by Shawn Weber | Jan 21, 2020 | divorce, For Professionals, Relationships
Most divorce professionals have “seen this movie before” in their own practices. As a divorce professional for the last 20 years, I’ve been involved in more than one ugly divorce as I am sure you can imagine. The stories are similar and seem to go...
by Shawn Weber | Dec 6, 2019 | Dolphin Lawyer, For Professionals
In this day of #MeToo, one lawyer learned this lesson the hard way when he received a public hand slap from the Court of Appeal of the State of California because of “highly inappropriate” rhetoric he chose to employ in his appellate brief on a defamation case,...
by Shawn Weber | Oct 25, 2019 | Attorneys, For Professionals, Spousal Support, Taxation
We see many experienced family law specialists make this common DissoMaster* mistake with the health insurance deduction. When entering the Health Insurance deduction in DissoMaster,* be sure to drill down. There are three options and they make a difference:...
by Shawn Weber | Sep 3, 2019 | Finances, Recession
By Shawn Weber, CLS-F and Mark Hill, CFP, CDFA The headlines are troubling. Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with China, no signs of a Brexit deal in Europe and unrest in Hong Kong are all making the world’s stock markets nervous. Global gross domestic...
by Shawn Weber | Aug 9, 2019 | Attorneys, Conflict Resolution, For Professionals, Mediation
So you have the big mediation date planned. You hope the mediator will be able to work whatever magic she has so you can move the case to settlement and put the case to bed. You’ve prepared yourself. You know the law. You have your arguments ready. You’ve done...
by Shawn Weber | Aug 8, 2019 | Children, parenting
Can you believe it’s already time for 60 million American kids to go back to school? Didn’t we just start summer? Mixed feelings are natural at this time of year for everyone. Kids are sad about summer being over so quickly. But they are likely to be...
by Shawn Weber | May 10, 2019 | Attorneys, domestic violence, For Professionals, High Conflict
It has been a long standing belief in family law: parents should not subject their kids to rants about a custody battle. Judges have long constrained speech that would unnecessarily expose kids to the nastiness and details of the battle over who gets custody of the...
by Shawn Weber | May 9, 2019 | Conflict Resolution, Mediation
Attorneys get paid for good advice. Sometimes your clients take it, and sometimes they don’t. But once in a while, attorneys could use some advice of their own. In my role as a mediator, I frequently observe smart attorneys floundering when it comes to advising...
by Shawn Weber | Mar 13, 2019 | Conflict Resolution, For Professionals
I have volunteered as a mandatory settlement conference (MSC) temporary judge in San Diego Superior Court for many years. I’ve also privately negotiated hundreds of settlement conferences. I have learned what works for attorneys preparing for the MSC, and what...
by Shawn Weber | Mar 13, 2019 | Attorneys, Courts
In case you were unsure, it’s probably not a good idea to call your judge a succubus. An interesting case came down from the California Court of Appeal Fourth Appellate District. It should serve as a warning to any attorney practicing in California. The...
