Thanks to Deborah Moskovitch for this great opportunity to tell the story of my own family divorce. I was just a little boy when it happened and it changed me forever.
“It’s Never Too Late to Have a Good Childhood” — with Deborah Moskovitch.
Podcasts Featuring Robert Simon, PhD
Check out the new podcasts featuring our interview with Robert Simon Ph.D., a licensed Psychologist who is a recognized expert in Forensic Psychology, consulting with over 20 years of experience in the legal domain of family law and domestic relations. To put it mildly, he’s a heavy weight. Search “Ron and Robert on Divorce” in iTunes or simply go to http://thelawcollaborative.podbean.com/
Listen, learn, and enjoy.
Helene Antel, Lawyer and Peacemaker – P.4
If you have been following along for the last three weeks, you are familiar with Helene Antel’s story. If you haven’t been following along, you should start now. Her story is incredible. A former criminal prosecutor district attorney, a ferocious advocate for her clients, and a victim of domestic violence. Listen to Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.
This week Helene talks about what she learned from her life experiences and how they changed her attitude about the practice of law. She discovered that being kind, patient, thoughtful, and charming, made her a better, more effective lawyer. In her words:
“The long drawn out expensive divorce litigation is the perpetration of the anger, the fight. It’s that neither party is willing to move on; the fighting is just a way to maintain a connection. If you declare peace, then the relationship is really over. Without knowing it, many people are not ready to truly separate themselves from their partner so they connect through a long drawn out battle. But you can choose not to fight anymore. You can choose to learn how to mediate your conflicts or manage your conflicts and keep the family together.”
Listen now to the fourth and final interview with Helene Antel, lawyer and peacemaker.
Like what you heard? Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and download free podcasts every week.
Helene Antel, Lawyer and Peacemaker – P.3
In last week’s episode of Ron and Robert on Divorce, we heard the story of Helene Antel, a successful, powerful, ferocious district attorney who was the victim of domestic violence. It took her years, but she finally learned how to follow the very advice she routinely gave her clients. Once she learned how to do that, she was able to begin building a life of freedom for herself and her child. When asked what the turning point was that allowed her to start taking her own advice, she says it was when she achieved ambivalence.
Now, she finds herself moving away from litigated court cases because she doesn’t want to make war anymore. She wants to make peace. In her words:
“Violence only breeds violence. Respectful communication breeds solutions. You can get a resolution without all the hate, the fighting and the misery. It takes less time, and it takes a far less egregious toll on the participants.”
Listen now to part 3 of this fascinating series:
Missed the first two? Listen to Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.
Don’t miss another one! Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and download free podcasts weekly.
Helene Antel, Lawyer and Peacemaker – P.2
“All of a sudden, I changed from being the helplessly in love abused woman to the former district attorney. I looked at him and I said, ‘I’ve prosecuted guys like you. I know where this goes and it doesn’t get better. So this is the first and only time you are ever going to do this to me.’ Then I walked to the phone and I called 9-1-1.”
Helene Antel was a district attorney prosecutor and a ferocious advocate for her clients. But at home, she was someone else entirely. Listen to Part 2 of this electrifying story of a powerful, educated, skilled district attorney criminal prosecutor and how she survived and overcame her abusive marriage.
Did you miss the first part? Check it out HERE.
Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and download free podcasts every week.
Helen Antel, Lawyer and Peacemaker – P.1
Former criminal prosecutor Helene Antel grew up in a low-income housing project in the South Bronx. It was a rough and ugly neighborhood where people did not treat each other with kindness. She knew, even as a little girl, that so much hatred was not normal. She remembers being eight or nine and flying with fists of fury at a burly, tattooed gang member because he was picking on a little fat kid. She’s had the heart of an advocate since she was small.
Helene is a lawyer in Alaska who recently made the decision not to litigate any more. Over the course of her impressive career, and with a little help from her personal life, Helene has come to the conclusion that most conflicts are the product of a misunderstanding, or the lack of a good translator. And so she doesn’t litigate, she translates. Through translation, she reduces conflict while increasing peace and understanding.
Listen as Ron and Robert interview Helen Antel, lawyer and peacemaker.
Like what you heard? Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and download free podcasts weekly.
Randy Morrow, Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist, P. 6
In this sixth and final segment of Ron and Robert’s interview with Virginia’s leading Real Estate Divorce Specialist, the gentlemen discuss the difference between distributive bargaining (which is what you get when you go to court) and collaborative negotiation, which is what happens in a Collaborative Divorce. We like to tell the story of the orange:
Two young siblings are fighting over an orange. Their father walks in on them, takes the orange away, cuts it in half, and hands a half to each. Sister bursts into tears. “Why are you crying?” asks the perplexed father. “You and your brother both wanted the orange, there was only one orange, so I cut it in half. You should be happy.”
“I don’t want half!” sobs Sister. “I only wanted the peel. I need it for a cake I’m baking, but I have to have the whole peel.”
“Oh. Bobby?” He asks Brother, “Will you give your sister the whole peel if she’ll let you have the whole inside?”
Brother’s eyes light up. “Gee, sure! I didn’t want the crummy peel anyway.”
And that, dear friends, is the difference between distributive bargaining and collaborative negotiation.
The gents go into more detail about distributive bargaining, and then they talk about how to divide a property that was owned prior to marriage, what happens if you file bankruptcy during divorce, and whether or not you should keep your house if you file for bankruptcy.
Missed the first five parts of this series? Here’s Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
Don’t miss another one! Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and get free podcasts every week.
Randy Morrow, Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist, P. 5
Maybe you’ve been following along (if you haven’t, start playing catch-up now!) but today’s episode of Ron and Robert on Divorce is crucial. Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist Randy Morrow delves into the topic of short sales: What is a short sale, do you qualify for one, and what will it do to your credit score? In Randy’s words, “This is mandatory to understand.”
Listen to this new podcast from Ron and Robert on Divorce – you’ll be glad you did.
Missed the first four parts of this series? Find them here, here, here, and here.
Don’t miss another one! Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and get free podcasts every week.
Randy Morrow, Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist, P. 4
Randy Morrow is a Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist, not a lawyer. He does not give legal advice, but he does offer compelling personal advice: Either get divorced or get married, but do not keep any strings. No financial strings, no real estate strings. Cut them all. Listen to part 4 of this 6-part series to find out exactly what he means when he says “Cut them all.”
Missed the first three parts of this series? Find them here, here, and here.
Don’t miss another one! Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and get free podcasts every week.
Randy Morrow, Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist, P. 3
When Randy Morrow, Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist, takes on new clients who are parents going through divorce, he has them sign an agreement stating that they will not argue in front of their children. If they refuse to sign, he will not work with them. This is just one of the reasons why Randy is a gem in the divorce and real estate community.
Randy understands the pain and difficulty of divorce better than most real estate agents because he’s been through three divorces himself. His first was at the age of nine, when his parents divorced. His second and third were as an adult going through his own divorce. From his website:
Randy is trained in the legal and tax aspects of the divorce process as it relates to real estate. His specialty is learning about obscure divorce-related legal rulings, regulations, and tax implications. This enables him to help his divorcing clients take advantage of tax laws that are specific to selling a house during a divorce.
“Divorcing couples are going through one of the most stressful times of their lives and they need all the help they can get. I know,” says Randy “I have been through these times myself. I know from firsthand experience what my clients are feeling and why.”
Listen to the third part in this six-part series and discover the most important factors to consider when making the decision to sell or keep the family residence.
Don’t miss another one! Subscribe to Ron and Robert on Divorce on iTunes and get free podcasts every week.
