Tips For Avoiding A Divorce

If you have a marriage in trouble but you want to avoid divorce, you should know that you have great options for saving the relationship. The exact resources and tools used to put the broken pieces back together will depend on the reason for the problem. As an example, if your wife or husband was unfaithful, counseling can often help sort things out. Therefore, prior to doing anything, you need to identity the reason for the problem in the first place. Other than infidelity, couples struggle with financial issues, which is a huge factor that can lead to divorce. Typically, both couples work full-time, which helps pay for the house, car, raising kids, paying bills, and even vacation. Unfortunately, many couples overextend, meaning they live on borrowed money. Of all factors, credit cards are the most common problem. When more money goes out than comes in, massive stress takes over, leading to fights. Before long, the husband and wife are disagreeing on who makes more, what should or should not be purchased, who was at fault, and so on. Then to make matters worse, phone calls and collection companies begin to call wanting to know where the mortgage, car, or credit payment are. For the married couple, it soon becomes too much to handle. If you find that you and your spouse are on the verge of divorce specific to problems with finances, for the sake of the marriage, go visit a finance advisor or credit counseling company to help get things back on track. In this case, counselors would act as the go-between for you and your creditors. In fact, these counselors are professionals who help set up a repayment plan and then work on a budget for the future. Just because a married couple is having financial problems does not mean divorce is imminent. In fact, using a mediator or counselor can be a huge assistance. The reason is that the blame-game ends so the problem can reach a solution. Start by putting any differences aside and stop blaming each other. Then, create a solid plan for getting out of debt while also saving money. Most importantly, to avoid divorce, start communicating. Unless you talk, you can never work things out. Keep in mind that good communication does not mean yelling, it means talking as adults. Therefore, take time so the two of you can sit down face-to-face to discuss the current situation, regardless of the problem. If anger is too high, the services of a professional marriage counselor can help. Just remind yourself that it takes time but with dedication and determination, divorce can be avoided.

