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Elysa Greenblatt is the owner of Greenblatt Law, specializing in Matrimonial and Family Law, Litigation, and Collaborative Law. She represents and helps children get through the divorce process. She joins Stacy Francis to discuss what it means to be an attorney for children and the situations that warrant such legal assistance. Matrimonial attorneys must go through the necessary training and obtain the relevant certification to be permitted to represent children in family court. In addition, these attorneys are usually court-appointed. High-conflict court cases often rack up expensive bills in legal fees, especially if emotions are high and court appearances are frequent since attorneys have hourly rates. The courts typically decide which parent pays the fees. Court-appointed attorneys for children are not mandated reporters who are obligated to call in any suspected abuse or neglect, so dealing with situations where the child may be in danger with one parent may be tricky to work out. A common misconception about attorneys for children is that they are biased, which is untrue. Attorneys for children have a children-centered practice, therefore any decision they make or counsel they offer is always on behalf of the child, with their best interest at heart. ResourcesElysa Greenblatt on LinkedInGreenblattLawLLC.comStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.comReach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

Emma Johnson is the founder of Moms for Shared Parenting and WealthySingleMommy.com, the only site dedicated to helping professional single moms build amazing lives through career, money, dating, sex, and parenting. She is a business journalist, a speaker, and activist at the United Nations, and the author of The Kickass Single Mom: Be Financially Independent, Discover Your Sexiest Self, and Raise Fabulous, Happy Children. She joins Stacy Francis to talk about the top mistakes to avoid as divorced single mothers and what successful single mothers have in common. She also debunks a lie about alimony and child support that women have believed for years. The majority of families that are not two-parent cohabiting families have an arrangement in which the children stay with the mother, who is often financially dependent on the alimony and child support that the father is ordered to pay. The women that thrive after divorce or separation are the ones that understand that they have experienced a loss they need to grieve. Additionally, they do not attempt to replicate what they previously had and don’t feel entitled to the financial security they had before. Child support holds women back, as it is dependent on them earning less than their ex-husbands, who are then incentivized to earn as little as possible. Society will improve when women everywhere are making their own money and are financially independent.  ResourcesEmma Johnson on LinkedIn | TwitterWealthysinglemommy.comThe Kickass Single Mom: Be Financially Independent, Discover Your Sexiest Self, and Raise Fabulous, Happy ChildrenStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.comReach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

Do you hate your ex-spouse more than you love your child? For this holiday replay of a favorite episode from 2017, Stacy is joined by Shari Bornstein, a matrimonial and family law attorney at the Law Firm of John Yacos, P.C, to discuss how to put bitterness aside and prioritize your children when celebrating the holidays. Shari is dedicated to empowering clients with knowledge and strong legal advocacy through collaboration, mediation and litigation.In this episode, you will gain insight on:  How to prevent and prepare for possible conflict during the upcoming holidays  Finding middle ground when it comes to differing parenting styles  Scheduling your holiday sharing plan  Parenting techniques, such as the pizza delivery technique, and using buzzwords to avoid bitterness and conflict in front of the kids  How parents can avoid being “naughty” by coordinating traditions and not “out-gifting” each other  Tips on how to make the holidays less stressful for your children  ResourcesShari Bornstein on LinkedInCall Shari at (212) 587-9560Email: shari@yacoslaw.com  www.yacoslaw.com Stacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.comReach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

Regina DeMeo is a top matrimonial attorney and mediator and has regularly appeared as a legal commentator on TV, radio, and print. For over 2 decades she has been helping families with a variety of legal issues. She joins Stacy Francis today to help listeners as she shares the secret ingredient to preserving family wealth, goodwill, and relationships. Regina has noticed throughout the years that clients who are stuck in the past with feelings of anger, guilt, or remorse have a harder time moving through the divorce process.  People that use anger as a shield may feel that extending forgiveness will make them more susceptible to accepting a settlement that is less than what they deserve. Regina shares some insightful tips on this matter. When going through the divorce process, you have the choice of either remaining in a state of victimhood, or finding a way to become a survivor by ensuring that you have financial and emotional support.  Regina shares her experience of how forgiveness played a huge role in her life. She talks about the journey of finding her father after he was absent for most of her life, and learning to forgive him. ResourcesRegina DeMeo on LinkedIn | TwitterReginaDeMeo.comStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.comReach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

