Tools & Tips from Michael Becker

Divorce Source Radio Podcast

I’m always looking for new resources, and have recently found the Divorce Source Radio podcast. I recommend it as a resource for clients and practitioners alike.

This podcast offers really practical advice. Recent episodes addressed topics such as financial tips for divorcing couples and families, and a demystification of the divorce process itself. I found especially useful an extensive interview with a woman who had multiple affairs. She discussed the damage this caused to her marriage, her former spouse, and to herself.

Most important, the information comes in a non-preachy and easily accessible way. And there’s no pretension.

While the podcast seems aimed at those going through divorce, it is equally informative for those of us who work with divorcing people, such as attorneys, therapists, and financial professionals.

Recent Tools & Tips

Late-Life Splits: Surprising Impacts on Adult Children

Divorce rates for those over 50 — known as ‘gray divorce’ — have surged from 9% in 1990 to about 36% today. This trend has been evident in my 30 years as a divorce mediator. Some guess that with longer lifespans, older spouses are less willing to stay in unfulfilling marriages. Gray divorce deeply affects…

529 Accounts Get a Power Boost

The recent tax bill passed by Congress has significantly expanded the benefits of 529 education savings accounts. These accounts still grow tax-free and allow tax-free withdrawals for qualified education expenses, but the list of such expenses has broadened considerably. Previously limited mainly to college costs, and up to $10,000 annually for K-12 tuition, the new…

The Ultimate Pre-Marriage Checklist

A friend recently told me her son is delaying his marriage. The couple discovered some disagreements about how they envisioned being married. It gave me the opening to share the short book The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say “I Do” with my friend. I recommend it highly to anyone considering…

You and Your Young Adult Child — A Review

In You and Your Young Adult Child, Laurence Steinberg offers useful advice for parents of 20-somethings.