tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329175462024-03-06T19:46:38.260-08:00San Francisco Mediation: A Better Solution for Family Law IssuesWe are an office of full-time Family Law Mediators. We provide Divorce Mediation and Premarital Mediation in all San Francisco Bay Area counties. Mediation allows you to work together to stay out of court and make your own decisions about your children and your finances. Mediation benefits families with complex estates as well as simple estates where cost-savings is a reason to mediate. But the most important reason to mediate is a common goal of reaching an agreement you both feel is fair.Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-26127550173224330052017-01-11T10:55:00.000-08:002017-01-11T10:55:14.495-08:00Divorce Mediator Marin
We are a firm of neutral divorce mediators in Marin, San Francisco and the East Bay (Lafayette) working collaboratively with individuals and families to reach complete agreements outside of court. As divorce mediators in Marin, we work with divorcing couples to resolve issues including division of community property, child support, spousal support and child custody and parenting agreements as Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-46888645998078321272016-12-22T13:24:00.000-08:002016-12-22T13:25:06.733-08:00Regaining Balance in Marin; Mindfulness Skills for Parents in TransitionLiz Salin, MFT and Ruth Jaeger, LCSW, have just completed a very successful first series of Regaining Balance, a six week course for parents who are experiencing a separation or divorce. The class focuses on teaching participants to use mindfulness meditation skills to regulate the inevitable stress and dysregulation of this transitional phase. Their program is inspired by Mindfulness Based Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0San Rafael, CA, USA37.9735346 -122.5310873999999937.8734101 -122.69244889999999 38.0736591 -122.36972589999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-7394051860292880252016-03-03T09:59:00.001-08:002016-03-07T13:15:36.267-08:00Retirement Transfers with IRAs Upon Divorce
In a divorce, spouses can transfer retirement funds from one spouse's account to the other spouse as part of the property settlement in the divorce mediation. In this post, San Francisco Divorce Mediator Shelley Kennedy describes the steps involved in transferring IRA funds between spouses.
Distributions (withdrawals) from a retirement account are subject to taxes (other than qualified RothPaula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-50722190745611259552016-02-24T13:34:00.001-08:002016-03-07T13:15:55.911-08:00Mediation in San Francisco, Marin & our newest location in Contra Costa!
We are pleased to announce a third office location for Lawhon Law & Mediation, P.C.! Our main office (and mailing address) remains in San Francisco at Market and Powell. Our second office is in Marin County just off the 101 freeway in downtown San Rafael. Our third office is now in Contra Costa County in Lafayette and just a short walk from BART.
We are excited to be able to serve our Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-44964717840597295202016-02-21T18:21:00.000-08:002016-03-07T13:16:09.319-08:00What in the World Do You Do When Your Parents Divorce?
I picked up this book, among others, at the AFCC Conference this week (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts where I was speaking on the topic of co-mediation) and am writing here to recommend this to children whose parents are going through a divorce, to parents who are concerned about their children as they go through a divorce, or to divorce mediators or other family law attorneys orPaula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-6993586173052482732016-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:002016-03-07T13:16:21.825-08:00Client Checklist for Divorce Mediation
It can be nerve-wracking to walk into a mediator's office to start your divorce mediation and not know what's going to happen. We like to remind our clients that nothing happens in mediation without both parties agreeing to it. In your case, your mediator will likely provide you with some kind of overview of what to expect in your case - sometimes that's a broad overview of the divorce case Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-58203487143214237312015-05-25T16:51:00.000-07:002016-03-07T13:16:43.510-08:00Holistic Approach to Difficult SituationsI previously posted on being interviewed about Integrative Mediation (see post here). In this post here, I provide more information and resources about this particular model of mediation.
