Parker Mediation | Experienced and Trusted Family Law and Divorce Attorney Mediators
Lori Caravalho Joins Parker Mediation
Lori Caravalho is the newest member to join the team at Parker Mediation. She previously served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) in Worcester County, Massachusetts. At CASA, she became a supervisor and trainer before moving on to other mediation work with families and children. Lori provided Permanency Mediation services for Children’s Services of Roxbury, Inc., Massachusetts Families for Kids (“MFFK”). She is a talented and experienced mediator.
Lori Caravalho earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Worcester State University. She is a Court Investigator for the Worcester County Juvenile Court and has years of experience working within the court systems. Her experience working with families in transition enables her to guide folks through the divorce mediation process with ease. If you would like to schedule a free consultation with Lori or learn more about divorce mediation, call us today at 508 795 0200.
Divorce is like Climbing a Mountain
Getting divorced is like climbing a mountain. You have to take one step at a time. The challenge of divorce, like climbing a mountain, is you cannot see what is on the other side until you reach the top. Often times it seems the peak is too high to reach or exhaustion clouds the mind making it difficult to go on. Having a guide is often the best way to manage a challenging climb.
At Parker Mediation, we explain each step and prepare you for the next. Through a series of mediation sessions, couples work out solutions and formulate a plan for the future. This includes a parenting plan that not only creates a schedule for the children, but also develops a method for managing inevitable changes as the children age. The parties develop a financial plan that takes into account the present and future needs of the children.
The mediator helps you to anticipate the future, which allows for smoother transitions. No divorce plan is complete without making budgets and developing a financial plan to meet the current needs and future needs of the parties and any children. It is never too early to start saving for college expenses or planning for retirement. The rising cost of education, healthcare and the uncertainty over whether social security will be adequate support are prime examples why good financial planning is so important.
Massachusetts Divorce Mediation; Where Do you Begin?
Parties in mediation want to know what to do to make their divorce as simple as possible. Here are some tips on getting started. Have a chat with your spouse and decide who will gather the necessary documents. You may want to divide these tasks or break them down into several steps. Bring the documents that you have collected to the next mediation session. Don’t worry about gathering all the documents at once. If convenient, have copies made for each of you and for the mediator.
1. Tax Documents
a. Federal tax returns filed by you jointly for the last three (3) years
b. State tax returns filed by you jointly for the last three (3) years
2. A Certified Copy of the Marriage Certificate
3. Court Approved Parenting Certificates
4. Information about the Children of this Marriage
a. Names and dates of birth
b. Vision Statement
5. Life Insurance Policies
a. Company
b. Owner of the policy
c. Term or Annuity
d. Death Benefit or Cash Value
6. Family Health Insurance Plan
a. Company
b. Owner of the policy
c. Coverage of the non-employee spouse after divorce
d. Coverage of the children after divorce
e. Availability of a more economical form of health insurance
6. Pension, Annuity, Profit Sharing, Deferred Income or other Retirement Plan
a. Company
b. Owner of the policy
c. Present Value or Death Benefit
7. Present Household Expenses
a. Are you up to date on bills?
b. How is each party contributing?
8. Marital Home
a. Deed
b. Approximate Fair Market Value
c. Mortgage Statement
9. Other Assets
a. Bank Account Statements
b. Money Market Funds
c. Stock and Bond Portfolio Statements
d. Business Interests
e. Vehicles, Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds Values
f. Values for Significant Personal Property
10. Possible Legacies or Inheritances
a. Estate Planning Documents
b. Trust Fund Documents
Your mediator will work with you on the topics that you are prepared to discuss. Taking measured steps in the mediation process will help you to stay in control and not feel overwhelmed. The beauty of mediation is that you can progress at your own pace and take time to discuss what is important to you.
Massachusetts Divorce Mediation: Child Dependency Exemption Tax Benefits
Parties involved in Massachusetts divorce mediation may wish to consider how to allocate the child dependency exemption to maximize the overall benefit to the family and take the greatest tax benefit possible.
The IRS released regulations in 2008 suggesting that state courts may not allocate child dependency exemptions, verifying that a state court may not force a custodial parent to give up a federal right. However a custodial parent may voluntarily consent to allocate the child dependency exemption to the other parent. In that case, IRS Form 8332 may be used to release the exemption. Many parents agree to review how to allocate the tax dependency exemption annually, by calculating the potential benefit on their own, or in consultation with a financial advisor or accountant. Working together often puts more money in the parties’ pockets.
If you have questions about child dependency tax exemptions in Massachusetts, call our family law and divorce mediators at Parker Mediation for a consultation.
The Worcester, MA divorce lawyers and family mediators at Parker Mediation serve the Central Massachusetts and Boston metro-west communities such as Clinton, Framingham, Fitchburg, Leominster, Marlborough, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Sutton, Westborough and Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Cape Cod divorce lawyer and family mediators at Parker Mediation serve the local communities of Barnstable, Chatham, Falmouth, Hyannis, Mashpee, Provincetown and the entire Cape and the Islands.
Worcester, MA Divorce Lawyer & Family Mediator
Worcester, MA Divorce Lawyer & Family Mediation:
- Larri Parker Worcester Divorce Lawyer & Mediator
Parker Mediation provides Massachusetts families an effective and affordable divorce resolution model.
Our experienced divorce lawyers and mediators are dedicated to advancing the use of effective and highly successful mediation techniques to help advance an amicable resolution in a timely manner.
With nearly ten years of mediation experience in Massachusetts, our trained family law attorney mediators protect your legal and financial interests while managing conflict to a mutually acceptable resolution for all parties.
An effective mediation process by a trained and experienced Massachusetts mediator is the most affordable, timely and emotionally balanced method of bringing conflict to a mutually beneficial resolution.
The family and divorce mediators in the Worcester, MA office of Parker Mediation serve the Central Massachusetts and Boston metro-west communities such as Clinton, Framingham, Fitchburg, Leominster, Marlborough, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Sutton, Westborough and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Mediator Larri Tonelli Parker specializes in family and divorce mediation and has over twenty five years experience helping families and couples resolve their differences amicably. Call us to learn how divorce mediation can save you time and money.