Cohabitation Mediation
An increasing number of couples are choosing to live together without getting married. What they may not think about is what consequences flow from the very act of cohabiting, and the difficulties that can arise if the couple breaks up or one partner dies: who keeps the house or apartment if you split; how does the property get divided; will the survivor inherit anything if a partner dies, or will it all go to the dead partner’s family; if one partner has stayed out of the workforce to care for children or the other partner, will there be any support if they split; etc.
Couples Living Together
I have extensive experience working with gay, lesbian, and straight couples who choose to live together without marriage, or who are unable to be married. I help clients arrive at agreements that will give them the protections that the law does not otherwise provide. When domestic partners separate, I can assist them to sort out those same issues and the legal consequences of their separation.
Testimonials
I have known and worked with Robin Masson as an attorney and mediator almost forty years. I have the utmost confidence in her skills and professionalism. Robin brings to the table such a high degree of caring about the clients and about the process, and such a high degree of personal integrity that I and other members of the professional community have complete trust in her.Charles Guttman, Esq.
Guttman & Reiter
Articles
Gray Divorce
Many of the divorces I mediate are for couples in their 50's or 60's, known as "Gray Divorces". The emotional, financial, and social issues involved make these divorces particularly suited to the creativity and flexibility inherent in mediation, rather than the "one size fits all" approach of litigation.
ON-LINE MEDIATION NOW AVAILABLE
In these time of social distancing, I am offering on-line conflict resolution services using Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, and Google Hangouts. Call to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.
Divorce Now or Later? Timing Matters!
Changes in the U.S. tax law, effective January 1, 2019, may have significant impacts on the financial consequences of your separation or divorce.
Negotiate in Mediation for What You Need -- And Get It.
Face it: most of us are not very good at asking others for what we need. We tend to come off as either too aggressive or wishy-washy. Moreover, when we're in conflict, our asking skills tend to deteriorate into either demanding bitchiness or passive-aggressiveness that descends into resentment. Not a good look, on anyone.
But, there's a way to ask for what you need and to enlist others in giving it to you, by being respectfully assertive. It requires communicating clearly what your needs are, how others' behavior affects you, and enlists others in satisfying your needs.
Cohabitation Mediation - What I Wish I'd Known Before Moving in Together
Much less planning goes into cohabitation than into a wedding, but it is, in many ways, a bigger legal, financial and emotional step.