Middle-income couples are unable to separate due to recession

Middle-income couples, recently identified by the Conservatives as the "struggling middle", are increasingly unable to afford to separate when their relationships end, according to a new study. Almost half the 2,000 counsellors at Relate, the charity that specialises in relationship counselling, say an increasing proportion of the 150,000 clients they see each year are being forced to remain living together despite having decided to split up. Couples with children are more likely to find themselves trapped than those without, but both groups are increasingly finding it impossible to bear the cost of setting up different homes. "When we talk about Relate's clients, we are not talking about people on low incomes. We're talking about people in employment, on average to above-average incomes," said Ruth Sutherland, the charity's chief executive. Sutherland said the charity, which was founded almost 25 years ago, had never seen this demographic of clients struggling with their finances to such an extent that moving into two homes and getting on with their lives was an impossibility. "These are people who could previously afford to move away from each other when their relationship broke down," she added. "But now, they are stretched just to pay their mortgage on top of the rising cost of living. When their relationship breaks down, they find they can't afford two mortgages, on top of the cost of running two homes." Sutherland said that for parents, the cost of childcare was another devastating factor. Parents in the UK spend an average of 27% of their salary on childcare, compared with a European average of 13%. Twenty-five hours of nursery care a week for a child aged two or under costs on average £5,000 in England, rising to between £6,000 and £15,000 in London. "To pay for the increased childcare demands that come with being a single parent has become a pipe dream for many people, even those in well-paid jobs," said Sutherland. Richer couples could find themselves in the same predicament as the difficult economic climate continued, Sutherland predicted. "I would not be surprised at all to see the problem creeping up the salary band," she said. "This era of austerity we're in is not like other hard times we have lived through. "In the past, we've had a dip and then recovery, but now we're in unknown territory about the length of time people are going to have to cope with debt, job insecurity, pressure from work and the mounting cost of childcare. "The only thing we know is that people are going to have to cope with these problems for longer than they would ever have done so before." At least 40% of Relate counsellors said they were seeing more couples split up than two years ago, with money worries cited as a major cause. "It's vital for the future of our children, and thus the future health of our nation, that estranged parents manage their separation well," said Sutherland. "Children learn about relationships at home. If they see their parents undermining each other, arguing and being vindictive, then that's the foundation on which they will build their own relationships. It's not only the adults who, if stuck in a toxic situation, are going to be damaged." Which is why, said Sutherland, she was so concerned by another finding in Relate's survey: that separated couples are increasingly unable to afford to complete their counselling courses. At least 80% of counsellors said increasing numbers of clients were unable to afford to "properly start or conclude" their counselling programmes, despite being offered short, intensive courses of four to six sessions, charged from £6 to £45 an hour, depending on their income. Over 70% of Relate counsellors said money problems including debt, a lack of disposable income, unemployment and rising living costs had worsened for their clients in the last two years. Almost 90% of counsellors said money worries made their clients depressed, with 80% saying couples argued more as a result and 65% saying it affected their clients' physical health. "Let's all be clear about the real cost of austerity: the impact of being in a relationship that isn't working is toxic. It is harmful to your children and it permeates every other aspect of your life," said Sutherland. "If the government wanted to protect the mental health of the country, both now and in the future, they would target these cuts differently." The rate of family breakdown in the UK was revealed in October statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions showing that 79% of children under one live with both birth parents. This drops to 55% by the time the children reach 15. Nearly a quarter of people have continued to live with a partner, or know someone who has, because they couldn't afford to live apart, according to a 2010 report from Shelter. "We also know that relationship breakup is a major cause of homelessness," said Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter. The 2012 total cost of family breakdown to the UK was £44bn, up from £42bn in 2011, according to a recent study by the Relationships Foundation. The study looked at the cost of family breakdown in five key areas of public policy: tax and benefits, housing, health and social care, civil and criminal justice, and education and young people not in education, employment or training (Neets). It concluded that the annual cost for each taxpayer was now £1,470. "The government's austerity policies are making things worse, and it doesn't make sense economically," said Sutherland. "What we want is for them to do a relationship and family impact assessment for every policy they consider introducing." Robb said the "shortage of affordable housing in this country is being felt further and further up the income scale". "We're hearing from couples moving in together too fast to help with housing costs but then unable to move out if things go wrong because they can't afford to live on their own. This has a huge impact on people's home lives," he added. Robb said the housing crisis is "the result of … more and more people chasing fewer and fewer homes, which has pushed up house prices and rents far faster than wages have risen. "Our research also shows that more and more people are putting off having children because they can't find an affordable home," he said. "Something is badly wrong when people who are working hard still face a constant struggle to get a decent place to live." Caroline Davey, director of policy at Gingerbread, the charity for single-parent families, said families in the low- to middle-income bracket were "increasingly struggling financially". "When a couple separates this financial squeeze can make it impossible for them to forge new lives separately," she said. "With wages stagnating, higher risk of redundancy, spiralling living costs, and many families without any savings to speak of, it can be simply unachievable for a separating couple to afford to run two homes rather than one. The only alternative for some families is to continue living in the same home but as separate households." Davey warned: "This situation could become more commonplace in future as the financial downturn bites even harder on families across the income scale." She added: "Action is needed across a number of areas, for example strengthening the role of local authorities in supporting access to private rented accommodation, reversing the harshest housing benefit cuts, and sustained job creation." A spokeswoman for the Treasury said: "The government has taken action to help people with the cost of living, including freezing council tax and fuel duty and cutting income tax for 25 million people by raising the personal allowance. Action taken to reduce the deficit has helped to keep interest rates near record lows. And we have extended the offer of 15 hours free education and care a week for disadvantaged two-year-olds, to cover an extra 130,000 children." Free Divorce Papers

Divorce - Are You Feeling Cheated?

Are you feeling relieved after divorce or cheated? After many divorces people feel happy while in many rather more cases they feel cheated. Why? Divorce it self is a very painful process and the times that lead to divorce are more painful. The question is why get the sense of feeling cheated after getting a divorce? Let us talk about this. Relationship demands giving - People give a lot to their marriage; most of them do it except few. Right from the development of relationship, a lot of time, emotional energy and physical resources are given to make it work. During marriage the investment goes higher. Most of the partners want the marriage to work. There are exceptions that unbelievably want to destroy because of psychological problems. When cracks develop in the marriage, lot more effort is made to save the marriage and when the marriage breaks after putting in so much effort, one feels cheated. Is this true for all? This is not true for all. There are few individuals who don't give anything in marriage. They ask for it. The demand and contribute nothing. That is the game of selfishness played by them. So these people will never feel cheated. They will only feel bad that they lost an easy victim. What should you do? The only way out is to forget the losses. Try to erase the past as much as possible. This will be difficult, but break the pain bit by bit. Work on it and it will go away one day. Try to forge another relationship and forget what went wrong. Cut your losses as soon as possible.

