Many Catholics are welcoming the open dialogue that Pope Francis has been spearheading with worshipers in his short time as head of the Catholic Church. While some conservative Catholics are reserving judgment, other Catholics are hailing the Pope for bringing real world solutions to a Church obviously rooted in tradition. This more open model of running the church has led to the recent announcement from the Pope that the process governing marriage annulments is going to be simplified to benefit those Catholics looking for a civil divorce and eventual marriage to a new spouse.
In the past, the church has been criticized for the large amount of time (and in many cases, money) that it takes bishops the world over to rule on an annulment. Many have reported this process can take years and cost thousands of dollars, thus holding up divorces and new marriages alike.
The new law of the Church is slated to take hold by the end of the year. It could certainly mean speedier divorces for the parties involved. Our advice is to continue to watch for news on the subject as we head into December and possibly January.
Read MoreFor those of you close to the folks at our firm, you likely already know how exciting things have been and continue to be around our office. Well, offices, to be exact, but we will get to that in a minute. First, our online announcement of our newest associate, Achille C. Scache (“Ash”) is long overdue. Ash has a wealth of experience in the field of Family Law and we are thrilled to have him as a tremendous addition to our team. We will be adding his bio to this website very soon so that you can read more about this incredibly talented attorney.
Those who helped us celebrate our Hart Hat Party last month already know that we are currently in the middle of preparing for a big move to a newer, bigger and more private office space for our Wilmington location. We will literally be right across the street a few hundred feet. This move will provide our growing firm and our clients some much needed space and welcomed privacy moving forward. We will be sure to update all of you once the dust has settled.
Read MoreFar too often we talk to folks about wills and estates after someone has passed on. The time to have the conversation about what will happen to your real estate and family assets after your death is while you are still alive. The reason why this is so important is because, without a will, the state of Delaware will decide where your assets and real estate will end up. Now, there is an outside chance that they will guess correctly, but what is really the likelihood of the government guessing your final wishes 100% on the money? Where the government decides to send your money depends on if you are married, single, have children, living parents, etc. These default plans vary from state to state.
To prevent your assets and real estate from being divided up and doled out by a government employee, come up with an idea of how you would like to see your assets handled after your passing and then contact an attorney who handles wills, estates and trusts. Even if you are single and living with a turtle, you should have a will. After all, who is going to look after poor Sheldon after you pass?
Read MoreSeparation and divorce is made exponentially more difficult when kids are involved. There is a ton of great advice out there from friends, family, professionals and even books and the internet about how to best deal with your emotions and those of your kids and ex-partner. Here are just a few tips we have shared in the past that we feel are important:
- Be business like with your ex spouse or partner. For the benefit of the child or children, communication should be civil and consistent with your ex. Do your best to call a truce as soon as possible to ensure that communication regarding kids is on topic and clear.
- Listen. Your children are going to be inclined to share their feelings. You may not always have all of the answers. It’s okay to let them know that too!
- Never turn a child into a messenger. Sending money, gifts or messages via your kids is never a good idea.
- Your kids are not your sounding board. If things are not going smoothly with the other parent, do your best not to voice opinions at or around your child.
- Do not interrogate your children over info regarding your ex-spouse or partner. Trust is a huge issue with children of divorce because many parents overstep boundaries. Pumping your child for information makes you untrustworthy and compromises the relationship between your child and his/her other parent.
- No dirty tricks. Avoid allegiances and ever making a child continuously choose one parent over another.
- Focus on stability by maintaining as many routines and relationships as possible.
- Should you need to make a change in your schedule, notify your child and his/her other parent ASAP.
- Remember that things come up and schedules may change. Allow some grace for your ex and your kids when presented with such changes.
- Finally, be patient. Most divorces take time and the changes that result will take a while to set in. Normalcy does return. The more your kids seeing you model patience, the more likely they will be able to foster some of their own.
The real estate market down state continues to grow as coastal property in the Northeastern US continues its rebound. Coastal property in Delaware and Maryland continues to gain interest from those tepid over shore properties in New Jersey since the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy. According to the Sussex County Association of Realtors (in an article published on Capegazette.com), roughly 4700 properties changed hands in southern Delaware to the tune of $1.45 billion making for an increase of 8% over 2013 totals. This news marks the fourth year in a row that the real estate market in Sussex County has seen positive growth.
Read MoreJanuary is an odd odd time of year. Let’s be honest. Getting to the other side of the holidays can be a bit of a challenge for many folks and their families and once we have done so generally there is some reflection, for better or for worse. January is a time of resolutions. Some folks choose to lose weight, eat better foods, quit drinking or smoking, or try something new. Some folks choose to get a divorce.
It’s true and the national statistics back it up. Law offices get more calls in January than in any other month from first time clients seeking divorce or separation. Some experts chalk this up to many folks simply trying to “get through the holidays” for the sake of children, parents, in-laws and even holiday parties and other social events. It is clear that one New Year’s resolution that many have revolves around an unwillingness to continue on in a fractured relationship.
Late spring and early summer are a close second in that many parents choose to wait out the end of the school year so that kids can get through with studies.
Divorce is never easy and every person has his or her own valid reasons for wishing to terminate a marriage. We suggest that in each case, one make his or her decision soberly and with every bit of care and forethought necessary. If you or someone you know is in need of a family attorney in the Wilmington, Delaware area, our own David Gagne is certainly regarded as one of New Castle County’s best divorce lawyers. Our attorneys and staff are here to help represent our clients during these complicated times.
Read MoreIt was a wild year here at Giordano, DelCollo, Werb & Gagne with the biggest news being the addition of some great new staff members including new partner David Gagne. We have our great clients and wonderful contacts in the legal and real estate community to thank for our continued growth and success. We appreciate also the very hard work of our staff at our offices in Wilmington and Smyrna. Without their dedication our firm would not be able to serve our clients with the degree of professionalism they have come to expect. We would like to wish everyone out there a Happy Holiday Season and a Joyous, Safe and Profitable New Year!
Read MoreAs we mentioned several weeks back, we have a some neat things going on here at the firm. The most notable of these changes is that of our firm name. Giordano, DelCollo & Werb, LLC is now Giordano, DelCollo, Werb & Gagne, LLC as we welcome the firm’s newest partner, David C. Gagne. David heads the firm’s family law division. For those of you who we have had the pleasure of serving in the past for your real estate or contract needs, we invite you now to depend on GDWG for your questions regarding family law. divorce and child custody issues.
We also invite you to drop by our facebook page and let us know what you think of our new website! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Read MoreIn addition to having a new website and a new logo soon to debut here at the firm, we have many other changes that we hope to unveil very soon this fall. We thank all of you for your continued support and look forward to letting you all know about what we have on tap here at our firm!
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