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What Happens If My Spouse Is Not Being Honest in Mediation?
By Jennifer Piper• October 19, 2026Posted in
What Is Your Spouse Being Dishonest About? You and your spouse may have very different versions of what happened during your marriage. During Mediation, your spouse may say something about an argument or another event that you believe is not true. Before spending time and money trying to prove what happened, consider whether the disagreement will actually affect your settlement. If it will not affect decisions about property, finances, support, parenting, or another issue that needs to be resolved, proving who is right may not accomplish anything. Mediation is intended to help you resolve the issues necessary to reach an agreement. It is not a process for requiring your spouse to admit wrongdoing or apologize for something that happened during the marriage. Financial Dishonesty Is…
Can a Parenting Plan Address Cell Phones, Social Media, and Screen Time?
By Jennifer Piper• October 12, 2026Posted in
Technology Has Become a Parenting Issue Cell phones, tablets, social media, gaming, and YouTube are part of everyday life for many children. After divorce, different household rules about when your child gets a phone, which apps are permitted, or how much screen time is acceptable, could become a source of disagreement. A parenting plan addresses many decisions concerning your children, but technology creates a unique issue. The more detailed the rules become, the harder they may be for a court to manage and enforce. Will a Judge Set Screen Time Rules? If you have a contested case, a judge is unlikely to create detailed instructions about how many hours your child spends online, or which social media platforms are acceptable. A court might address a…
Can We Settle Some Divorce Issues and Let the Judge Decide the Rest?
By Jennifer Piper• October 5, 2026Posted in
You Do Not Have to Settle Everything at Once Divorce does not have to be an all or nothing process. If you and your spouse agree about certain issues, you can resolve those matters and ask the judge to decide only what is still disputed. You might settle nearly everything and have one issue left for a hearing. Depending on the issue, that hearing could take only a short amount of time instead of requiring one or more days in court. What Issues Might You Settle Separately? There are many ways to reach a partial settlement. You might agree on your parenting plan but disagree about child support. In another case, spouses might resolve parenting and support while leaving property division or maintenance for the…
What Financial Documents Do I Need to Gather Before I File for Divorce?
By Jennifer Piper• September 29, 2026Posted in
Start Gathering Your Financial Records Before you file for divorce, you may wonder how many financial documents you need to collect. The answer is quite a few, but you do not need to panic if you cannot find everything. Start with one to three months of statements for every account you have. That includes checking, savings, investment, brokerage, retirement, and debt accounts. Gather Income and Tax Records You should also collect your current pay stubs, W-2s, 1099s, and complete copies of your tax returns. If you have access to these records now but think that access may change after you tell your spouse about the divorce, make copies or scan the documents and save them somewhere secure. You should also gather mortgage statements and statements…
Should I Talk to My Spouse Before Talking to My Divorce Lawyer?
By Jennifer Piper• September 22, 2026Posted in
Start With Information If you are considering divorce, one of the first questions you should ask is whether you should tell your spouse or talk to a lawyer first. The answer depends on your relationship with your spouse and how you expect your spouse to respond. If you and your spouse have gradually grown apart and are essentially friends who both recognize that the marriage is ending, you may feel comfortable talking about divorce before contacting an attorney. If there is any conflict, anxiety, or uncertainty, I recommend speaking with an attorney first. Know Your Rights Before the Conversation Talking to an attorney does not mean you are starting a legal battle. It means you are learning how the divorce process works and understanding what…
Should Siblings Ever Have Different Parenting Schedules?
By Jennifer Piper• September 15, 2026Posted in
Your Children May Have Different Needs When you create a parenting schedule after divorce, you may assume your children should all follow the exact same schedule. In some families, that works well, but your children may have different needs that make separate schedules a better choice. Consider a family with a 1-year-old and a 16-year-old. Their daily routines, activities, school schedules, and developmental needs are completely different. A schedule that works well for your teenager may not make sense for your toddler. Age and Activities Matter Your children’s ages will affect how you structure parenting time. An older child may have sports, school activities, jobs, or social commitments that make a traditional schedule difficult. Your child’s activities could also mean that a different schedule works…
When Is Mediation Not a Good Choice for a Divorce?
By Jennifer Piper• September 8, 2026Posted in
Is There Ever a Bad Time for Mediation? You could wonder if your divorce is too difficult, too contentious, or simply not ready for Mediation. In my experience, Mediation has value even when you are not prepared to immediately settle your entire divorce. Sometimes it makes sense to handle custody issues in advance of any financial issues or even to allow your family to try out a particular schedule for a time period, while working through other issues. If you and your spouse are missing documents or financial information, you do not necessarily need to cancel your mediation. You will use the session to discuss what information is needed, why it is needed, and how you will obtain and exchange it. A mediator may also…
Why Are There More Gray Divorces?
By Jennifer Piper• August 25, 2026Posted in
Why More Older Couples Are Choosing to Divorce Gray divorce or an over 50 divorce is increasing because people are living longer than previous generations. A couple in their 60s or 70s may have decades ahead of them, which leads many to think carefully about how to spend those years and many are choosing to divorce. Divorce is much more socially accepted than it was several decades ago, so that deciding to leave an unhappy marriage is now viewed as a realistic option. Retirement Brings New Priorities Into Focus Retirement is a major life transition that can reveal differences that were easy to overlook while raising children or building careers. When daily routines change, you and your spouse may discover that you have very different…
I Just Want It Over! Why Rushing a Divorce is a Big Mistake
By Jennifer Piper• August 18, 2026Posted in
Moving quickly through a divorce may seem appealing, but making major decisions without fully understanding the long-term consequences could cost you financially, affect the time you spend with your children, and create problems that do not become apparent until years later. Why People Want to Finish a Divorce Quickly When you are ready to move on with your life, it is natural to want the divorce process behind you. You may be emotionally exhausted, eager to end the conflict, and ready to focus on a new chapter in your life. While those feelings are understandable, making decisions based solely on speeding up the divorce process can lead to outcomes you will later regret. Your divorce agreement will affect your finances, property, parenting arrangements, and future,…
New Missouri Law Allows Divorce During Pregnancy
By Jennifer Piper• August 11, 2026Posted in
A New Option Under Missouri Law For many years, Missouri courts waited until after a child was born before allowing the finalization of a divorce. Although you could begin the divorce process and negotiate property division and other issues during the pregnancy, the final judgment typically was not entered until after the child was born. The Missouri legislature has recently changed the law to allow a divorce to be finalized before the child is born. While that may sound like a quicker solution, it does not eliminate many child-related legal issues, including the presumption of paternity. Child Related Issues Still Have to Be Resolved Whether your divorce is finalized before or after the birth, important decisions involving the child still must be made. Depending on…