Carrie Casden is a business manager, Certified Money Coach, and the founder of Summit Financial Management. She joins Stacy Francis to discuss the eight money archetypes and how to identify them, becoming the driver on the road to financial security, and how to spend wisely. Your money archetype is the facet of your personality that involves your relationship with money. The money archetypes are: the innocent; the victim; the martyr; the warrior; the fool; the artist; the tyrant; and the magician. Carrie has observed that the divorce process often triggers a breakdown in women’s lives. She recommends employing a financial coach as well as an attorney so you can make informed decisions about your financial future and feel more in control. Parents should not try to buy their children’s affection during divorce. “Children need love,” Carrie says. “The majority of what they need is free and our guilt does them a disservice. When we get divorced and feel guilty, they need more love, not more stuff.” Parents should be open and honest with their children about money and their needs, but not burden them with the details of potential financial distress.  ResourcesCarrie Casden on LinkedInEmail: carrie@summitla.comSummitLA.comBook: Money Magic: Unleashing Your True Potential for Prosperity and FulfillmentMoney Personality QuizStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.comReach out to receive a complimentary consultation! Contact Francis Financial at +212-374-9008 or visit Francis Financial today!

Danielle Kunkle Roberts is a health insurance and Medicare expert and a MarketingInsiders.com contributor. She is the co-owner of Boomer Benefits, an insurance agency that helps individuals navigate Medicare in 48 states. She joins Stacy Francis to share information about Medicare that will allow divorcees to make better decisions about health insurance. If you are in the divorce process and your health insurance is covered in your spouse’s name, and you also have your own coverage through your job, there is a special election period to enroll in your own group coverage. COBRA is an act that allows employees to keep group health insurance for up to 18 months if they experience a loss of group health insurance coverage due to various reasons, divorce being one of them.  Aged, divorced women who have not attained the 10 year working experience can still qualify for free Medicare part A under their ex-husband’s work history if they had been married for at least 10 years. Corporations often have open enrollment for health insurance in the fall because they set their benefits up to run from January through December.  Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation. ResourcesDanielle Kunkle Roberts on LinkedIn | Twitter | FacebookBoomerBenefits.comMedicare.gov Healthcare.gov10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can’t Afford to MakeStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.com

Nancy Hetrick is the Founder and CEO of Smarter Divorce Solutions, the Senior Financial Advisor of Better Money Decisions, and the Founder and CEO of Business Blastoff for Divorce Financial Planners. She is a divorce financial analyst, a mediator, and a forensic specialist. She joins Stacy Francis to talk about the FAQs and FYIs about executive compensation awards. The term “executive compensation” is a misnomer, as it is given to a lot more people than just executives. Executive compensation is tricky: while an employee’s spouse may be entitled to the value of half of the compensation, most times the executive compensation plan does not allow those holdings to be transferred to anyone other than the employee. Executive compensation, which is often paid out in the form of a bonus, is considered an asset. Nancy implores listeners to get another financial advisor if the one they have right now is not educating them. ResourcesNancy Hetrick on LinkedIn | TwitterSmarterDivorceSolutions.comDivorce is Not for Dummies: How to Cover your AssetsStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.com

Nancy Burner is the Founder and Managing Partner of Burner Law Group, a professor at Hofstra University, and a Certified Elder Law Attorney. She has been named a Super Lawyer in the field of Elder Law for 11 consecutive years. She joins Stacy Francis today to discuss the important things you should know with regards to estate planning in the event of a Biden presidency.  Estate and trust planning should always be done with a certified attorney, as it is very easy to make a mistake when you don’t know the tricks of the trade. If you give a gift in your lifetime and survive that by three years, it does not come off your estate tax under New York State law. The best way to leave assets for your children and their descendants is through a trust. A trustee is the manager of the trust assets. Beneficiaries are those who derive advantages from the trust assets. ResourcesNancy Burner on LinkedIn | Twitter | FacebookEmail: nburner@burnerlaw.com Phone: (212) 867-3520Website: BurnerLaw.comStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comPhone: (212) 374-9008 Website: FrancisFinancial.com