Although most of our mediations are "solo" mediations with just one attorney-mediator guiding a couple or family from start to finish through the divorce or premarital agreement process, there are some Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-60000820604968985862015-05-12T21:35:00.002-07:002016-03-07T13:17:08.872-08:00Integrative Mediation: How involving other professionals in your divorce can help
I was recently a guest on Chuck Finney's local public radio show "Your Legal Rights" along with psychologist Stacey Shuster, PhD. We discussed divorce mediation and premarital mediation as well as the integrative mediation model in which two professionals from different specialities join forces to help individuals through difficult cases and keep families out of court. Here is the link to this Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-72498463510644345462015-04-28T11:09:00.002-07:002016-03-07T13:17:32.925-08:00Our Family Law Mediation Team Has Expanded!
Our Family Law Mediation Team has expanded! We now have three attorneys providing full-time Family Law Mediation services in addition to our paralegal/office assistant. I am in my 16th year of law practice and in my 11th year as a Family Law Mediator. Attorney/mediator Shelley Kennedy has been with our office for 5 years since graduating from UC Hastings College of the Law. Attorney/mediatorPaula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-51552658617313359262013-02-22T10:37:00.002-08:002013-02-22T10:37:22.873-08:00ADRNC Salute to Bay Area MediatorsI recently had the pleasure of working with the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California (ADRNC) in creating their Public Service Announcement called "The Salute to Bay Area Mediators." This Public Service Announcement was broadcast at the September 22, 2012 SF Giants vs. Padres baseball game in San Francisco where Bay Area mediators were honored for their contributions to the Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-33667822696784033002013-02-22T10:25:00.000-08:002013-02-22T10:25:04.339-08:00More Posts Coming Soon in 2013.....After a bit of a hiatus in my blogging endeavors, I've decided to start posting more articles again. Of course, since mediation is a confidential process, much of what happens in my daily work life, (although very interesting!), cannot be written about here. So that has always been a challenge in having a mediation blog. But I think I can start answering some general and frequently asked Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-46883818414080010052011-10-12T14:22:00.000-07:002011-10-12T16:33:05.115-07:00Support for Men in Divorce
A while back, I posted a link to a support group which focuses on helping women through the difficult transition of divorce or separation (although they also work with men). This is my belated follow up link for a support group which focuses on helping men through this same difficult transition (although he also works with women).
Larry O'Connor provides group support for men going through Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-76225149545167055182011-03-08T10:49:00.001-08:002011-03-08T12:05:46.654-08:00Mediation Is Not Like A Court Hearing; Creating PeaceThere seems to be quite a bit of misinformation about mediation out there despite the prevalance of mediation in many legal and non-legal arenas. One of the ones that always surprises me is when people think of mediation as being similar to a court hearing when the fact is that it is purposefully not at all like a court hearing. It's designed to be a peaceful process that promotes understanding Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-3506705050360016172010-12-30T10:57:00.000-08:002010-12-30T11:12:04.051-08:00UK Promoting Divorce MediationThe benefits of divorce mediation are clearly being realized not only in the San Francisco Bay Area but around the world as well. Some courts in England recognize that divorce mediation is not only a better solution for families ("quicker, cheaper, and less stressful") but also for taxpayers funding ongoing litigation and those courts are doing everything possible to encourage the use of Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-6827138397081473152010-11-22T10:17:00.000-08:002010-11-22T10:59:11.313-08:00Peaceful Divorce Options In my 11 years of practicing law, I have noticed that attitudes and approaches to litigation and divorce vary from county to county. I have seen couples who wish to have an amicable and peaceful divorce be thwarted in those efforts because many of the attorneys in their area are holding strong and fast to traditional methods of positional and combative litigation.Although I am a full-time Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-8352858174201845252010-08-20T13:30:00.000-07:002010-08-20T14:04:32.773-07:00Divorce Recovery CoachingAs a divorce mediator, my clients come to me to help guide them through a very difficult time of their lives. In addition to managing the court filings and financial disclosures and helping couples reach creative agreements together and putting all of that into writing, I am also able to share with my clients the wealth of resources I have gathered over my years in