September Newsletter I Divorce Matters

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5 Ways To Fall Into Fall

Step outside in the last week and it's easy to tell that fall is finally here. The sun is starting to set earlier and the temperatures are beginning to drop. One doesn't have to look too hard to find pumpkin spiced everything on the shelves of your favorite grocery store or in your favorite coffee shops. Here are five great ways to embrace the changing of the season and experience the best fall has to offer.

Head up to the mountains and check out the changing of the leaves! You can see it starting to happen around your neighborhood, but there isn't anything like seeing the foliage in full bloom up in the mountains.
Gather everybody and have them over for a good old fashioned football viewing party. It's a great way to catch up with everyone while getting to enjoy the game on Sunday.
Find a pumpkin patch or apple orchard in your area. This is the perfect time of year to get out into the fresh air and pick these items yourself. When you get home, carve out that pumpkin, bake those pumpkin seeds, and turn those apples into an apple pie!
Corn mazes are another great way to find something fun for you and the kids to do together and it's also a chance to get outside and enjoy the cooler, more comfortable temperatures. They usually have all sorts of fun fall activities, such as hay rides, tractors your kids can explore, farm animals and of course - corn mazes!
With such great weather approaching, it's a great time to take your kids out on a fun autumn hike! Pack some water and apple cider, some snacks, maybe even a few slices of that apple pie that you baked from number three on our list!

We are all grateful for a break from the heat of the summer, but don't let the best parts of fall get away from you. Carve out some time for yourself and try these five fun ways to fall into fall.

How To Give Your Child Emotional Support Through Divorce

If you are facing divorce or perhaps already going through it, then you know that no matter what happens it will be something that affects your children. This is perfectly normal and there is a natural grieving process that they will go through as they deal with their emotions around your separation. There are ways you can help make sure that your children have the support they need during this time.

The first is to make sure that they know you are there if they need to talk about it. The urge to keep it hush-hush can be strong if you feel like avoiding the topic would be less painful for them. However, letting them know you are available to talk to about it without forcing them to gives them the space they need to process their emotions and feel safe enough to approach you if they have questions or need to share something.

One of the best things you can do for your kids is to try and work out an amicable and conflict free co-parenting plan. Of course, this isn’t always an option depending on the individual situation but if you can work to settle your differences with your ex-spouse for the sake of your kids it will go a really long way in helping them deal with their emotions about the divorce.

Finally, don’t be afraid to get yourself and/or your child professional help if either of you find that you continue to struggle with the divorce in a manner that seems unhealthy. Talking to a counselor or therapist is a great way to learn the tools needed to cope with the stress associated with divorce.

If you need to speak with an attorney regarding parenting time and parenting plans, feel free to reach out to us here at Divorce Matters and one of our attorneys can help.

What Are The Criteria Used For Determining If Two People Are Common Law Married?

Holding yourself out as married. Sometime this means referring to each other as husband and wife. Telling friends and family that this is your husband or wife is one indicator that you are holding yourself out that way.
Joint tax returns are often a strong indicator as most courts will look to more objective evidence such as this. When couple file as married joint tax returns it usually is a sign there are common law married. Since married couples filing a joint return pay a “marriage tax” or a higher tax rate than single people, it’s a strong indicator of intent. Most people would not claim to be married and pay more taxes unless they really want to be married.
Joint credit and bank accounts. While the account may have different last names, when couple co-mingle debts and bank accounts, it’s sign they are acting like married couples. Joint debt like auto loans, credit cards, mortgages are indicators of a marriage.
Joint property ownership is also another strong sign. The property could be leased such as a rental apartment and not actually owned. The joint lease agreement seems to serve the same goal as joint ownership.
Children. Having children together is often a strong sign of common law marriage. Courts are not fond of telling children their parents are not married and having children together is one big factor courts use to consider marriage.
Common law marriage affidavits. These are usually used to obtain health insurance for a co-habitant when they are not legally married. One might think this automatically make you married, but courts understand the affidavit is signed to get health insurance and may not give much significance to this. Yeah, one should not lie to get health insurance, but a court may not hold this over a person's head or find this alone means you are common law married.

These are some factors that influence whether or not a court might rule that you are common law married so it is important to consider them if you check off some of these boxes with your significant other to whom you are not officially married.

If you need to speak with an attorney regarding common law marriage, feel free to reach out to us here at Divorce Matters and one of our attorneys can help.

This newsletter is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter should be taken as legal advice and receiving this newsletter does not constitute an attorney client relationship.