It may not be as big an issue in the private sector which knows how to justify the costs associated with using 21st century tech but it can be a fairly big deal in the academic and government sectors. In…
Posts Tagged ‘budget’
Being There: From Existential Angst to Professional Optimism
28
Nov
While my Thanksgiving Day LLB post was full of existential angst about the future from a personal, that is to say non-professional, perspective, Jenny Wondrackek’s RIPS Law Librarian post offers a more positive professional perspective: With all of the budget…
Law Library Information Budget Estimates Decline by 21.7% According to 2011 AALL Findings
01
Nov
The 2011 edition of The AALL Biennal Salary Survey and Organizational Characteristics is now available. While the salary survey findings may not be very useful in the private and government sectors, the findings of organizational characteristics with respect to information…
Baltimore Law Budget Increase Raises Some Questions
19
Oct
Sometimes there is a strange convergence in the way events unfold. In Monday’s post I wrote how Senators Coburn and Boxer highlighted the situation at Baltimore where tuition increased significantly but the school retained a fraction of that money. Their…
Budget Control Act Eliminates Subsidized Interest Loans for Graduate Students
04
Aug
The CBO estimates that the Budget Control Act of 2011 will save approximately $26.3 billion over 2012-2021 by eliminating the federal government’s subsidized graduate student loan program: Student Loans. As required under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, most…
Innovative Solution to Closure of Camden Public Library’s Main Branch May Point the Way for Struggling County Law Libraries
06
Jun
The downtown “branch” of New Jersey’s Camden City Public Library was closed in February when Mayor Dana Redd decided the city could no longer afford its 100-year-old public library system while facing a $26.5 million budget deficit. “As soon as…
Free Legal Will Forms
04
Apr
free legal will forms, free living will forms, frequently asked questions Information you need – whether
you want a budget do it yourself form, easy to use software, or an attorney to prepare it for you..
How can I expect my life to change after divorce?
11
Mar
People know to prepare themselves emotionally when going through the divorce process, but they often fail to prepare for adjusting to life afterward. Too often, they assume that life on the other side will be easier and they vastly underestimate the new challenges they will inevitably face. To help make things less stressful for you later on, take some time to think about and understand some of the common misconceptions surrounding divorce.
What are some common misconceptions surrounding divorce?
One of the biggest misconceptions concerns money. Both women and men tend to believe that their finances will not change significantly after a divorce. They don’t take the time to sit down together and figure out how the income that previously supported one household will be able to support two in the future. Instead, each party expects to sustain their current lifestyle while the other makes concessions. Typically, women believe they will receive more maintenance than the court is likely to award, while men believe that they shouldn’t have to pay alimony and that everything should be divided equally, even if their spouse hasn’t worked for many years. In most cases, both parties will end up living off of a lower income post-divorce.
You may be able avoid frustration and disappointment down the road by setting up a budget during the divorce, either together or on your own. At the very least, a budget will help you to anticipate upcoming lifestyle adjustments. In fact, you may want to start cutting expenses now if you can, or think about ways to eventually increase your income.
Other common misconceptions about divorce involve children. Parenting after a divorce can be complicated, but it helps to be flexible and open-minded. Many women are used to being the primary caregiver and find it difficult to let go of the high level of control they once had over their children’s lives and schedules. Depending on your custody arrangement, your children may spend time between two homes, which means increased time away from you. This can be painful at first, but remember that your children have two parents and that it is essential to their well-being and development that they spend time with both of them.
Men struggle with their own parenting challenges after divorce and are frequently surprised by how difficult it is to raise a child on their own. They are also often caught off guard by the amount of child support they are required to pay.
It is important to note that the amount of child support one pays is related to the amount of time each parent spends with a child. The parent who has the child most of the time will receive child support from the other parent. If the child spends significant time with both parents, then the paying parent may get a credit against the support payment to account for this extra time. Also, if primary parenting of multiple children is split between the parents, then child support is based on this “split-custody” arrangement. In these situations, we use a formula to calculate which parent will pay support and in what amount. This formula was developed by Division I of the Washington Court of Appeals in the case of In re Marriage of Arvey, 77 Wn.App. 817, 894 P.2d 1346 (Wash.App. Div. 1 1995).
It is also important to remember that the issues of child support and parenting are treated separately by the court. This means that one parent cannot withhold visitation from the other parent because he or she has failed to pay child support. Instead, the parent who is not receiving his or her court-ordered support must bring legal action to enforce the order to pay. But in the meantime, the nonpaying parent is still entitled to enforce the parenting plan. This is because to do otherwise would be unfair to the child, who has a right to spend time with both parents.
How can I clear up any misconceptions I may have about life after divorce?
You can learn about the realities of divorce by reading through the Pro Se University blog archives or you can sign up for the next free 30-minute Attorney Appointment. We are here to help.
How Will Looming Budget Cuts Threaten My Family Law Case?
13
Dec
In November, King County voters rejected Proposition 1, which would have authorized an increase in the King County sales tax to fund criminal justice, fire protection, and other government functions, one of which would be to invest in kids and families. Because of the budget shortfall, come January, one cut will include eliminating nearly the entire Family Court Services program and Family Law Facilitators who assist more than 10,000 clients a year.
What do these cuts mean for my family law case?
Family Court Services is a program in the King County Superior Court that is staffed by social workers who specialize in assisting with family law issues. They help the court during a family law issue to promote the outcome that will benefit the children and the family as a whole.
Family Law Facilitators provide information and referrals to family law litigants who are not represented by attorneys. This means you, if you are a Pro Se party.
Without these programs, people will be without the county-provided resources they may need to navigate through their family law issue.
Luckily, Pro Se University offers two services that can help you:
Workshops are an affordable way to help you with a specific family law issue. They are perfect for people who know what paperwork they need to fill out, but need help with the details. At each workshop, expect to walk out with a completed document that is ready to be filed. We offer a variety of workshops most days of the week. You can check out our workshop schedule and sign up here.
Attorney Appointments are ideal for you if you need individual legal advice and coaching on how to manage your case or if you need help with a specific issue. These appointments are ideal for people who need more personalized information about their family law issue than a workshop will provide.
Attorney Appointments are more expensive than workshops. However, Pro Se University is offering a free 30-minute Attorney Appointment for any family law issue on Tuesday, December 14 and the next one is Tuesday, January 25, 2011. This is a great opportunity to get personal information about your case from the experienced family lawyers on our team.
If you are interested in a free 30-minute Attorney Appointment, you can sign up here. Or call Xenia at 877-776-7310 to schedule an individualized appointment and learn more about our workshops.
