Experts and Resources

Divorce can be overwhelming, confusing, emotionally wrought and downright terrifying, with so much to consider and too much to do. We know having the right information at the right time is critical to you, so we've organized all of our resource content into a simple directory to the left to provide you quick, easy access to all the tools you need to make informed and powerful choices.

Stop the Suffering of Divorce

Posted to by Cathy Meyer on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 3:24pm

Our reaction to stressful events such as divorce can become so habitual that they occur without our awareness. We become so accustomed to reacting to stress in a certain way that it is second nature to us.

We aren't aware that we are reacting in a way that is harmful to us until we are plagued with physical or emotional problems that we can no longer ignore.

The way we react to stress depends on the way we think about a stressful event when it happens. Have you ever known anyone who seems to sail straight through the problems in their lives? There are people in the world who can deal smoothly with issues that might cripple others emotionally. I'm sure you've met such people and have even been envious of their ability to "take it on the chin."

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Why Even Wealthy Divorcees Need To Work

Posted to by Maryann Kelly on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 8:36am

People often ask me how I define a wealthy divorcee. Simply put, I consider someone wealthy if she could live off the interest of her investments without touching principal or selling any assets.

In practical terms, living off of interest alone requires a nest egg that's at least 400 times your monthly expenses. For instance, if you need $20,000 a month after taxes to pay your bills you would require at least $8 million a year in principal, assuming your investment yielded around 5 percent a year, or $400,000. (After taxes, you'd be left with around $240,000 of that amount — assuming you paid around 40 percent in taxes — which would come to $20,000 a month).

But here's one thing I can assure you of: Not many people with $8 million on hand have the discipline to live on $20,000 per month.

What's more, even if you decided to live on $20,000 a month in the short term, over time special expenses and cost of living adjustments would push that figure higher. Further, as you got older and your life span shortened you might begin to spend some principal.

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How You Feel About Your Kid's New Siblings

Posted to by Debra Burrell on Tue, 08/17/2010 - 11:07pm

The very concept of your ex's other children can be enormously challenging, whether it is a newborn or adult children with their own children and careers. The first time you see them, or learn of their existence, you may be flooded with strange and unfamiliar emotions. The fact that they hold some kind of place in your ex's heart, mind, or pocketbook can be threatening. And when you perceive or experience your primary relationship with your ex partner to be in danger, or his relationship with your children potentially weakened, then it makes sense that you would quite normally think about ways — rational or irrational — to protect your own.

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Divorce Guide to Idaho

A woman's guide to getting a divorce in Idaho

Posted to by First Wives World on Tue, 08/17/2010 - 1:29pm

IDAHO DIVORCE LAWS:

The Residency Requirement: The party filing the complaint must have lived in Idaho for six weeks.

Grounds: No Fault: Irreconcilable differences; Living separate and apart for a period of five years or more without cohabitation.
Fault: Adultery; Extreme cruelty; Willful desertion; Willful neglect; Habitual intemperance; Felony conviction; Insanity.

Division of Property: Idaho is a community property state, meaning all property acquired during the marriage is owned by the community. The property is then divided between the members of the community according to “equitable” principles, that is fairly, not necessarily equally (click the following for an expert's advice on dividing up property as a result of divorce).

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4 Tips for Erasing Post-Divorce Anxiety

Posted to by Laura Campbell on Sat, 08/14/2010 - 1:42pm

I simply can’t believe it is August already!  I wish I could simply slow down time!

I don’t know about you but when I turn the page on the calendar to August, I immediately begin to feel a little bit stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and as if my time is running out.

I embrace the slower pace of summer and so that little word, “August”, implies that summer is nearing its end that the fall is coming.  And, while I love the fall and the opportunity to start anew, it also brings with it:

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Protecting Your Finances And Credit

Dividing the apple into two doesn't give you two apples

Posted to by Rachel Small on Thu, 08/12/2010 - 9:47am

When a marriage ends in divorce, more often than not, women face a financial crunch. Dividing the “apple into two, doesn’t give you two apples.” It becomes a priority to structure your divided finances and protect your credit.

Here are some tips:

1. OBTAIN COPIES OF YOUR CREDIT REPORT: Contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at www.annualcreditreport.com for free annual reports.

This is a must. You will be able to see your debts and what is in default. Court-ordered and/or consensual division of assets and debt obligations don’t always get carried out. This results in bad credit!

2. LIST ALL OPEN CREDIT AND CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS: Provide the type of account, credit card, car loan, personal loans and home equity loans. List account numbers and balances and whether they are a joint debt. This will provide an overview of your debt.

This is especially important if your ex handled the finances and you knew little about the marriage debts.

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Divorce Guide to Montana

A woman's guide to getting a divorce in Montana

Posted to by First Wives World on Mon, 08/09/2010 - 8:46am

MONTANA DIVORCE LAWS:

The Residency Requirement: One of the parties must be a resident of Montana for 90 days immediately prior to filing.

Grounds: No fault: Serious marital discord that affects the attitude of one or both parties toward the married, supported by evidence that the parties have lived separate and apart for 180 days.

Property Division: Montana is an equitable distribution “hotchpot” state. This means the court can divide any and all property owned by the parties, however and whenever acquired, in an “equitable” manner, i.e., fairly, as the circumstances dictate. The court may consider:

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