Katherine Miller is the Founder of Miller Law Group and Director in Training of the Center for Understanding and Conflict. She is the host of the radio show and podcast Divorce Dialogues, as well the author of The New Yorker's Guide to Collaborative Divorce and the co-author of the Amazon best-seller, A Cup of Coffee. She has been featured on CBS, NBC, The New York Times and Newsday Money Magazine. She joins Stacy Francis to discuss when to get a divorce and how to prepare for it. Katherine believes it's important to be able to work through a divorce from a place of acceptance and personal serenity, but not necessarily forgiveness. The way in which you perceive divorce may affect the way it affects you. One of the first things someone should do when they decide to divorce is to get their finances in order. Having emotional support is extremely helpful while going through a divorce. ResourcesReach out to receive a complimentary consultation. Katherine Miller on LinkedInCall or text Katherine: (914) 738-7765WestchesterFamilyLaw.comStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comPhone: 212-374-9008FrancisFinancial.com

Crystal Levy is a Senior Associate at Lassar & Cowhey LLP and a manager at Marcum LLP. She focuses on making thoughtful estate plans for modern and emerging families as well as high net worth households. Janis Cowhey is a Trusts & Estates and Tax Partner at Marcum LLP, who specializes in estate, gift and income tax planning, as well as working with same-sex couples and unmarried families. They join Stacy Francis to give insights about the required tax considerations in estate planning that the modern family needs to know about, especially if they are considering divorce. They also share how you can make sure your children and stepchildren are financially protected during and after a divorce. The traditional family consists of a married man and woman with 2.5 kids. The modern family has morphed into everything except that. Some legal considerations for getting divorced are: getting a good matrimonial, having all your documents in place, identifying legal obligations, and ensuring that your beneficiary designations are in order. Most couples continue to file joint amended returns for quite some time until they are actually divorced. It’s never a bad idea to update your documents before a divorce is final.  Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation. ResourcesCrystal Levy on LinkedInEmail: crystal.levy@lcllp.com MarcumLLP.comJanis Cowhey on LinkedIn Email: janis.cowhey@marcumllp.com Call or text Janice: (212) 485-5660MarcumLLP.comStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.com

Renee Bauer is a podcast host, a Connecticut Divorce Attorney at Bauer Law Group and the CEO of Happy Even After, an organization dedicated to family and matrimonial law. She joins Stacy Francis to talk about how your thinking patterns can emotionally and financially affect you during and after your divorce, and shares tools to help you have the right mindset. The type of questions clients ask are good indicators of where their mindset is, Renee claims. Clients that ask questions like “How will I ____” are looking externally for the solutions, whereas clients that ask “What can I do to ____” are looking internally for solutions. There is no law stating that you can’t date during your divorce, but you need to be sure that you’re in the right mental space for it. Renee recommends therapy for people going through a divorce, at least for a short time; it’s a grieving process that you shouldn’t have to do alone, she says. Many women hesitate to get a divorce because they feel ashamed, Renee shares. Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation. ResourcesRenee Bauer on LinkedInFamilyLawyerCT.comMsReneeBauer.comStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.com

Dawn Cardi is a founding partner at Cardi & Edgar LLP. She has considerable experience in corporate and securities law, and has spent dozens of years as a matrimonial attorney, representing individuals in divorce and custody proceedings. She joins Stacy Francis to talk about the financial advantages and disadvantages of both formal marriage and common law marriage.  People are often shocked to learn that when they get married, everything they earn, except for certain exceptions, becomes marital property regardless of whose name it is in. Exceptions include inheritances and third party gifts that you don’t commingle into your joint bank account. The biggest issues for common law spouses, according to Dawn, are that they are not accumulating joint wealth that can be distributed during a divorce, they are not accumulating joint retirement monies, and they are not eligible for spousal support.  Dawn recommends that couples sign postnuptial agreements if one spouse is going to be a stay-at-home parent, or if the couple is moving out of the country to a place where one spouse cannot get employment.  Statistics show that divorced women over the age of 65 are the most likely women to live below or at the poverty line. ResourcesDawn Cardi on LinkedInCardiEdgarLaw.comStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.com

