Carol D. Betts Family Law and Mediation PLLC

04/21/2022

I'm often asked how new or curious Collaborative Law professionals can connect with the community so I compiled a list. Don't be timid, Collaborative practitioners are a friendly group.
https://seattlefamilylawyer.com/collaborative-professionals-connect-with-collaborative-community/

12/30/2021

This article was written a few years ago but it very much captures the concept of the "parent mind" co-parenting skill. An excellent read.

“A good divorce, like a good marriage, takes work. With nearly half of all marriages ending in divorce, it’s worth exploring how the good ones move forward from darkness to light.”

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/couples-can-divorce-without-drama-beyond-the-hurt-anger-and-fear/

12/26/2021

Do you or your children have student loans? This comprehensive article contains information and resource links for those facing the pandemic payment pause restart.

Student loan payments will resume for tens of millions of borrowers in 2021. Here’s how to navigate the end of the payment pause — and how to get into a more affordable plan if you need it.

03/22/2020

With courts shut down for all but emergency matters, it is more important than ever that parents try to work through their differences and come to agreement. The anxiety that parents and children are feeling in these uncertain times will only be heightened by conflict. With children home from school, parents' role as educators is even more important. Consider what you are teaching your children about problem solving and resolving conflict. We are mediating through Zoom video conferencing. Call if you need help.

02/26/2020

I often get calls from people looking for "collaborative mediation". I understand that the spirit of what they are looking for is an out-of-court resolution to their family law issue where they stay in charge of the outcome. They know that they do not want to escalate conflict but the processes and terms can be confusing. Hopefully, this blog post on my website will bring some clarity.

https://seattlefamilylawyer.com/is-it-collaborative-or-is-it-mediation-or-both-conversations-with-carol/

02/13/2020

New Blog post - first in a series addressing common conversations with people new to the divorce process.
Many legal insurance plans provide coverage for an "Uncontested Divorce". What does this term mean? You might be surprised to find that you and your lawyer interpret it differently.

What is an uncontested divorce? – Conversations with Carol Kitchen Table Negotiations What is an uncontested divorce? Kylie called looking for help with an amicable divorce. She said they had been married 15 years and the divorce was uncontested. They didn’t want to get courts or lawyers involve...

01/30/2020

Crowne Pointe Office Plaza - 4010 is first building on the right

01/17/2020

This list describes some pretty common situations in families that I see. There is a lot of peer pressure among parents to give children every opportunity for success. I especially see #10 in the list with the divorcing families who come through my office. Many parents think that teens will weather the divorce better if they are allowed to make decisions about schedules. With all the pressures teens already have, adding responsibility for when and how they spend time with the parents who should be supporting them is bound to create anxiety.

We've created an environment that fosters anxiety rather than resilience.

12/02/2019

Parents with substance use disorders are often shamed and blamed by the family law legal system. It hurts more than it helps. Negotiated agreements can balance the safety needs of the children with the healing needs of the parents in a way that is supportive of the entire family system.

He says: Addiction shouldn’t be called “addiction”. It should be called “ritualized compulsive comfort-seeking”. He says: Ritualized compulsive comfort-seeking (what traditionalists call addiction)…

03/04/2019

Sometimes they are questions that have answers, like when my daughter wanted to know, "How do whales sleep?" and sometimes they are trickier like, "Are you going to leave me like Grandma did?" Here is a good guide on strategies for navigating some of those tricky questions kids ask.

Is Santa real? Will you ever die? Children ask questions that can induce knee-buckling panic in adults. NPR's Life Kit and Sesame Workshop have research-tested strategies to help you with the answers.

05/14/2018

Collaborative Law on "This American Life"! The whole show is entertaining. Acts 2 and 3 deal with divorce in particular - Act 2 is about a child's experience with her parent's divorce and Act 3 is about an attorney who turned away from litigation to Collaborative Law.

Starlee Kine tries to write the perfect break-up song with some help from Phil Collins.