Fox Business:How to make your #divorce c

Fox Business:How to make your #divorce cheaper. Stay out of court and consider Collaborative Practice! #cpcal http://ow.ly/llxUA

My Fourth Appearance on The Real Estate Radio Hour on ESPN 1700 AM

By Shawn Weber, JD, CLS-F

On April 4, I had another opportunity to go on San Diego ESPN 1700′s Real Estate Radio with my good friend and fellow collaborative divorce practitioner, Justin Reckers, CFP^®, CDFA^™, AIF^®.  It was a great opportunity because we had the full hour to ourselves to talk about divorce processes.  I have been a long believer that people facing a divorce need to take control early and decide what process they wish to use to complete their divorce. So many people and attorneys just jump straight to litigation, which for most people, is the the very worst way to transition a family.  It is more expensive and more destructive.

I was pleased that Justin and I had the chance to tell about mediation and collaborative divorce as excellent options for parties to reduce cost, take control of the outcome and transition their families in as healthy a way as possible.

Listen to the whole show here:

The Real Estate Radio Hour on ESPN 1700 AM

 

Shawn Weber, J.D., CLS-F

Justin A. Reckers, CFP®, CDFA™, AIF®

International Be Kind to Lawyers Day

Apparently it is International Be Kind to Lawyers Day.  I simply don’t know what to say.  Perhaps I will just sit in my office and wait for kindness to flow my way.  (Yeah that’ll happen!)  ;)

So go out.  Find a lawyer.  Give him or her a great big hug.  Awwww!  (Now go take a shower with liquid hand sanitizer.)

http://bekindtolawyers.com/

Hug a Lawyer

My ex and I are divorced, but have a child together. Can I claim my child as a dependent on my taxes?

Rules regarding who can claim a child on his/her taxes can be found in IRS Publication 596. In general, you can only qualify to claim a child for a tax credit or dependency exemption if the child has lived with you for over half of the year.

However, sometimes in crafting child support orders, family law professionals and courts deliberately plan to give the noncustodial parent the dependency exemption and child tax credit. This is especially true if the support recipient has lower income and is in a lower tax bracket and the supporting parent is in a higher tax bracket. The party in the higher tax bracket may be able to make better use of the exemption and credit. Sometimes allowing that person to claim a child will enable us to order a higher amount of support because there is more disposable income available to pay support. It’s a win-win for everyone.

The IRS allows the noncustodial parent to claim a child if each of the following requirements are met:

“1. The parents:

a. Are divorced or legally separated under a decree of divorce or separate

maintenance,

b. Are separated under a written separation agreement, or

c. Lived apart at all times during the last 6 months of 2012, whether or not they are

or were married.

2. The child received over half of his or her support for the year from the parents.

3. The child is in the custody of one or both parents for more than half of 2012.

4. Either of the following statements is true.

a. The custodial parent signs Form 8332 or a substantially similar statement that he

or she will not claim the child as a dependent for the year, and the noncustodial

parent attaches the form or statement to his or her return. If the divorce decree or

separation agreement went into effect after 1984 and before 2009, the

noncustodial parent may be able to attach certain pages from the decree or

agreement instead of Form 8332.

b. A pre-1985 decree of divorce or separate maintenance or written separation

agreement that applies to 2012 provides that the noncustodial parent can claim

the child as a dependent, and the noncustodial parent provides at least $600 for

support of the child during 2012.”

IRS Publication 596 (2012) [http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p596.pdf].

Remember, without a signed Form 8332 or equivalent, the noncustodial parent may not claim the child.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Remember, because every case is different, nothing replaces personalized advice from a professional. For further discussion of divorce and custody related tax issues, call attorney Shawn Weber at 858-345-1616 for a free telephone conference or go to his website at www.BraveWeberMack.com.

What Divorcing Parents Must Do When Spri

What Divorcing Parents Must Do When Spring Break and Teenagers Mix – Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego Blog http://ow.ly/jgowS

T. Boone Pickens Endorses Collaborative Divorce

T. Boone Pickens Endorses Collaborative Divorce

I am such a fan of the Collaborative Divorce process for families caught up in a family law dispute.  It is better for the kids and typically better for the parents.  It’s a great way to get through a divorce in one piece, without hating your ex and with the shirt still on your back.  This article published by the Collaborative Family Law Group of San Diego describes the endorsement from Texas Billionaire T. Boone Pickens of the Collaborative Divorce process.

For more information about Collaborative Divorce, contact Shawn Weber at 858-345-1616 or visit our website at: http://www.bravewebermack.com/Family-Law-Overview/Collaborative-Divorce.shtml

 

January: Divorce Month

January: Divorce Month

I enjoyed this article from my friends, Justin Reckers, CFP, CDFA, AIF and Robert Simon, Ph.D. regarding “divorce month”.

In this article published January 31 on Morningstar Advisor.com, CFLGSD’s Justin A. Reckers, CFP, CDFA, AIF, director of financial planning at Pacific Wealth Management and managing director of Pacific Divorce Management, LLC; and Robert A. Simon, Ph.D., forensic psychologist, trial consultant, expert witness, and alternative dispute resolution specialist offer sound advice to financial professionals to help them understand the emotions and thought processes going through a client’s mind when he or she seeks guidance as the result of a divorce. It’s advice anyone dealing with these circumstances can benefit from.