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Love Me or Leave Me!

July 19, 2021 By Joy Rosenthal

I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by my colleagues, Isaiah Vallejo-Juste, Esq. and Meredith Shirey, LCSW for their podcast, Love Me or Leave Me.Isaiah is a divorce litigator, and Meredith is a couples therapist. I have a lot of respect for them both–we all work with NewYork City families, but approach our work in different ways. I thought they did a great job distilling my comments and getting to the heart of what mediation is and how I … read more »

Filed Under: Divorce, General, Mediation

Layers of Sound

April 23, 2021 By Joy Rosenthal

I have been meditating for a few years, and was part of a workshop recently where the facilitator had us listen to “layers of sound.”  I didn’t understand what she was talking about at first.  It sounded a little mysterious, and a little woo woo…. But I decided to try what she was asking.  And it’s not hard – I’ll show you. (This is an interactive blog post!) Listen – right now – first, to the sounds that are farthest … read more »

Filed Under: Divorce, General, Mediation, Mindfulness, Negotiation, Nonviolence Tagged With: common ground, compassion, conflict, inner voice, listening, mediation, negotiating

As I Live and Breathe…

April 30, 2020 By Joy Rosenthal

As I Live and Breathe… by Joy Rosenthal

In early February, before the whole world turned upside-down, I traveled to a tiny village on the Pacific coast of Mexico to attend an intensive, week-long training for conflict resolution professionals from around the world. Led by master trainer Gary Friedman of the Center for Understanding in Conflict and Zoketsu Norman Fischer of the Everyday Zen Center, the program was called Inside Out: Conflict and Compassion. We were there to look deeply at our reactions to the conflicts we witness … read more »

Filed Under: Happiness, Mediation, Mindfulness, Spousal Maintenance Tagged With: Center for Understanding in Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Everyday Zen Center, Gary Friedman, meditation, Zoketsu Norman Fischer

Promises, Promises

February 11, 2020 By Joy Rosenthal

close-up on 2 hands making a pinky promise

The Oscar-nominated film, Marriage Story, by Noah Baumbach, is really a divorce story. It centers on the relationships between Nicole, an actor, her husband, Charlie, a Broadway director, and their eight-year-old son, Henry. The family lives together in Brooklyn until Nicole gets a job on a TV series in Los Angeles – and moves to LA with Henry. From Nicole’s perspective, she and Charlie had a deal that, someday, they would move to Los Angeles, which is where she grew … read more »

Filed Under: Collaborative Process, Divorce, Families, Marriage, Mediation, Mindfulness, Negotiation Tagged With: Communication, Love’s Promises: How Formal and Informal Contracts Shape All Kinds of Families, Marriage Story, Martha Ertman, Relationships, Separation Agreement

Being a Guide

November 6, 2019 By Joy Rosenthal

moonlit path

This weekend, I saw the movie, Harriet, a riveting film about Harriet Tubman. We know the basics of the story — that she not only escaped slavery herself but kept going back down south, facing incredible danger, to help others make the journey to freedom. But seeing her life enacted onscreen (albeit a Hollywood version) gives the viewer a visceral sense of what it looked and felt like — I was riveted the whole time and went back to see … read more »

Filed Under: Clients, Collaborative Process, Mediation, Mindfulness, Negotiation Tagged With: Couples separating, Divorce Process, Harriet the movie, Harriet Tubman

What to Do After You Get Your Divorce Judgment

October 22, 2019 By Joy Rosenthal

Mallard Ducks lined up in a row on a beach

When we submit your divorce papers to the court in order to obtain a Judgment of Divorce (JOD), the terms of the Settlement Agreement become the law. That means that each party is now bound by the terms of the Agreement. Take a close look at the Agreement and highlight any sections that require action. We will send you one certified copy of the JOD, which has the Court’s official seal and stamp on it. If you need additional copies, … read more »

Filed Under: Divorce, Mediation Tagged With: divorce mediation, Judgment of Divorce (JOD), Post Divorce Tasks, Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), Settlement Agreement

The Four Divorces

September 30, 2019 By Joy Rosenthal

Blue mountains and hills under beautiful orange sunset

In my practice, I have observed that when couples divorce, there are actually several layers of separation, each of which requires its own attention. I think of these as the emotional, social, physical and legal divorces. The emotional divorce between spouses, like that of any friendship, often happens over time. People may simply grow apart, particularly those who began their marriage when they were young. They may change their expectations for themselves and for what they want from a partner. … read more »

Filed Under: Collaborative Process, Divorce, Families, Marriage, Mediation, Negotiation Tagged With: divorce, Divorce Process, Emotional Divorce, Legal Divorce, Physical Divorce, Separation, Social Divorce

Power to the People!

September 12, 2019 By Joy Rosenthal

Close up.business partners give each other a fist.

A big change is coming to the New York State court system. Starting this fall, all New York State courts will work on a system of “presumptive mediation,” which means that it will be assumed that every civil case filed can be resolved using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) e.g. mediation, arbitration or early neutral evaluation. Instead of having to opt in – to affirmatively decide to mediate — parties may opt out. Think of the difference between being presumed innocent … read more »

Filed Under: Clients, Divorce, Mediation, Negotiation, Nonviolence Tagged With: Abby Tolchinsky, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), arbitration, early neutral evaluation, Ellie Wertheim, Family Law, mediation, New York State courts, presumptive mediation

What Happens in the Mediation Room?

July 11, 2019 By Joy Rosenthal

What Happens in the Mediation Room? by Joy Rosenthal

I ask both parties to come in for an introductory meeting when they inquire about divorce mediation. I am not a fancy person. I look professional, but I don’t often wear suits in the office. I try not to use big words, and to explain things in English, rather than legalese. I don’t think my job is to scare clients — in fact, I try to reassure them that they can get through the process, because they can. And our … read more »

Filed Under: Clients, Divorce, Families, Mediation, Negotiation Tagged With: Deciding to Divorce, divorce mediation, mediation, Mediation Process, Mediator

Law School 101

June 24, 2019 By Joy Rosenthal

Law School 101 by Joy Rosenthal

American law is created in two ways — by statute and by case law. Statutes are proposed and drafted by legislators for that jurisdiction, and other government rules and regulations are drafted by the agencies that are charged with running them. Most laws about family relationships are state laws. The statutes that relate to divorce, separation and children are mostly found in the New York State Domestic Relations Law (DRL) and in the Family Court Act (FCA). These are texts … read more »

Filed Under: Child Support, Collaborative Process, Divorce, Families, Mediation, Negotiation Tagged With: Bast v. Rossoff, Family Court Act (FCA), New York State Domestic Relations Law (DRL), Obergefell v. Hodges

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Recent Posts

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Joy S. Rosenthal, Esq.
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