All these complications arise when the parties are unwilling to negotiate due to bitterness and anger the parties have towards each other. There does not seem to be a mutual agreement that the couple can come across wherein both of them will be satisfied with the outcome of the divorce. Sometimes the case itself is so demanding that it does not permit the couple from coming together at a common settlement. Such will be its legal proceedings.

However, if and when the parties are ready to negotiate with the legal proceedings, they don’t have to suffer a painful process in the divorce. There is a less painful and less expensive option to the court proceedings. And this alternative is called divorce mediation and is a more civil and less emotional process to reach a divorce settlement.

In divorce mediation, both the parties undergo a legal process, like all other divorce cases. However, the difference here is that there is a trained and impartial third party who offers his or her services in the form of advice and assistance so that they can help the couple reach a mutual understanding. This does not mean that the two parties forsake the services of their divorce lawyers. They still do need the help of their respective lawyers through whom they are informed of all the specific legal procedures. This way there is no chance of any misunderstanding occurring; and with this, there is a better chance of reaching a mutual agreement with the help of mediation. Divorce mediation is actually a better choice for a couple seeking divorce as the stress and the cost that is involved in legal battles are avoided by the couple.

There is also proof that couples who go through the divorce procedure with a more ‘friendly’ and civil mode of mediation are usually more satisfied with the agreements that they reach. They reach a compromise earlier because the third party clears any doubts the two parties may have to reaching a mutual agreement. Another and the greatest benefit of divorce mediation is that it minimizes the trauma the children have to endure when parents decide to go their different ways.

So it can be seen that with divorce mediation, a divorce need not be more painful than it has to be, and there is no need of it being expensive either. This is because this is a more civil, less painful and more practical mode to reach a divorce settlement.

About the Author
For more info on divorce mediation and getting divorced, please visit our website. Divorce Mediation | Getting Divorced

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Divorce Mediation – The Less Painful Way

If you had a super-close working relationship with your former employer: you might get away with a simple phone call to him or her requesting a recommendation letter from them. Keep in mind that it is much more professional to send your former employer a letter of request for a recommendation letter, and unless you are absolutely certain that your busy, former employer will be receptive to an incoming call, send a letter instead.

Sending a letter to request a recommendation letter from a former employer is a professional ‘courtesy’ that demonstrates that you respect the demands placed upon his or her time and how ‘valuable’ the time to respond to your request for a recommendation letter is. Most employers will tell you that they are more receptive to receiving letters requesting recommendations because letters can be put aside until time allows for them to be considered, written, and sent.

When you send your letter requesting a recommendation letter from a former employer it is advisable to mention some of the work you completed for the employer in your position with them., just to ‘jog’ their memory a bit. If you were responsible for the successful completion of some important projects, by all means: mention them.Don’t forget to share with your former employer your appreciation for the skills you gained while in their employ. If possible, illustrate how you intend to use those skills in the new position you’re seeking.

Include a SASE with your letter requesting a recommendation and respectfully request that your former employer send a response even if they decide that they are unable to grant you a recommendation letter. Remember that the more ‘courtesy’ you show to your former employer, the more likely you are to receive a positive recommendation letter from them.

About the Author
John Murray publishes a blog filled with helpful articles and tips on writing great recommendation letters.

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How to Request a Recommendation Letter from a Former Employer

Internationally, street children have been pulled into the “sex trade” for centuries. There are travel agents that specialize in trips to third world countries to have sex with minors for a price.

Many want to know if there is more sexual abuse today than years ago or are we just more aware of the problem. Sexual abuse has been around since the beginning of time. People are more aware of the problem and more willing to talk about it than ever before. Additionally, more active prosecution and media attention makes it seem like there has been an explosion of sexual abuse. While, it is very widespread, our awareness is more heightened than ever before.

Now that we are more aware of the problem as a society, we need to take steps to protect children from further abuse.

1.TEACHING CHILDREN SKILLS. Teaching children about “good touch, bad touch,” and making it acceptable to talk to a trusted adult about anything that scares or confuses a child is an important step. We need to look at how to teach our kids how to recognize unacceptable behavior and to say “no” to an adult who is doing bad things to them and to run and get help if they can. We need to make it acceptable to talk about and report sexual abuse to an authority figure. When movie stars, like Teri Hatcher, come forward with their stories, it makes it easier for others to come forward, as well.

2.TEACH CHILDREN THAT THE DANGER MAY COME FROM A FAMILY MEMBER, NEIGHBOR, HANDYMAN, GROCERY CLERK, SCOUT LEADER, OR STANGER. Bad touch is bad touch and no one gets to do it to our bodies. Go to a grown up for help. Children can be confused because a neighbor, teacher, family member, etc. is suposed to be someone they can trust. You can tell a child, “when you are not sure about whether something a grown up is doing is OK, ask another grown up to help you.”

