Blog Posts in January, 2019

What is Discernment Counseling?

If you’re contemplating divorce, it’s not uncommon for friends or family to suggest couples counseling before making any final decisions. Being able to identify problems within your relationship and put forth that last ditch effort to reconcile is a noble suggestion, and certainly not a bad one. Traditional couples counseling can be especially helpful if both parties are open to the idea of saving ...

Who Keeps a Pet After Divorce?

For many people, pets are an integral part of the family unit. The unconditional love they offer can lead to deeply rooted connections, which is why the idea of parting with them because of a divorce can feel so devastating. If you’re contemplating divorce, you may be wondering how ownership of your pet will be determined. Oregon law does not view or treat pets similarly to children, and thus the ...

Custody in Oregon: Split Custody

It’s not uncommon for children to experience a sense of general upheaval as two parents go through the process of divorce. There are a lot of changing aspects in everyone’s life, with a shifting mood and stress often in the air, parents moving out of the house, and a sudden split in parenting time. It can be incredibly overwhelming and heartbreaking for children, and the only people who can often ...

Custody in Oregon: Sole vs. Joint

For this blog series, we’ll be focusing on defining custody in Oregon, as well as various terms that tend to get thrown around involving the matter, such as legal, sole, joint or physical custody. In our last blog, we explained that custody gives authority to a parent to make certain decisions on behalf of their child, specifically pertaining to medical, school and religious needs. It does not ...

What is Custody in Oregon?

Trying to understand custody when you’re going through a divorce with kids can be confusing, yet it’s one of the most important subjects to be informed on as a parent. There are a wide array of terms that get thrown around regarding custody, such as legal custody, sole custody, physical custody, and split custody, just to name a few. But what do all of these terms mean, and how do they apply to ...

Can Men Receive Spousal Support After Divorce?

Spousal support, or “alimony” as it is commonly referred to, is a court-ordered payment from one former spouse to the other. When people think of alimony, they generally assume that the woman is the receiver because statistically men have been the higher earners in the household. However, spousal support has nothing to do with gender, but rather is based on which spouse is less financially stable ...

How to Tell Your Children You're Getting a Divorce

Understandably, telling your children that you’re planning on getting a divorce is one of the harder conversations you’ll have with them. Similarly, it may be some of the hardest news they’ll hear in their childhood. While it’s important to understand the gravity of the conversation to be had, don’t let the fact that it will initially be difficult for everyone keep you from doing what is best for ...

Creating New Year's Resolutions After a Loss

Following a loss, whether that be the death of a loved one or even a divorce, it can easily feel as though your life and your sense of stability is out of your hands. The grieving process is one that should be acknowledged and respected—it’s important to give yourself the time you need to come to terms with the situation and mourn your loss, whether that be of a person or a marriage. There comes a ...