West Bend Law Blog

Maintain sanity when co-parenting with a toxic person

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in family law on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.

Some people are dealing with a difficult ex-spouse who brings unwanted drama, bad mouthing, manipulation and false accusations to the table every time discussions about the children need to take place. Wisconsin residents who are dealing with a toxic co-parent may be interested in learning about some ways that they can maintain their sanity while they look out for the best interests of their children.

Every time a person has an interaction with a toxic co-parent, they need to remember why the interaction has to take place and focus on that. These interactions are about parenting; they are not about hashing out old problems in the marriage. When a person can put the needs of their children first without focusing on all of the things their ex needs to change, they will be able to maintain a calm temperament.

Handling emotions, behavior changes in your kids during divorce

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

As a parent, you likely worry about your children on a daily basis. You may wonder whether they are getting enough sleep, eating right, receiving enough support from you, handling schoolwork well and numerous other issues that are going in their lives. You may also worry even more now that you and their other parent are going through divorce.

Children can handle divorce in varying ways. Their general temperament, age, relationship with each parent and other factors could all play a role in how children react and adjust to divorce. Of course, you want to do what you can to make the transition as easy as possible for them.

Making parenting easier from long distances

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in family law on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

It isn't uncommon for a parent to live or work in one city or state while their children live in another. However, parents who reside in Wisconsin or any other state may be able to take steps to stay in their children's lives regardless of the distance between them. For instance, parents can schedule regular phone calls or video chats to stay in touch with their kids. It is also a good idea to call or text at random intervals to help a child feel loved and appreciated.

A parent may also be able to use email or other digital methods of communication to keep tabs on their children. Sending text messages or emails can be an effective way for both parties to stay connected even when they don't have time to talk at length. When appropriate, it can be a good idea to send pictures and videos in addition to plain text messages.

Divorce can change plans for retirement

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in family law on Wednesday, November 6, 2019.

Divorce is an event that can impact every area of a person's life. It can be taxing in terms of mental energy, emotional turmoil and financial expenditures. For couples in Wisconsin who are considering divorce, one area to think about is the impact that divorce will have on retirement plans. It could make it difficult to retire until later than planned, raise custody issues in cases where kids are involved and complicate Social Security payments.

People who have made consistent contributions to their retirement accounts throughout their working lives generally count on those funds to be there when they need them. When a married couple divorces, though, any retirement or pension accounts are generally seen to be joint property of the couple. These accounts must be divided between the parties to the divorce, and such a division can set a person back with regard to savings and retirement goals. Additionally, living expenses are likely to increase following a divorce, so there's less money to put toward retirement savings.

What happens to the business when couples split?

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in family law on Tuesday, October 29, 2019.

Wisconsin couples who are considering a divorce will have many issues to sort through. If one or both spouses own a business, the decisions they make regarding it might have long-term consequences that affect not just their lives but also their business partners, their employees and, potentially, their clients.

There are several things that can happen when a business owner gets a divorce. They might have to split the business with their ex, buy out their ex or even lose the business completely. For business owners who have partners, the situation might be more complicated because a divorce might mean the partners having to take on that ex-spouse as a new partner or finding the funds to buy out that ex to keep them from becoming part of the business. A buy-sell order establishing how this would be handled if the case arises might provide some comfort, but in the end, buy-sell orders must be determined fair for both parties by the court during the divorce process.

Weigh the pros and cons before a strategic divorce

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in family law on Thursday, October 24, 2019.

Divorce may be an option for some high-earning Wisconsin couples who want to save money on taxes. Some couples are discussing a divorce on paper in order to avoid what has been referred to as the "marriage penalty." This is a higher tax liability for couples who are high earners and file their taxes together.

This is not the only circumstance that has some couples discussing divorce as a way to save money. Couples who are not mega-rich may consider divorce in order for a sick partner to qualify for Medicaid if they need nursing home care. Alternatively, a couple may decide to divorce on paper in order to have a custodial parent with lower assets request federal aid for a child's college education. It is likely that a low-asset single parent will get more federal aid than a high-earning couple.

Some factors make divorce more likely

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in family law on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

There many reasons why a married couple in Wisconsin would want to split up. From clear, obvious problems like abuse or infidelity to more nebulous feelings of growing apart, these can all be good reasons to divorce. When couples are unable to resolve their differences, even after trying counseling and other means of reconciliation, the end of a marriage can come as a relief. Still, because divorce is a major financial and emotional milestone, it is worth making sure that it is the path that people want to take.

There are several factors that may indicate that a couple is more likely to divorce. Some analysts have said that contempt is one of the biggest issues pointing to the end of a romantic relationship. If one partner mocks the other, talks about the other dismissively or calls them names, the relationship may have a short lifespan remaining. In addition, a lack of respect is a major indicator of divorce. When one partner makes major decisions without consulting the other, they may be thinking as a single person.

Helping parents understand juvenile justice

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in criminal defense on Sunday, October 13, 2019.

When a minor commits a crime in Wisconsin, his or her parents may wonder what is going to happen next. Juvenile law is not the same as adult law, so it is important for parents to understand the process.

When their teenager commits a crime, many parents may wonder if a court will try their son or daughter as an adult. The National Juvenile Defender Center says that courts may try teenagers as adults if the situation meets certain criteria. If a teenager is facing charges of reckless or intentional homicide, for example, then a court may try him or her as an adult. Additionally, adolescents are usually charged as adults if they are over the age of 17. If a child commits a crime, courts usually take age into consideration. Wisconsin courts typically do not charge children under the age of 10 but may instead assign a social worker to monitor the child.

Who decides child custody matters in divorce?

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC on Friday, October 11, 2019.

Are you getting ready to pull the plug on your marriage? Do you have children that you need to consider while doing so? If you do, you probably have a lot of questions about child custody and who gets to decide how it will work out for your family.

In Wisconsin, child custody matters are generally determined in one of two ways. Either the parents will work out an agreement that they think is best, or a judge will get to decide. The former is ideal.

Could your spouse be hiding money?

On behalf of Mayer Law Office, LLC posted in family law on Friday, October 4, 2019.

Wisconsin couples who are getting a divorce are required by law to split their assets evenly or equitably. Unfortunately, some people do try to get around that by hiding some of these assets. We at Mayer Law Office, LLC, will discuss the action of hiding assets today.

When a spouse decides to hide assets, it will usually be an amount that isn't easily noticeable. For example, they may start by hiding small portions of money by pocketing cash from paychecks rather than depositing it to the bank. This is because banks will track financial records and can leave a "paper trail" showing that deposits, withdraws, and the amount reported for asset division don’t match up.