It is funny to me how the news is making such a big deal about a very standard request that we make in divorce cases. Given that half of all divorces involve an affair, adultery claims are not so shocking in my world. The emotional harm is not something any court can really address, but we do care about the financial impact to the family. We often track how much someone has spent on an affair to see if there was a substantial dissipation of marital assets for a non-marital purpose.Various articles talk about the fact that Iverson's estranged wife initially said the divorce had nothing to do with his affairs, and now they claim she is changing her tune. Here is a newsflash: she is not changing her tune-- she just got smart and hired a lawyer that probably explained the financial implications affairs may have when it comes to the division of property and/or alimony.I often remind my clients that divorce court is not criminal court-- we are not here to punish the perpetrators of an offense. Judges and lawyers understand that adultery is a symptom of a larger issue, and for us this is just business. It is a partnership that is dissolving, and we need to figure out the fairest way to make that happen. In [...]

It is hard to believe that a year ago today, I set out on a journey to meet my family in Miami-- a family torn apart for decades due to an erroneous court decision that found insufficent evidence to support a paternity claim. Tomorrow, I get to share the story at my alma mater, GW University Law School. The story made local headlines in December last year, and has become part of my inspirational lectures around the DC Area. In honor of the one year anniversary of my fateful trip, I am re-posting the blog about how I finally pieced together the family I was denied for decades:A Puzzle That Took 38 Years to SolveIn 1971, a woman met a Spaniard while on a cruise. Nine months later, I was born. A nasty court case ensued, and without the admission of any medical evidence, the court found insufficient grounds to make a determination of paternity.My mother was publicly humiliated and felt betrayed by the judicial system. As a result, I was told as a child that my father was dead, and my mother insisted that I become a lawyer and learn my rights. As fate would have it, I got a scholarship to go to a boarding school in Andover, MA when I was 14. I moved to Washington, DC [...]

The past few days I was fortunate enough to have one of my life-long friends come to DC, not just for a visit, but to look at places to live. After all these years apart, she is moving to DC for a new job, and I will finally get to see her more than once every couple of years! So while catching up on life over the last few days, I was very excited to tell my friend about my upcoming webinar for Georgetown University-- in June I will be speaking about forgiveness as a key to success, both in your personal and professional life. Obviously, she has over the last 18 years seen how this skill (which was NOT acquired easily) helped me overcome some major challenges in life, and yet she made this one salient point: how is it you have been able to forgive so many around you while you remain so hard on yourself?Indeed, it has been said by many that I am my harshest critic, but I know that I am not alone. Many of us that are passionate and driven, with a clear goal in mind, have a very hard time dealing with setbacks. We rarely fail, but when we suffer our blows, we do not take them in stride. It is no secret-- [...]