Proper preparation can make the dissolution process less stressful and far less expensive. The lion’s share of work at the outset involves gathering financial information and documents to be exchanged between parties. Michael Sherman of Alabama Family Law Blog has posted an excellent series of articles illustrating some important steps for anyone considering a divorce. The posts include gathering documents, determining assets and debts as well as selecting an attorney. Read the posts here.

House Bill 396 has been introduced in the Kentucky General Assembly to allow members of dating couples to obtain domestic violence orders. Currently, Kentucky law does only allows for a boyfriend or girlfriend to petition courts for a DVO if they live together or have a child in common. Current law specifies that unmarried couples may petition for a domestic violence order. However, in the case of Barnett v. Wiley, 103 S.W.3d 17 (Ky. 2003), the Court of Appeals held that an unmarried couple must have lived together to have standing to petition for a domestic violence order. The proposed legislation recognizes the dearth of domestic violence protection for many unmarried couples. Read more at kycases.com

It is hard to overestimate the importance of preparation in divorce proceedings. If you are contemplating divorce, having a good understanding of your finances, credit rating and having copies of all of your important documents can give you a significant advantage at the outset. A divorce attorney can provide guidance for preparing your assets before filing for divorce. Additionally, a family therapist can help prepare children for the inevitable trauma involved in separating your family. For a list of important considerations for those contemplating divorce, read “A dozen things to think about before filing for divorce, ” posted by Alan Nye.

The promising trend of cooperation in the divorce and family law professions has generated creative solutions to support issues. Many parties reach alternate support agreements in order to better accommodate their particular parenting schedule or in an attempt to be more flexible. Lee Borden has posted an article entitled “Lets do this instead of child support,” which illustrates some of the advantages to using statutory child support guidelines.

Recent tax code changes may affect a parent’s ability to claim a child as a dependent for exemption purposes. The changes in the tax code attempt to account for the changing modern family structure. Consequently, the changes may impact recently divorced parents, especially those with children who spend substantial time with each parent or other family members. Bankrate.com has posted this article describing the recent changes. Thanks to Mark Jakubik of Pennsylvania Family Law Blog for finding this article.