CLE Courses

Feb 28th 2017
It is not unusual following a divorce for one parent to end contact with the children and/or for the other parent to create a new family through remarriage. Through the step-parent adoption process, the new family will want to legally establish new bonds between the children and the new spouse and remove or limit the potential influence of the absent parent. The presenter walks us through a step-parent adoption from the initial meeting with the clients. He discusses timing considerations, the filing of the Petition, the termination of parent rights, and trial suggestions. He also identifie helpful statutes and cases. Materials provided.

Jan 24th 2017
"I've retired, don't I just stop paying spousal support?" How many times have you head that? Modification of spousal support based on retirement is a growing issue. This presentation provides you with the expanding case law to apply to your fact situation. Is there a retirement age if you are paying spousal support? Is there an obligation to maximize your retirement income; protect capital; rate of return and impute income? You again face the double-dipping controversy. This presentation discusses social security benefits for the payor and the payee. Distributions from retirement plans and IRA's. This program will provide you with law to allow you to obtain the specific facts to prevail on retirement issues in spousal support cases.

Nov 19th 2016
This is a full-day (6 hours) practical approach to ESI Education. You need this information to prepare for trial, prepare discovery to obtain ESI, to educate your clients about the dangers of ESI, and to examine ESI experts. Learn what lies beneath the surface of your CPU as you delve into ESI in cell phones, tablets, and laptops, under the guidance of nationally recognized computer forensic experts and educators. This course will show that electronic evidence can be user-friendly. Examine the proliferation of powerful, probative electronic evidence to increase competence in employing ESI effectively and economically. Learn key techniques that even lawyers with limited IT experience can find practical and easy to use. This program explores the fundamentals of how evidence lives in clients' computing environments. Discover the essential areas for negotiation and agreement in connection with the preservation, collection, processing, review and production of electronic evidence. This will assist you in lowering the cost with do-it-yourself approaches to E-Discovery.

Oct 25th 2016
In addition to a review of the bankruptcy basics, you will learn about new developments and revised dollar and debt limits under BAPCPA and how they may affect your divorce clients, If you want a primer on the interrelation of bankruptcy and family law and as well as an update to your knowledge base, this is a can't-miss presentation. The materials include a thorough and concise description of the issues for Family Lawyers and a schedule of the bankruptcy laws, terms, exclusions and limits for quick reference.

Oct 5th 2016
Author, instructor and attorney, Emily Doskow provides an hour-long presentation to introduce attorneys to the concept of mindfulness -- the practice of noticing one's experience in the present moment -- and explore its application to the practice of law. Her presentation includes basic instructions in meditation along with two brief meditations, one guided and one unguided. Emily explains how brain science indicates that mindfulness is an effective tool for reducing stress and increasing our sense of well-being. Her presentation includes discussions of mindfulness and self-reflection as lawyering skills that support us in working with clients, opposing counsel, and ourselves; and about the use of mindfulness to deal with strong emotions and cultivate compassion for ourselves, our clients, and even our opponents.

Sep 27th 2016
This program describes screening assessments for power imbalances and danger in mediation and collaborative cases, and how some screening techniques may be adapted for use by litigators. While not optimal in litigated matters, screening techniques still have value in determining, even if based almost solely on information from one party, whether and to what extent a risk of harm might exist for the client, what type of power imbalance may exist between the parties, and therefore what amount and type of contact and communications that can/should be supported by an attorney for his/her client and the opposing party. This is useful not only in discussions with one's client, but also in tailoring arguments for relief via RFO, or in settlement negotiations. The materials include the slide presentation, screening forms and statistical information to weigh potential risks of harm.

Jun 13th 2016
The divorce process often creates tax problems, which require intricate knowledge of both family law and the tax code to solve. In this interactive program, our presenters discuss the rules every attorney must know when dividing community property or making spousal support awards. Issues include non-reported income, filing status, perqs, innocent spouse, liquidating 401K/IRA, Duke Order, non-citizens, shifting taxes, carryforwards, and recapture. CFLS Christopher Melcher, and Judge Lon Hurwitz, show you how to avoid the tax pitfalls associated with division of property and spousal support, and how to effectively present tax issues at trial.

May 24th 2016
In Estate Planning, titling means everything and often the way property is characterized can make a huge difference at the time of death. In Family Law we many times start with property characterized as part of an estate plan and conclude with the issue of how to characterize property post dissolution with no estate plan in place. This presentation poses the potential problems and available solutions for planning if death during dissolution process - Family Court or Probate Court. Title of property on death with and without estate planning documents. Applicability of family law principles in Probate Court. Anticipate the potential problems and plan accordingly. The speaker is an estate planning attorney who "inherits" our problems.

Apr 26th 2016
Have you shown up for a hearing or mediation only to find the opposing counsel has changed the date of separation based on Davis? You are confronted with schedules characterizing separate/community property and reimbursement for debts that turn your case around. Forget that the Petition and Response state the same date of separation! If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. This one hour presentation will provide you with an in depth analysis of Davis, the underlying historical analysis leading to Davis, and SB 1255 known as anti-Davis legislation. Consi der retroactivity vs. a vested right without due process? What evidence must be considered? The materials include a treatise on this topic and reference materials necessary for argument (64 pages).
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