Author Archives: Patricia Palma
5 Tips for Surviving the Holidays Without Your Kids
The holidays can be a wonderful time for families, but for others, it can be the most stressful time of the year. Specifically, if you are spending your first holiday without your children. Having a difficult ex can increase stress and this is why it is so important to have a parenting plan that outlines each parents’ […]
3 Ways Practicing Yoga Increases Self-Care during Divorce (An Attorney’s Perspective)
The process of divorce can be emotionally draining and traumatic. Divorce can increase stress, irritation, lead to a short-temper and even depression. As an attorney who has been practicing law for over 20 years, I have seen the benefits of yoga for myself and many of my clients. With all the stressors surrounding a divorce, […]
How To Deal With A Narcissist Spouse Within Divorce?
A narcissist is a mental personality disorder in which a person has a lack of empathy for others and has a deep need of admiration and self importance. Narcissism may be caused by events or environments of our childhood or genetic and biological factors. However, the ultimate cause of narcissism has yet to be determined. […]
Increases in Domestic Violence During COVID-19
As many family law attorneys have discovered in recent months, the allegations and incidents of domestic violence have increased. New estimates from the United Nations Population Fund suggest that several months of quarantine could result in a 20 percent increase in domestic violence world-wide. In fact, CASA in St. Petersburg has reported a 54% increase […]
What are Unbundled Legal Services and How Can They Be Utilized During a Family Law Matter?
When a lawyer provides unbundled legal services, the client retains the attorney to perform a specific task or for a limited purpose within the case instead of for the client’s entire family law matter. The attorney breaks down the tasks associated with a client’s family law case such as attending one hearing, drafting a pleading, […]
Should I Date During Divorce?
No. Going through a divorce can be very difficult. While some people may feel overwhelmed and distraught, others might feel ready to step away from the past and start anew by jumping back into the dating scene. However, dating before your divorce is finalized can have a negative impact on you and your family. 1. […]
Can You Audio Record Your Spouse without His or Her Consent?
While in front of a Judge, everyone is on their best behavior, especially when dealing with custody cases. For some people in the process of a divorce or a custody dispute, it can be very frustrating to see a spouse act perfectly civil in the courtroom. It can be especially difficult when they have behaved […]
Are You Married to a Gaslighter?
Has your spouse been cutting you down, telling you that you have no value but then hours or days later telling you how amazing you are? Do they then firmly deny devaluing you and say, “I never said anything like that. You imagine things.” You then begin to think that maybe you misunderstood them, or […]
How To Minimize Conflict Related To Your Summer Parenting Plan With The Children
In many cases, divorcing parties want to finalize the divorce quickly while maintaining a positive relationship, so they hesitate to engage family law attorneys. They fear that hiring attorneys will make the divorce process more litigious and confrontational. Often in scenarios like this, the parties will enter into very basic, vague Agreements and Parenting Plans. […]
How to Co-Parent with a Difficult Ex
When children are exposed to ongoing conflict between their parents post-divorce, they may be at risk for social, academic, and mental health problems. Oftentimes when the divorce and custody process has completed, many parents are at a loss as to how to co-parent with their difficult ex, especially if their ex suffers from narcissistic personality […]
