Melinda M. Previtera

The Biggest Benefits of Postnuptial Agreements

We’ve all heard of prenuptial agreements, those agreements signed by the marrying parties before the wedding.

But what about postnuptial agreements?

They may be rare, but they can be just as valuable.

Many people don’t understand that marriage is a legally binding contractual obligation. There are built-in legal requirements for support and property division within this contract, based on your state’s law. You are entering into a legal agreement just by getting married why not go further and decide how you want your assets divided, instead of leaving it up to the state.

Melinda M. Previtera is a graduate of Rutgers Law school and was named to the Top 40 Under 40 list by the Institute of Family Lawyers. She holds a certification in mediation and practices in all areas of family law as a Partner at Petrelli Previtera, LLC in Philadelphia.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Melinda joins Katherine to explain what postnuptial agreements are and how couples can use them to help communicate their wants and needs to navigate their expectations around money and property division.

Listen in as Melinda shares why postnuptial agreements are not just for the wealthy. She’ll offer some advice on how to broach the topic with your partner so you can determine the specifics of your financial future as a couple.

The truth is ALL marriages end, either by death or divorce. A postnuptial agreement can be part of a couple’s financial planning, offering each person the safety, security, and knowledge of what will happen so they can stop worrying about the what-ifs.

Topics Covered

How postnuptial agreements work

Who should consider a postnuptial agreement

The most significant benefit of a postnuptial agreement

The essential conversations missing from most marriages

How discussing expectations around money can strengthen your relationship

How a postnuptial agreement can help with estate planning

How a postnuptial agreement can effectively protect the assets of the family and each individual

Connect with Melinda Previtera

Petrelli Previtera, LLC
Melinda Previtera on Twitter

Connect with Katherine Miller 

The Center for Understanding in Conflict 

Miller Law Group 

Katherine on LinkedIn 

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller 

Email  katherine@miller-law.com 

Call (914) 862-7487

The post The Biggest Benefits of Postnuptial Agreements With Melinda Previtera appeared first on Divorce Dialogues.

Shara Goldfarb

How to Financially Prepare For Your Divorce

Divorce is a very complicated and emotional process on its own. It becomes even harder when we start separating the money. 

Dividing marital funds during a divorce may seem daunting, but there are plenty of things you can learn to make the process as smooth as possible. 

Shara Goldfarb is a family law attorney with the Miller Law Group and a certified divorce financial analyst.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Shara joins Katherine to discuss financial considerations that are important to make before starting the divorce process. She explains marital property versus separate property and what funds can be subjected to equitable division.

Listen in as Shara advises on how to be reasonable with your financial expectations going into a divorce, how to gather the proper financial information needed for a divorce, and why you should try to conserve your financial resources during divorce proceedings. 

Topics Covered

Why it’s important to gather financial information prior to divorce proceedings and what documentation is the most helpful to have

Why it is easier and cheaper to get all financial information ready for your lawyer before divorce proceedings

How to obtain tax information and bank statements prior to your divorce

The differences between an adversarial process and a collaborative divorce and how it shapes financial discussions with your spouse and lawyers

Shara’s advice on how to be reasonable with your financial expectations if you’re thinking about getting a divorce

Why you should try to conserve your resources with the right professionals involved, rather than spend more money than necessary on a lawyer or other legal fees

Why marital property is subjected to equitable division, but separate property is not

How different kinds of debt, equity, and mortgages are divided during a divorce

Why it is important to work with a lawyer and a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) when getting a divorce

Connect with Shara Goldfarb

Shara on LinkedIn

Email Shara at shara@miller-law.com

Connect with Katherine Miller 

The Center for Understanding in Conflict 

Miller Law Group 

Katherine on LinkedIn 

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller 

Email katherine@miller-law.com 

Call (914) 862-7487

Resources

About Shara Goldfarb

The post How to Financially Prepare For Your Divorce With Shara Goldfarb appeared first on Divorce Dialogues.

Mary T. Kelly

Realistic Expectations for Successful Stepfamilies

The divorce rate among couples in second marriages with kids is somewhere between 64% and 72%. And part of the reason is that stepfamilies face unique challenges and may not have a realistic picture of just how long it takes for stepparents and stepchildren to get comfortable with each other.

Mary T. Kelly, M.A. is the marriage and family psychotherapist behind Real Stepfamilies, a platform designed to educate, normalize and offer practical solutions for the complexities of being part of a blended family. Her private practice in Boulder, Colorado, focuses on helping step-couples and stepfamilies, and she has 18-plus years of clinical experience in the space. Mary also runs support groups for stepmothers and serves as a contributing writer for Huffington Post and Stepmom Magazine.

On this episode, Mary joins Katherine to discuss the unique challenges faced by combined families with nonbiological members. She explains what’s behind the cultural stereotype of the ‘evil stepmother’ and describes the unrealistic expectations we have for what our blended family will look like. Listen in for Mary’s insight on establishing a good stepparent-stepchild relationship and learn what new stepfamilies can do to ease the transition for all involved.

Topics Covered

Why the solutions counselors use for nuclear families don’t work for stepfamilies

What’s behind the cultural stereotype of the ‘evil stepmother’

The competing priorities of being a parent, a spouse and a stepparent simultaneously

The challenge in taking on the role of stepmother when you don’t have kids of your own

The therapeutic value of having camaraderie with other stepmoms

What we can do to ease the transition for married couples with kids

Establishing realistic expectations for what your blended family will look like

The pressure some women put on themselves to be the ‘best stepmom ever’

Why it’s crucial for couples in second marriages to set a regular date night

Why men tend to be more permissive with their kids post-divorce

Mary’s insight on what a good stepparent-stepchild relationship looks like

Connect with Mary T. Kelly

Real Stepfamilies

Call (303) 594-5240

Connect with Katherine Miller

The Center for Understanding Conflict

Miller Law Group

Katherine on LinkedIn

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller

Email katherine@miller-law.com

Call (914) 738-7765

Resources

Mary’s Meetup for Stepmoms

The post Realistic Expectations for Successful Stepfamilies with Mary T. Kelly appeared first on Divorce Dialogues.