Broomfield Family Law Blog

Mediation is an alternative to litigation for many divorces

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in mediation on Friday, May 10, 2019.

Celebrity news sources are often full of accounts of acrimonious celebrity divorces, and we all know people whose divorces were excruciating affairs. Does it have to be this way? It may if the parties are not able to communicate with each other amicably for whatever reason. But if spouses are still on speaking terms, there may be an alternative available to knock-down, drag-out litigation. That alternative is mediation. This blog post will discuss mediation in a little more detail.

In mediation, the spouses together hire a person to help facilitate fruitful discussion between them. This person is a specially trained individual called a mediator. Mediators are neutral, meaning they do not represent either party and they are not biased in favor of either party. The mediator's goal is to help the parties create a divorce agreement that is fair, legally sound and mutually acceptable while avoiding expense and minimizing trauma, hostility and controversy during and after the process.

World’s largest divorce settlement comes with no drama

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in high-asset divorce on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

Let’s face it: most stories about celebrity divorce are a lesson in what not to do. There’s something about being wealthy and in the public eye that tends to bring out the worst in former Hollywood couples, athletes and other celebrities. The divorces often end up derailing or dragging out due to petty feuds over financially insignificant property.

In light of this, one recent celebrity divorce seems especially noteworthy for its amicability, efficiency and lack of drama. Ironically, the divorcing duo are among the wealthiest people in the entire world: Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos.

Same-sex divorce: What is its history and current status?

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in same-sex divorce on Friday, April 26, 2019.

Same-sex couples cheered the recent legalization of same-sex marriage, but what not everyone realized is that the advent of same-sex marriage also means the advent of same-sex divorce. Not all marriages work out for the spouses. Today, due to the 2015 ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, all same-sex couples are allowed to marry and divorce in all states according to the state's usual rules of marriage and divorce. Before this ruling, however, there was a confusing patchwork of rules governing same-sex divorce.

The Defense of Marriage Act, enacted in 1996, permitted states not to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. This meant that if a same-sex couple married in a state that permitted same-sex marriage, then moved or returned to a state that did not, they probably would not be able to get a divorce in their state of residence.

An introduction to child custody and how courts award it

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in child custody & parenting time on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

After a divorce or separation, at least one of the parents usually moves out of the family home, so a decision must be made about how much parenting time the children should have with each parent. Legal rules and legal standards exist that govern how these kinds of child custody decisions are made. This blog post will provide some basic information on how child custody decisions are made by family law courts in Colorado.

First of all, there are two kinds of custody recognized in family law courts. A parent with physical custody is the parent with whom the children live. Sometimes the parents are awarded joint custody, where the children spend an approximately equal time with each parent. Other times, the court will award one parent primary custody, in which case the other parent is usually awarded visitation.

How the divorce mediation process works

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office on Monday, March 18, 2019.

The typical, adversarial, litigious method of divorce isn’t for everyone. Some couples opt for mediation to work out the specifics of their divorce.

Finding a mediator is not difficult – many counties have community-based mediation centers while the state bar association also lists mediators in your area. Both lawyers and non-lawyers can be mediators and their fees vary from case to case.