5 WAYS TO RETAIN AN ATTORNEY WHEN YOU'RE NOT THE BREADWINNER

Atlanta Divorce Law Group

Happily Ever After Divorce Newsletter

November 2017

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Greetings!

5 WAYS TO RETAIN AN ATTORNEY WHEN

YOU'RE NOT THE BREADWINNER

The ability to pay attorney fees is a common concern for those about to go through a divorce. For example, if you are a spouse who gave up a career to raise your children, or don't have access to the marital financial accounts, there are ways to retain an attorney. While the fees can feel daunting, if you have children or assets, it’s important to hire an attorney to make sure your rights are protected. Almost all attorneys will require an initial retainer payment, but there are some options for obtaining that payment and for financing your case going forward. Here are some suggestions on managing attorney fees if you haven’t worked in years or do not have access to financial accounts. 1-Temporary attorney fees award. Ask your attorney about the option of filing a Motion for Temporary Attorney fees. If your spouse is employed and/or has access to funds that could cover your fees, the court can order your spouse to pay your attorney. Click HERE to find out more.

HOLIDAY TIPS FOR

BLENDED FAMILIES

Bonding as a blended family is part of our mission for your Happily Ever After Divorce. Check out our Pinterest page for great ideas on starting new holiday traditions as a blended family. We hope this inspires you, and if you like what you see, please follow us - there's more to come. Read On

Attorney's Corner: Managing Finances During Divorce

Interviewer: You talk a lot about kids in your blogs, but I don’t have kids. However, my ex and I are still in communication because we are trying to sell our marital home. What advice do you have for me about how to handle interactions with my ex?

Attorney Soltys: Your ex must be a high conflict person since you are asking this question. In high conflict divorces where communication is unavoidable, I recommend that clients avoid all in person contact and use what is called a BIFF Response with written communication. Clinical social worker and Certified Family Law Specialist Bill Eddy wrote a book titled BIFF: Quick Responses to High Conflict People, Their Hostile Emails, Personal Attacks and Social Media Meltdowns. Eddy recommends that communication with hostile people be Brief, Informative, Friendly, and Firm. An overview of how to write a BIFF Response can be found here .

Interviewer: Trying to sell the house is taking much longer than I anticipated. I was counting on that money to get me on my feet, so now I don’t know what to do?

Attorney Soltys : Review your settlement agreement or final order to determine your rights in making decisions that can speed up the sale. Do you have the authority under the decree to lower the price? What about making repairs or improvements to the property to make it more attractive to buyers? Perhaps consider a staging company to make sure the house shows well. If your ex has the authority to make these decisions, or they must be mutual, then communicate with them (using the BIFF method!) and see if you can come to some agreements to speed up the sale. Hopefully your real estate agent is doing everything they can to market your home, but if they are not and you are stuck in a contract, do everything you can to market the home yourself. Sharing on Facebook and in local Facebook groups can be an effective and free way to advertise.

Find more answers to your questions on our website .

Team 100 Feature:

The Ollena Center for Early Childhood Assessment

Donna Ollena of The Ollena Center for Early Childhood Assessment joins our Team 100. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 1 in 6 children have a developmental disability. The importance of early identification has been known to aid parents and children with specific learning needs by providing the support and learning resources to which their child can best respond. This maximizes their child’s ability to learn. When it comes to developmental milestone delays, an early intervention provides more time to influence positive learning outcomes and helps the child succeed from early on.

Donna is also the author of the WONDERFULLY MADE series of books about Charlie, a four-year-old boy with autism and sensory issues. A frustrated sister seeks her mother’s advice on understanding why her brother isn’t like the other kids she plays with. The family’s love for their wonderfully made child who is difficult to understand is a powerful and loving story that can also be a resource to introduce the concept of inclusion for all children, whether their behaviors are difficult to handle or at times inappropriate.

What is our Team 100? The Atlanta Divorce Law Group often works with clients who need professional services beyond their legal needs.Team 100 was created so that we can serve our clients on a holistic level to help make their "Happily Ever After Divorce" possible, long after the case is closed. We have personally vetted out every business on the Team 100 list and trust that our clients will be served with the highest quality of care. If you would like to recommend a great vendor for our list, please send an email to stephanie@atldivorcegroup.com

IMAGE CONSULTANT LEE HEYWARD VISITS ADLG TO MAKE SURE WE ARE "STRATEGICALLY SUITED"

Click HERE to get a complimentary copy

of Lee Heyward's

new book,

Strategically Suited

We were honored to have Author and Image Consultant, Lee Heyward visit our office last week. We each got to meet with her individually to learn how to up-level our look and add the edge we need to best represent our clients.

Subtle differences change the way people perceive you and credibility is gained or lost in the first few seconds of every introduction. W hy settle for just ok, when simply upgrading your clothes can give you a decisive advantage? It's time to discover what an image edge can do for you.

Are You a

Non-Custodial Mom?

Mothers who lost custody....don't despair, join this group of supportive moms who can help you keep the vision of reuniting with your children alive. Their next meeting is November 25th at 10:30am at Panera Bread at 4531 Olde Perimeter Way, Atlanta.

Learn more here .