The Family Mediation Blog
Remote Mediation: a Viable Alternative During the COVID-19 Crisis
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Remote Mediation: a Viable Alternative During the COVID-19 Crisis
by Justin L. Kelsey, Vice President of MCFM
If you have a court hearing scheduled in the next few weeks, most likely you've been told it's postponed. While some hearings will be scheduled telephonically and by video conference, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely causing significant delays in obtaining a hearing and an order or judgment. This is understandable as the court and the bar figure out how to adjust to this crisis. (For updates on the Massachusetts court's...
First Things First: The No-Nup Prenup
Monday, September 16, 2019
First Things First: The No-Nup Prenup
by Vicki L. Shemin, J.D., LICSW, ACSW
Remember the good ol’ days when two people met, fell in love, and got married? Nowadays, not so fast. Increasingly, couples are rehearsing the relationship before deciding whether to plan a rehearsal dinner. As marriage rates have fallen, the number of cohabiting relationships has continued to climb sharply.
As reported by the Pew Research Center, the number of Americans living with an unmarried partner reached about 18 million in 2016, up 900% over the last 50 years. To put a finer point on it, that equates to some 7.8 million couples living together without putting a ring on it - - 85% of whom will break-up by the end of 10 years. Equally compelling is the...
Twenty MCFM Members Presenting at a National Mediation Conference in Boston - Nov 7-9, 2019
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
MCFM is excited to announce its partnership with 2 national organizations, APFM (Academy of Professional Family Mediators) and ADFP (Association of Divorce Financial Planners), to present a BLOCKBUSTER conference in Boston, November 7-9, 2019.
Numerous MCFM members will be presenting. Be sure to check out these workshops and help us spread the word:
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: What Makes People Tick: A Divorce Professional's Guide to Our Multiple Parts
David Hoffman (MCFM Member)
Friday, Nov. 8...
5 Reasons to Mediate Probate or Estate Situations
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
5 Reasons to Mediate Probate or Estate Situations
Co-Parenting for Dummies… and Smarties, too! A Guide to Co-Parent Communications
Monday, January 7, 2019
Co-Parenting for Dummies… and Smarties, too!
A GUIDE TO CO-PARENT COMMUNICATIONS
While it isn’t rocket science, it can be surprisingly difficult to communicate with the person you used to be married to. Old habits die hard and if you and s/he had a hard time listening to, not criticizing, or understanding each other before, chances are good that after divorce communications will also be a challenge. Add to this the residual feelings you might have about your marriage and what went wrong, coupled with the intensity of dealing with child related issues through and after divorce, managing all of the scheduling back and forth….well, you get the point----it just isn’t easy!!
As a family and...
The Alimony Reform Act: Lessons Learned in the Last Six Years
Friday, December 7, 2018
The Alimony Reform Act: Lessons Learned in the Last Six YearsThis December Don’t Dread Divorces
Monday, November 12, 2018This December Don’t Dread Divorces
by John Fiske
Thanks to the 2017 federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, (“TCAJA”), divorce lawyers and mediators know that December will be a busy time and some of us may be working right up to the bell on Monday, December 31st. Under the TCAJA the alimony exclusion has been repealed for all separation agreements executed after this December (technically you could say the alimony exclusion is suspended, because the TCAJA repeal expires on December 31, 2025).Wanted: Diverse Divorce Practitioners. Why Diversity is Good for All of Us
Tuesday, September 25, 2018Wanted: Diverse Divorce Practitioners. Why Diversity is Good for All of Us
By Valerie Qian
Cultural competence and sensitivity to the needs of diverse clients are an essential part of being an effective and successful professional.
My father-in-law recently underwent surgery to remove a kidney stone. It happened at a big hospital in New York City which, I understand, has an excellent urology department. As a first-generation immigrant from Shanghai, my father-in-law speaks limited English. After the surgery, while he was...
Facilitated Family Meetings
Monday, September 17, 2018
I suspect many of us have experienced, at one time or another, how quickly extended family conflicts can unfold, and the damaging impact on valued relationships that often follows. Identity and values conflicts among family members may emerge and communication may unravel. Even in the closest of families, feelings about issues relating to aging parents or other loved ones run deep, and adult children and grandchildren may have vastly different perspectives regarding how evolving challenges should be managed. It is not uncommon for longstanding sibling rivalries to manifest as family members attempt to tackle...Letter from Past President Barbara Kellman
Tuesday, July 24, 2018Dear Colleagues,
It has been an honor to serve for two years as MCFM President. Now if I could only convince Mr. Trump of the value of a two-year presidency. . . but, back to reality.
Our profession is extraordinarily important as we encourage parties to actually listen to and to hear the real (i.e., non-fake) needs and interests of each other. Whether their needs and interests intersect only a bit or a lot, in one place or in several, it is our job to help them to see and strengthen those intersection(s).
Easier Said Than Done
Though it is easier said than done, like our Senator Warren, we Persist. We seek connections that have been lost or perhaps were never sufficiently strong. We promote disclosure in situations that can be fraught with mistrust, suspicion, and secrecy. We encourage looking forward through the whole, wide windshield in front of us and not back through the small rearview mirror, as Kate Fanger taught me.
Why do...
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