Clients involved in the Collaborative Divorce Process participate in team meetings. At it’s most basic, team meetings include both clients and their respective attorneys. These are often referred to as “four way” team meetings. When the meeting agenda requires it, the parties may also add to the meeting a coach or facilitator,

The core of the Collaborative Divorce Team includes the divorcing couple and their respective collaboratively-trained attorneys. Lawyers must complete a special training which differs dramatically from the traditional adversarial training provided in law schools. Rather than advocating for our clients from an adversarial and combative stance, lawyers help clients identify their underlying

Clients often share that one of the most difficult aspects of going through a divorce is wondering how to shield one’s children from the emotional and financial impact divorce often has on families. Parents worry that a child will learn about an affair engaged in by one of the parents; that a

Statistically we know that the majority of divorces are resolved outside of the courtroom. For divorcing parents, the settlement often includes a designation of “joint custody” related to the parties’ minor children. In Oregon, “custody” refers to decision-making authority on three key issues: education, non-emergency medical care, and religious training. It does

Often during the holidays, family law lawyers receive calls from former or new clients who are struggling to work with the other parent around holiday scheduling. These challenges usually fall into one of two categories: (1) the parties’ parenting plan does not have specific provisions for sharing holidays; or (2) one parent

Clients are often surprised to learn that life insurance is often addressed during a family law case. The issue of life insurance generally arises in a family law matter in one of three ways: Within an Asset Division: Certain types of life insurance policies have cash surrender values. The owner of the

One of the comments we routinely hear from potential clients when we meet with them during our initial consultation is how much they appreciate the amount of information they receive. Our firm philosophy has always included the goal of educating our clients about the divorce process and the options they have to

This article was written by associate attorney Laura MacMillan and edited by Jill E. Brittle. Today, especially in the Portland area, the housing market is tough. Often times, sharing the rent with your partner is the only way to make ends meet with prices skyrocketing. Many couples are noticing that rent is

This article was written by associate attorney Laura MacMillan and edited by Jill E. Brittle. This is intended to be a step-by-step follow-up to “What is an Oregon Writ of Assistance?” When a family member or roommate successfully files for a restraining order against you, you may find yourself out of the

We’ve all heard the horror stories about divorces that go off the rails and cost parties a fortune. It is popular wisdom that divorces are expensive. However, this does not have to be case, and there are many ways that parties can keep costs to a minimum during the divorce process. In