’s summertime or vacation time. It needs to be absolutely specified so when the police show up, you can say, “Here it is.”...

It’s a death or severe accident in the family. It’s a wedding or a birthday. These are events that your children must have an opportunity to be a part of. Family celebrations are a big deal. Things that will happen only once in a lifetime are not going to get a chance to be rearranged. Grandma just dropped tickets for a trip to Europe. It’s a freebie. They’re going to go to Paris they’re going to go to Barcelona and they’re going to go to Greece. Here’s an opportunity for them to see the world and it’s on your week. Are you going to stop them from doing it with the other parent because it’s on your week? I’m sure hoping not but some parents will do that.

The big question is why do some divorces with kids drag on in court and ring up enormous legal bills?  Well, the answer is often more simple than you may think.  Both parties involved have a great deal to do with the outcome of their case.  Obviously, you cannot control the other parent, but you can control yourself.  Your reaction or lack of reaction can greatly impact how your relationship develop under this new family system.