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Attorney’s Fees Paid to Obtain and/or Collect Alimony Can Be Tax Deductible

December 21st, 2011

By: Sara Prose, Esq.
sprose@a-f.net

Did you know that attorney’s fees paid for obtaining and/or collecting alimony can be tax deductible?

Example: You pay your attorney a fee for handling your divorce and an additional fee that is for services in getting and collecting alimony. You can deduct the fee for getting and collecting alimony, subject to the 2% limit, if it is separately stated on your attorney’s bill.

The example provided above is from IRS publication 504, a useful tax resource for divorce and separated individuals. To review the publication, go to:
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p504/ar02.html#en_US_2010_publink1000175957.

As always, you should work with your accountant or tax preparer to address your particular tax situation.

If you are in need of legal advice concerning alimony and/or any other family law matter, please do not hesitate to call either Mary Ellen Flynn or me, Sara Prose, at 301-563-6685 or email at meflynn@a-f.net or sprose@a-f.net

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Posted in Divorce Law, Family Law, Separation and Divorce

A Paralegal’s Viewpoint of the Collaborative Law Process for Divorce Matters

February 28th, 2011

Helping people get through the most difficult times of their lives in a way that their friends cannot be of assistance to them is what I like best about being a paralegal.  I have worked on separation and divorce cases in the State of Maryland for more than 25 years, and my experience is that the ending of a marriage, whether or not there are children involved, is one of the most difficult times in a person’s life.  The added stress of having to enter into a court proceeding on such personally-sensitive matters as infidelity and other maltreatment by a spouse, child custody and visitation issues, spousal and/or child support, division of assets and debts, joint business-ownership concerns, insurance and retirement benefits questions, usually impedes the individuals from feeling that they have any control over the present or the future.

One of the best ways I have seen for separating individuals to feel empowered and optimistic about the changes occurring in their lives is for them to become active participants in their own separation and divorce arrangements.  The Collaborative Law Process is designed for this purpose, and I have seen many great successes when this process is used as a framework for separating spouses to resolve child custody, visitation, support, property and other issues.  With the help of two attorneys trained in the Collaborative Law process, the parties systematically identify, address and resolve the specific matters that relate to their marriage, separation and divorce, and document their arrangements in a contractual agreement, placing them in the proper position to have their divorce finalized on an uncontested basis with minimal court involvement.

Mary Ellen Flynn of our office is a Montgomery County Collaborative Law attorney who combines her extensive legal knowledge and experience with her Collaborative Law training and her compassionate nature to facilitate superior results in the Collaborative Law setting.   She is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Divorce Association, Inc. and a founding member of the Collaborative Dispute Resolution Professionals, Inc.  Over the years, I have received many thanks and appreciation from clients for Ms. Flynn’s instrumental role in getting them and their families back on the road to success after a marital break-up that was resolved through the Collaborative Law process with our office.   In my experience, Collaborative Law can be an excellent option for separating parties to gain closure and attain empowerment to happily and effectively move forward with their lives.

Juli Borton, Paralegal

If you have questions about the collaborative law process or other areas of family law please do not hesitate to contact Juli Borton or Mary Ellen Flynn via email, or by calling 301-563-6685.

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Posted in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Child Custody, Child Support, Collaborative Law, Divorce Law, Family Law, General Disputes, Separation and Divorce

Attorney Mary Ellen Flynn honored in Washington City Paper as one of “DC’s Finest” for Collaborative Family Law and Mediation

December 8th, 2010

We are pleased to announce that one of our own, Mary Ellen Flynn was recently honored in theWashington City Paper as one of “DC’s Finest” in the field of law, specifically noting her work in Collaborative Family Law and Mediation.

She sincerely believes that the collaborative law process—where both parties and their representative attorneys sit down and discuss resolution of outstanding issues in a private, cooperative, and congenial way—is often a gentler and empowering method of making arrangements for both parties (as well as their children and other family members) to successfully conclude one chapter of their lives, begin the healing process and move forward to a newer, more positive future for everyone.

If you are in need of Collaborative Family Law services, please do not hesitate to contact Mary Ellen Flynnonline, or by calling 301-563-6685.

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Posted in Collaborative Law, Family Law

The Benefits of the Collaborative Law Process: A Positive Way For Spouses To Separate and Divorce

December 7th, 2010

The decision to separate from a spouse is a stressful one. Facing the prospect of dealing with such a very personal matter through a lengthy process in a public court is often overwhelming.

The Collaborative Law alternative is a positive way to effectively address both parties’ specific needs and concerns and to resolve all aspects of a couple’s separation through private meetings among the parties and their respective attorneys. As active participants in the process, both parties have significant input in formulating a customized plan to facilitate their move forward from spouses to separated/divorced individuals. Upon finalization of a Settlement Agreement, everything is set in place for a simple, uncontested divorce, usually requiring only one short court appearance of approximately ten (10) minutes in duration.

Over the past twenty (20) years as a Maryland Collaborative Law attorney devoted to helping individuals who are separating and/or divorcing their spouses, I have seen how the Collaborative Law Process is an excellent alternative to litigation. Litigation is a very stressful, costly, and adversarial process that will tear apart the individuals’ relationship with one another and often times, the couple only ends up in court again either through appeals or future contested matters. On the other hand, the Collaborative Law Process often effectively enables individuals to resolve all issues related to a separation and divorce such as: child issues (custody, visitation, support, use and possession of the family home and furnishings); to division of assets (real estate, financial accounts, retirement, benefits and investment accounts, business interests, motor vehicles and other personal property); to spousal benefits/entitlements (alimony, insurance coverage, survivorship rights); to allocation and resolution of debt (mortgages, home equity loans, business debts, auto loans, credit card balances and personal loans); and other matters without destroying the individuals involved or the parenting, business or other relationships that might need to continue between the spouses. Collaborative Law is a private, dignified and tailored way to work out matters between separating persons who wish to take an active, positive role in dealing with their present concerns and in planning for the future.

-Mary Ellen Flynn, Esq.
Andalman & Flynn, PC
301-563-6685
meflynn@a-f.net
www.andalmanflynn.com

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Posted in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Law, Separation and Divorce