Paige Zandri is a Managing Partner and the Lead Mediator of Artese Zandri. She has significant expertise in helping couples create an amicable separation. She joins Stacy Francis to discuss social media, and its effects on divorce. One’s presence on social media can impact alimony, child support, custody, and can be used as evidence in court. Paige advises that parties in divorce act as if there is a judge looking over their shoulder. What a person posts on social media can be taken out of context in incriminating ways, creating a presumption that they must overcome. You shouldn’t post anything on social media after consuming alcohol, Paige warns.  Paige suggests that listeners who are considering reconnection should solicit the help of a third party. ResourcesStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.comPaige Zandri on LinkedIn Email: paige@artesezandri.comArteseZandri.com

Helene Bernstein is a Divorce Attorney and Mediator of her own firm and has been a family law attorney in Brooklyn, New York for the past 25 years. She sits on the board of Family Kind, a non-profit organization that offers reduced fee mediation services for couples going through divorce or separation. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Family Divorce Mediation Council and chairs their Continuing Education Committee. She joins Stacy Francis to talk about how COVID-19 is affecting the divorce process and ways to get to the best resolution. Children are experiencing difficult times with the existence of COVID-19 and their shift to long distance learning, but those whose parents are going through divorce or separation have an additional source of stress. Family Court is the emergency room of the American judiciary system Parties that live in New York City who want to get divorced quickly are encouraged to file their papers in upstate New York County.  In any current divorce or separation agreement, there must be a COVID provision to deal with parenting. Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation. ResourcesStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterFrancisFinancial.comEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comPhone: 212-374-9008Helene Bernstein on LinkedIn | Twitter HBernsteinLawandMediation.comEmail: helene@hbernsteinlawandmediation.com

David Perry is a licensed real estate broker and certified Divorce Real Estate Specialist at Brown Harris Stevens. He joins Stacy Francis to talk about how to navigate buying and/or selling one’s home during a divorce. According to David, accounting is the language of business, economics is how you run it, and real estate is the marriage of both. Having a real estate broker as a resource from the beginning is important, David says, even if couples aren’t sure whether they want to buy or sell.  Pricing houses close to the market value is a safe decision; if priced too high, and the house remains on the market for a long period of time, the value will decrease as time progresses.  There is a perception that one can buy a house at a better price if a couple is selling it because they are getting divorced. ResourcesStacy Francis on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: stacy@francisfinancial.comFrancisFinancial.comDavid Perry on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: dperry@bhsusa.comBHSUSA.com

Emiliya Zhivotovskaya is the CEO of The Flourishing Center, an organization dedicated to “training the change agents of the world” by using science to help people lead more fulfilling lives. She joins Stacy Francis to discuss how to navigate your emotions during divorce and to share three tips on how to change your habits. Self-awareness brings about self-compassion, which brings self-care, which enables more self-awareness. Human beings have been wired with a negativity bias, so we pay more attention to the negatives, regardless of the existence or abundance of positives. Many people assume that happiness is an event that takes place in the absence of difficulty. Positive psychology advocates approaching emotions as a science to identify what skills are necessary to build and maintain happiness and resilience.  Changing your habits involves changing how you think, how you feel, and what you do.  The main thing that distinguishes humans from animals is that we can actively choose our response to stimulus.  ResourcesReach out to receive a complimentary consultation. FrancisFinancial.comStacy Francis: Stacy@francisfinancial.com Phone: 212-374-9008 Emiliya Zhivotovskaya on LinkedInTheFlourishingCenter.com | Podcast

