Cari Rincker is Trained as Online Family Law Mediator

Rincker Law Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation, Online Mediation Leave a Comment

I’m very proud to be a part of a nimble profession who is  able to adjust during these unprecedented times.  I have been conducting meditations online via Zoom and GoToMeeting for  family law disputes (including child issues and divorce matters).  I took it up a notch in the  month of May and completed a 20 hour training via Mediate.com.  Rincker …

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The Four Stages of Divorce Mediation

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Hear me discuss the 4 Stages of Divorce Mediation here, which includes:  (1) Consultation, (2) Mediation, (3) Drafting the Agreement and (4) Finalization of the Divorce.

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New York Family Law: What is the Cost of Living Adjustment?

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Cost of Living Adjustment (“COLA”) refers to when child support is increased based on the annual cost of living. If the cost of living, pursuant to the Consumers Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U), as published annually by the United States Department of Labor Statistics, increases by at least 10% then an adjustment may be made. It is important …

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Overview of Mediation

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I will be speaking tomorrow at the crack of down tomorrow morning to the CU Sunrise Rotary Club on mediation.  For those of you who are in Central Illinois, I would the support!  The presentation is at 6:45am and coffee (and breakfast!) will be provided.  Here are my materials for the presentation on mediation available on my JD Supra page …

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Ask Cari: Common Mistakes in a Divorce

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Here is a question that I recently received: “Hey Cari, What do people often do “wrong” when they’re about to file for divorce or in the midst of a divorce?” My response: People going through divorce sometimes believe that going to court immediately is the way to resolve things. To the contrary, mediation or the collaborative divorce process would be the …

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New York Child Custody and Visitation Law: What About Supervised Visitation?

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The New York Court of Appeals has held that absent any threat to the child’s wellbeing, those people who have visitation rights have the right to unsupervised visitation with his or her child.  Weiss v. Weiss, 52 N.Y.2d 170 (1981); Nancy M. v. Brian M., 227 A.D.2d 404 (1996); Twersky v. Twersky, 103 A.D.2d 775 (1984). For the court to …

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Child Custody and Visitation Law: Getting a Parenting Plan for School Breaks and Summer Vacation

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School Breaks Schools in New York typically have four (4) school breaks:  Thanksgiving/Fall Break, Christmas/Winter Break, President’s Day/Mid-Winter Break, and Easter/Spring Break.  When drafting a parenting plan, parents should be cognizant on what was agreed to with the holiday schedule.  Here is an example schedule (for illustrative purposes): School Break Time Even Years Odd Years Mid-Winter Recess (President’s Day Week) …

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Child Custody and Visitation: Getting a Holiday Schedule in Place

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After deciding the “basic parenting time schedule”, parents should then decide how they want to handle holidays. Holidays include the following: School holidays/ National holidays (e.g., Columbus Day, Memorial Day) Religious holidays (e.g., Easter) Other holidays (e.g., Halloween) Birthdays (parents and children) Father’s Day and Mother’s Day Parents should make a list of all applicable holidays in which the parents …

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New York Child Custody Law: So What Exactly is “Legal Custody?”

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Legal custody refers to the parent or parents that have decision-making authority over “major decisions” regarding the child, such as non-emergency medical care, religion, education, and extracurricular activities.  When you think of the phrase “legal custody,” replace it with the phrase “decision-making” (e.g., sole decision-making or joint decision-making).  Please note that “day-to-day” decisions are made with the parent who has …

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Choosing a New York Family Law or Divorce Mediator

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It is important to choose the right mediator for you and your particular dispute. Mediators vary in experience, language proficiency, subject matter expertise, style, fees, communication, and level of involvement. For example, some mediators are able to speak fluently in different languages or have knowledge in certain family law disputes (e.g., animal ownership disputes). Some mediators do “virtual mediation” while others …

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Overview of Family Law or Divorce Mediation Process

Rincker Law Alternative Dispute Resolution, Family/Matrimonial Law 1 Comment

Initial Consultation It is recommended that parties considering a mediation first have an initial consultation with the mediator. This initial consultation can be via the telephone or in-person. The parties may choose to have the initial consultation together or separately. During this stage, the mediator oftentimes will have the parties sign a confidentiality agreement, explaining that everything stated during the …

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Sample Mediation Chapter from the New Family Law Book

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I’m excited to share a sample chapter of my newest book, “Onward and Upward:  Guide for Getting Through Divorce & Family Law Issues.”  You can find my chapter on Mediation, here or here. Mediation can be a great form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) to help people through any type of family law dispute including child custody and parenting time disputes, …

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