Court rejects Husband's attempt to wipe out divorce debts

A businesswoman has fought off a court bid by her ex-husband to wipe out a £350,000 divorce debt.

If Alexander McRoberts, from Datchet - former boss of a company with a reported multi-million pound turnover - had beaten his ex-wife's £349,000 divorce claim, it could have opened the floodgates for discharged bankrupts seeking to get rid of their matrimonial debts.

Mr Justice Hildyard rejected the case at High Court on Thursday last week, after Mandy McRoberts' lawyers argued her ex-husband's financial prospects are not so hopeless and it would not be equitable to release him from his debt.

The judge said Mr McRoberts' tax returns indicated that, while he had received very little salary, his travel and subsistence expenses had come to more than £100,000 in a year. The court was handed pages from the businessman's passport "showing stamps for destinations, such as the Maldives at Christmas-time, which do not appear to be in countries where he said he had been doing business."

The judge said: "These indications do not encourage the conclusion that Mr McRoberts has done everything he can to discharge his obligations to his ex-wife; they do encourage a sense that his finances may not be entirely transparent."

While accepting the "curtain had come down" on Mr McRoberts' business ventures and that his income stream had been "turned off", the judge said that did not mean his finances might not improve in the future.

Mr McRoberts had also argued there was a risk of his ex-wife "harassing" him if his debt to her remained on his shoulders. The judge accepted Mrs McRoberts' arguments that wiping out her ex-husband's debt to her would cause her "irremediable prejudice" and would not be a "fair outcome".

When Mr McRoberts, 54, and his company director ex-wife split in 2003, she was handed their former matrimonial home and he agreed to pay her £450,000 by instalments - which should all have been paid by the end of March 2009.

However, with interest, he still owes almost £350,000 to his ex-wife, a director of a chauffeur-driven car hire company who now lives in a £500,000 home in Newton Court, Old Windsor.

Mr McRoberts was declared bankrupt in September 2006 and his ex-wife was registered as one of his creditors.

He asked the judge to rule that his matrimonial debt did not "survive" the discharge of his bankruptcy in September 2007. His barrister, Simon Calhaem, argued that Mrs McRoberts is now more comfortably off than her ex-husband and that his "financial position is such as to make any chance of a payment of £349,000 impossible now, or in the foreseeable future".

However, Byron James, for Mrs McRoberts, warned the judge that a ruling in his favour could create a legal loophole ripe for exploitation. Rejecting Mr McRoberts' case, the judge said there was "no special or particular reason" why the "ordinary or default position" - that lump sums rewarded by the divorce courts are not released by a discharge from bankruptcy - should not apply.

The businessman was ordered to pay his ex-wife's legal costs of almost £9,000.

Is it possible to get a cheap divorce in Texas?

Cheap divorce in Texas  is possible if you are fully aware of all the possible expenses involved. And keep an eye on them.

It may require double the effort and attention to try and keep your expenses down to a minimum. But if it really is your main goal and aim it will be worth the try. Try to put your focus on the variables like certain legal representation or the cost of different divorce kits or divorce form packages. Cutting costs here and there can save you money in the big picture. The actual cost of divorce may range, from context to context.

The total number of hours spent on the case and your lawyer’s rate will determine the amount due. To keep track of costs, you must be aware of the Retainer Agreement. Different lawyers vary in their rates for particular duties. Make sure to check out the ranges and choose your attorney accordingly. The hourly rates of these associates or paralegals will be less than their seniors and this can result in a reduction of overall legal costs. You will have to scout around for a lawyer. By doing this, you will be able to figure out what the prevailing professional rate is.