Linda Rosenthal is a matrimonial lawyer and partner at McLaughlin & Stern. She joins Stacy Francis to chat about prenups and postnuptial (postnups) agreements, and how the latter may prove beneficial. Here are a few highlights from their conversation: A prenup is a contract agreed upon by the involved parties before a marriage, in the event of separation, divorce, or death; a postnup is a contract agreed upon during a marriage. Postnups provide the advantage of making decisions during your marriage with more information about specific life events. You should discuss postnup agreements with your spouse before you make a big economic decision (like reducing your income, for example), in reliance on your spouse’s income. Linda believes that a marriage is an economic partnership and both parties should be aware of the rules that apply with regards to the law, so doing a prenup – or at least learning about the economic rules of marriage - should be mandatory before marriage. ResourcesReach out to receive a complimentary consultation. FrancisFinancial.comStacy Francis: Stacy@francisfinancial.com Phone: 212-374-9008 Linda Rosenthal on LinkedInEmail: lrosenthal@mclaughlinstern.comCall or text Linda at:212-455-0358McLaughlinStern.com

Sophie Jacobi-Parisi is a partner at Warshaw Burnstein, LLP and practices matrimonial and family law, representing people in matrimonial, custody and support matters. She joins Stacy Francis to discuss relocation issues and how you can resolve them. Relocation is not automatic; you do not have the right, just because you’re the mother, to take your children and move away from their other parent. Make your case for relocation as strong as possible: consider all the benefits that the relocation may provide for your children, such as a nicer home or better extra-curricular programs at a better school.   If a parent takes a child on an international trip and doesn’t bring the child back, the other parent can file a Hague case in the child’s home state or country in order to bring jurisdiction back to their country. People need an education on what it truly means to get divorced, Sophie says. She believes that generally, marriages can survive relocation, and divorce may not always be the answer. ResourcesSophie Jacobi-Parisi on LinkedInWarshaw Burnstein, LLP Reach out to receive a complimentary consultation. FrancisFinancial.comStacy Francis: Stacy@francisfinancial.com Phone: 212-374-9008

Laurie Marchel is a business executive in the financial services industry and the author of The Stepmoms’ Club: How to Be a Stepmom Without Losing Your Money, Your Mind, and Your Marriage. She joins Stacy Francis to share tips for navigating a blended family. When making decisions regarding the safety of your children, their best interest should come first. According to statistics, 1300 stepfamilies are formed every day in the US. The four D’s of stepparenting are: Documents, which will give you, as a stepfamily, a glimpse into your future; Dollars, which involves understanding financial obligations and responsibilities; Delegation, which centers around seeking professional assistance; and Do stay true to yourself, which is a reminder to stepmothers to not lose sight of who they are in the wake of assuming their new responsibilities. Parents in blended families need to communicate about plans for Mother’s Day, as a lack of communication may result in plans that unintentionally slight stepparents. ResourcesReach out to receive a complimentary consultation. FrancisFinancial.comStacy Francis: Stacy@francisfinancial.com Phone: 212-374-9008The Stepmoms’ Club on Facebook | InstagramTheStepmomsClub.comThe Stepmoms’ Club: How to Be a Stepmom Without Losing Your Money, Your Mind, and Your Marriage

Rich Heller is a conflict coach and trained mediator, with a master’s degree in social work and a certificate in coaching, who works with couples struggling to manage conflict. Whether a couple has decided to separate or divorce, Rich’s goal is to help minimize the friction, so the couple can maximize the support they give to their children.   Rich talks about how, during difficulties in your marriage, children are taking in everything you say about, and how you treat, your spouse – and that the children’s needs and feelings should come first.  Rich and Stacy discuss how and when you can use the services of a mediator to help with challenges in your marriage, and how they can help you negotiate your options for moving forward together or separately, all while staying true to your principles and values.  Rich expands on how you can “divorce-proof” your children - communicating with them honestly, helping them develop resilience and grit, and encouraging them to have good relationships with both of their parents, even when there is conflict and negativity.    ResourcesReach out to receive a complimentary consultation. FrancisFinancial.comStacy Francis: Stacy@francisfinancial.com Phone: 212-374-9008 Rich Heller:RichInRelationship.comRich@RichInRelationship.com