Is your divorce doomed to face the judgment of the courts? Not necessarily. Our guest, collaborative Raleigh attorney Deborah Throm,  joins us this week to discuss how the collaborative divorce process works and if you and your spouse are ideal candidates.

How will your kids handle your split this holiday season?  Raleigh Divorce Attorney Crystal Russ joins us to give us her advice on how to handle split child custody during the holiday season, as well as whether or not it is possible to affair-proof your marriage.

What circumstances allow me to have my marriage annulled? Raleigh divorce lawyer Lee Rosen joins us to talk about what allows marriages to be annulled, and to give some advice on how to find out if your marriage is eligible for annulment.

If you are a close friend or family member of someone who is recently separated or divorced, expect emotional turmoil over the holidays. Also, keep in mind that even someone who has been divorced quite a while may still grieve over the holidays. This time of year often reminds us of the people we once loved who are no longer there to share the experience.

Jennifer Coleman, M.S. / Ed.S. N.C.C., and Life Transition Coach for Rosen Law Firm has these suggesetions on what to expect of a loved one over the holdiays who has recently separated or divorced:

1. Expect that emotions may run high. This time of year brings on a mix of emotions that includes joy, sadness, and anxiety.

2. Prepare to give them some space. People who find themselves newly single may fluctuate between being excited about their new relationship status to feeling like a third wheel.

3. Present social activities and engagements with no strings attached. When offering to include your friend or family member in holiday activities, always do so with no obligation.

4. Offer a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear. The best thing you can offer is perhaps a quiet place for your friend or loved one to share what they are going through.

5. Understand when its time to adopt new traditions. When there is an empty chair at the dinner table this year, it just might be too painful for your friend or loved one to sit down as if everything were the same.

Valentine’s Day is an emotionally charged holiday in which relationships can renew or sometimes break down. Jennifer Coleman, Rosen Law Firm’s Life Transition Coach and a National Certified Counselor, has some easy tips on ways to show you care this Valentine’s Day:

1. Don’t forget about the holiday completely or you’re basically telling your sweetheart ‘I don’t care’.
2. Don’t pick up something cheap at a gas station because it was fast and convenient. If you’re going to buy your loved one a gift, be thoughtful and sincere.
3. Remember and acknowledge that marking your milestones as a couple is important.
4. Valentine’s Day gifts don’t have to be flowers, candies, or expensive jewelry. It can be making your sweetheart’s favorite dinner or watching a movie that you both like together. Choose a gesture that involves what you have come to know about each other over time.
5. If you’re going to exchange gifts, set a spending limit so that one person doesn’t feel like they received something less. Make it equal.

Do we put too much emphasis on Valentine’s Day? For a lot of people this is a very emotional day as it causes other problems in the marriage to surface. But just how important is this Hallmark holiday?

For many of us, the holidays are often tough. If you are recently separated or divorced, the holidays can be extremely difficult. Jennifer Coleman, who is a Life Transition Coach at Rosen Law Firm ,came up with a few tips that can make it a bit easier.

1) Balance your social and family life.
2) Be thankful for what you have, not just over Thanksgiving, but throughout the holiday season.
3) Try not to over compensate the absence of one spouse by purchasing a lot of gifts for your kids.
4) Recognize that the holidays might be a hard time and plan ahead.
5) Create new holiday traditions.