Once you have points for comparison, you may then further investigate those rates which are significantly lower than the rest. To save you some time, it would be good to ask your friends or relatives for recommendations. When you have chosen an attorney that offers a lower rate, it’s important to inform him/her that you seriously want to cut down on your costs. In a do-it-yourself divorce isn’t just about filing papers by yourself, you have got to discuss the terms of the divorce with the other party.

Make sure that the both of you can reach a decision regarding the division of property. If you do decide on a do-it-yourself divorce, you will have to acquire the needed forms from on-line or a store in order to file the papers. Representing yourself in court is your right. But it follows that you will abide by the rules like an attorney would. Remember, whatever you may know of court cases from television may not exactly be what’s proper or correct. If you are considering representing yourself in court for your divorce, there are a number of things you must know. A divorce kit contains guidelines for pursuing a divorce in a certain state, as well as forms that you may simply fill in and present to the court. Most of these kits are marketed with the concept of fast and trouble-free outcomes.

These divorce kits are easily found on the internet, but they may be available in certain publication stores. A divorce kit may offer the advantages of a quick divorce but it requires careful follow-through. Online divorce forms may be grouped according to kind or by state because of the specific requirements that may vary from state to state.

They may also come in packages depending on your state and the context of your divorce. Forms from generic legal books, may easily become rejected by the court if specific requirements of the state you reside in are not addressed. Also, online divorce forms can be updated much easier and quicker than those found in legal self-help references. You can be assured of updated divorce forms and material. By searching for free divorce forms and papers on the internet, you can get a head start on the separation between you and your spouse.

Checking out any free divorce forms and papers that you may have access to over the internet gives you a chance to understand precisely what may be required during the process of divorce. Just going over the sample forms over the internet can provide you with the knowledge you need in order to familiarize yourself with the necessary procedures in order to finalize a divorce.

Cheap divorce Texas and Texas divorce forms

Diy Divorce - How and when to use and not to use

With legal aid for family cases being halted in April 2013, pundits are predicting a large rise in self repping as it is called.

Already there are a number of companies offering DIY divorce  and there is a big difference in the levels of service that you are going to receive depending on who you use.

What you want is for your diy divorce forms to be completed for you. Many sites offer a forms only solution but to be honest you can get the actual forms for free from many sources. The forms are not the problem it is what goes in the forms and what you have to do with them that you need to learn about.

You are going to have to be agreed on pretty much everything about your divorce otherwise diy divorce is not for you. If you think your agreement could unravel then tread carefully.


We would also advise that you go and see a lawyer even if only for half an hour to make sure that what you have agreed is fair and likely to get past a judge.

How to download completed Texas divorce forms

How to download completed Texas divorce forms

An article about how you can complete your own divorce forms in Texas

de-stressing a divorce

Cooperation may not be a word many people associate with divorce, but if the authors of a new book have their way, it soon will be.

Cooperation may not be a word many people associate with divorce, but if the authors of a new book have their way, it soon will be. Called "The Collaborative Way To Divorce: The Revolutionary Method That Results in Less Stress, Lower Costs, and Happier Kids-Without Going to Court," (Hudson Street Press, $23.95) the book provides what authors Stuart G. Webb and Ronald D. Ousky say is a way for couples to avoid litigation, without giving up what they want.

Their Collaborative process, which is a nationally acclaimed approach, is helping transform the way couples dissolve their marriages, divide assets, reinvent their post-divorce relationships and deal with custody issues.

For instance, the divorce process is traditionally started when one spouse prepares (with the help of an attorney) a summons and petition. That paperwork is then filed with the court and a judge is assigned the case. In Collaborative divorces, both clients and their attorneys meet for a four-way conference to discuss how everyone wants to proceed with the case. All parties sign an agreement which commits them to resolving all issues out of court.

The book guides readers step by step through the Collaborative process and emphasizes what the authors say is a key point: Collaborative divorces aren't about going easy on your spouse, they're about ending up with more money, less stress and happier kids.

De-Stressing Divorce

Free divorce forms to disrupt legal services market

A new website has launched using the fremium model often used in the USA to sell services.

Free Divorce Forms gives away the forms but then invites users to upgrade to form completion and managed divorce services. No need to pay for forms you can get for free, but if you need help, this is a clever idea.