practice.Individuals going Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-66758582779163866292010-05-12T15:56:00.000-07:002010-05-12T16:16:13.904-07:00When there's not enough time in the day.......something needs to give. Having not posted an article since December, it's safe to assume that posting blog articles has been one of the things I had to put aside in order to meet all my other obligations.I realize I am far from alone in this dilemma; we all have too much to do and not enough hours in the day to get it all done. And good luck trying to have a balanced life when children, Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-52282329224742121382009-12-28T17:55:00.000-08:002009-12-28T18:38:29.727-08:00Timing of Divorce Filings & Finalizing at Year EndAt the end of the year, many family law attorneys are busier than usual, often working around the clock to help their clients finalize their divorces before the end of the year. As a divorce mediator, this is particularly true because the couple is working together and are making decisions together - including when to finalize their divorce. I typically see just a few reasons a couple would want Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-91457167566028832762009-10-26T12:52:00.000-07:002009-10-26T18:30:15.868-07:00Mediators With "Issues"I was recently asked how mediators are able to keep their own "issues" out of the mediation and my answer is that I don't think they can. If a mediator is impatient or demanding or self-absorbed, how would that not come through and influence the mediation process? On the other hand, if a mediator is naturally a good and patient listener who is intuitive and can easily sympathize with many Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-12012430980581774872009-10-19T12:28:00.000-07:002009-10-19T12:45:28.880-07:00"Divorce is no longer one size fits all"The San Diego News Network is featuring a Family Law blog series sponsored by San Diego family lawyer Garrison "Bud" Klueck which includes in Part I of the series:"A good way to remember the various options that divorcing couples have is summarized in a little poem:Litigation, mediation or collaborative law,Divorce is no longer, one size fits all."Part II of the series discusses various models ofPaula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-40545485931634745562009-09-22T18:26:00.000-07:002009-09-22T18:50:48.468-07:00Divorce Mediation Interview on the Rob Black ShowI had the pleasure of being invited to join the Rob Black radio show this morning on www.talk910.com to discuss divorce mediation. Rob has a great radio show on money, finances and investments and also has a daily show on Kron TV.Here is a link to the podcast so you can hear the show: Link.Or go to the website and select "Listen" to today's podcast.Here's more information about Rob's shows so youPaula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-51124988642772433952009-09-22T18:00:00.000-07:002009-09-22T18:18:22.175-07:00Mediation: the least expensive divorce optionFrom the Ridgefield Press in Connecticut, family law attorney, Karen Stansbury, switched from 20 years of litigation to providing mediation services for family and civil disputes. Here are excerpts from the article“I will no longer practice family litigation — I’ve done it for 20 years and I do not think it works,” she said. “In the traditional litigation process, parties give up control of theirPaula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-67864355836476019552009-08-20T13:14:00.000-07:002009-08-20T13:39:32.059-07:00Mediation in ParadiseThere's a part of me that doesn't want to believe there are conflicts in such idyllic places as Maui. Granted, I haven't been there in many years, but my memory (or maybe I imagined this) is of a slower, more peaceful and enjoyable way of life which exists in a lush island paradise (maybe I should go back to confirm this...). I prefer to think of it that way rather than to think there are Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-23060887151846919492009-08-13T14:16:00.000-07:002009-08-16T16:06:02.158-07:00"Economy causes surge in family-law mediation, collaborative work"An article in the Journal Record today highlights the financial benefits of avoiding a costly divorce by choosing divorce mediation or collaborative law over a litigated divorce. Given the state of our economy, many couples who have decided to divorce are searching for less expensive options which will still result in a fair, complete and enforceable agreement.This is the link to the full articlePaula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32917546.post-69848139815327245002009-08-12T10:03:00.000-07:002009-08-12T12:00:29.849-07:00When Mediation Doesn't WorkTwo observations: 1) I think optimism is a required personality trait for mediators; and 2) when mediation does not solve the problem, the optimistic mediator may be devastated.Not everyone is cut out to be a mediator. Similarly, not everyone is cut out to be a teacher or a police officer or a therapist or long distance truck driver, etc. We all have natural abilities which can be enhanced with Paula M. Lawhonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06510913147715321221noreply@blogger.com0