by Nancy | Dec 18, 2024
Some experts consider compromise to be a balancing act. I consider it an art. Imagine you’ve been commissioned to paint a watercolor for friends of friends. (I’ll call them “Harry” and “Sally”). You’re standing in your...
by Nancy | Dec 11, 2024
As you can probably imagine, divorce mediation can be an emotional experience. It’s like a gut-punch to me when I hear my clients talk about their dreams being destroyed. Obviously, when we get married, it’s not with the expectation of eventually getting...
by Nancy | Dec 4, 2024
A friend of the family passed away a few months ago. The funeral was across the country, so I didn’t attend. However, I learned afterwards about a dramatic scene that literally took place at the gravesite. Evidently, there had been bad blood between...
by Nancy | Nov 27, 2024
It seems like everywhere I go, I hear about gratitude. Olympic athletes, award winners, politicians, and service providers are all grateful. And so am I. However, when a word becomes obsequious, I think it loses its power. Instead, on this day before Thanksgiving...
by Nancy | Nov 20, 2024
As a divorce and family mediator, I frequently observe that many of my clients seem to focus on blame. It’s natural. And I also see a lot of people who simply want to get on with their lives. It’s understandable. The challenge for me is to help both...
by Nancy | Nov 13, 2024
I often meet with couples who are divorcing because they have opposite parenting styles. I’ve helped the fun mom and the strict dad, the fierce dad and the nurturing mom, as well as the taskmaster mom and the Disneyland dad. In fact, just last month I met with a...
by Nancy | Nov 6, 2024
I recently caught an episode of a reality show (please don’t judge me), where a 35 year old man was living in his parents’ basement. He had his reasons of course, but I began to wonder if his parents were simply enabling him. Psychologists define an...
by Nancy | Oct 30, 2024
In the years prior to moving to Las Vegas, I lived next door to a wonderful couple. They were generous and fun to be around. Their marriage, however, confused me long before I was ever in the divorce business. Why? Mainly because every so often they would have noisy...
by Nancy | Oct 23, 2024
I am not a dinosaur. I love technology. It makes my life run more efficiently. I can send a text to say I’m running five minutes late, and I can confirm tomorrow’s appointments without having to make a call, wait for an answer, or be required to leave a voicemail.On...
by Nancy | Oct 16, 2024
Time matters a lot to me. For instance, I’m obsessively punctual and I have little patience for people who are continually “running a little late.” Any professional who gets paid by the hour knows that time is money. So does any service provider who schedules...
by Nancy | Oct 9, 2024
How come nobody talks about this? It’s widely known that divorce impacts children, but what if the children are grown and out of the house? I recently conducted a divorce mediation with “Elizabeth” and “Richard.” They were ending...
by Nancy | Oct 2, 2024
When’s the last time you told your [fill in the blank] that they matter to you? I’m not talking about saying “thank you.” That’s too easy and too habitual. Nor am I talking about overall general gratitude which, although most definitely a good thing, has become...