3.THERAPY READILY AVAILABLE FOR VICTIMS. All victims of sexual abuse should have easy access to counseling services. School based mental health programs can make therapists more readily available to students when they are troubled. Adults should be knowledgeable about the signs that children are in need of counseling.

4.WHAT CAN PARENTS DO? If parents discover that their children have been abused, they need to do two things. They need to contact the police or department of social services in the county where they live. They will investigate the alleged abuse. Parents need to get counseling for their children and their family to help them cope with what has happened. Children need a lot of support when they have been abused. They need to know that what has happened is not their fault and that they will heal from it in time.

5.ASSESSING RISK OF RE-OFFENDING AND MATCHING SECURITY TO RISK. Not all sex offenders are at equal risk for re-offending. The average re-offense rate is about 14%, however that does not inform us about the difference in rates between low and high risk offenders. Low risk offenders rarely re-offend, while high risk psychopathic offenders re-offend at a much higher rate. We can distinguish between the low and high risk offenders with a great deal of accuracy. Actuarial tools can determine which offenders are at high or low risk of re-offending and assist in determining level of supervision needed. While no actuarial tool is 100% accurate, making these judgments through clinical judgment alone is only slightly better than chance, depending on the skill of the clinician. Despite this, clinical judgment about risk of future sexual offenses is still used in Courts and Parole and Probation offices in some jurisdictions. Identifying risk allows society to take proper precautions to protect its children. Using the best science available to determine risk is best practice. Once risk is determined, decisions about incarceration, level of community supervision, conditions of probation or parole can be made. Insist that your jurisdiction uses evidence based practices and the best research has to offer.

6.APPROPRIATE SEX OFFENDER SPECIFIC TREATMENT FOR ALL OFFENDERS. Appropriate therapy can reduce the risk of future offending as was noted in a recent article by the nationally renowned expert from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Fred Berlin. The goal should be, “No more victims.” Assessment and appropriate therapy should be available to and mandatory for every convicted sex offender, whether incarcerated or in the community. You are a citizen. You have a voice. Insist that there is sex offender assessment and treatment in your jurisdiction and that it is mandatory for all offenders. It is the only technique known to reduce future recidivism.

7.IDENTIFYING SEXUAL OFFENDING TO IMPROVE PREVENTION. Understanding the roots and characteristics of sexual offending points us in the direction of effective prevention and treatment. A portion of adult sex offenders were abused, neglected, or exposed to domestic violence as children. Therefore, prevention of future sexual will involve efforts to stop childhood abuse, neglect, and domestic violence and treat the victims of these events. Insist, through your legislative process, that sufficient resources are put into protecting the children of your community from abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence.

8.RESEARCH. We must continue to research prevention, assessment, and effective treatment of sexual offending. Those treating sex offenders must be appropriately trained in the most up to date methods. Only in that way will there be “NO MORE VICTIMS.” Legislatively support sex offender research in your area by calling your legislators.

9.STREET CHILDREN. There are millions of abandoned street children around the world. They have to survive any way they can. Many are pulled into the sex trade because they have no other way to feed, cloth, or house themselves. Ways to house, clothe, feed, educate, and provide health care for these children must be found. As some of these street children mature into adulthood, they will abuse other street children, become criminal, and be recruited by terrorist groups. If you want to stop terrorism and the sex trade in the future, Support aid to poor, unprotected children, wherever they are in the world.

10.PARENTS, EDUCATE YOURSELVES. It is important for parents to educate themselves on the subtle ways that sex offenders deceive and ?groom? parents and children to gain their trust. Sex Offenders find ways to put themselves in a position of trust with parents and children. They can be youth leaders, sports coaches, priests, the people that run the amusement rides, or teachers. Find out the subtle ways they trick people into trusting them and know the red flags to look for. Sex offenders are often very slick and are very good at fooling people into thinking they are trustworthy, but there is always some little thing that is just a little odd. If a grown man has lots of kid toys and video games in his house and all the neighborhood kids go there every day, and he doesn’t seem to have any adult friends or activities, this is somebody to check out closely.

11.PARENTS, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE AND WHO THEY ARE WITH? Help to chaperone school, community, and church activities for youth. There should always be more than one adult with any group of children. Adults should confront any suspicious activity of another adult. Don?t just let it slide. It?s difficult, but these things need to be discussed openly. Secrecy and difficulty talking about these topics are a sex offender?s best friends.

This is not meant to add to the firestorm that is presently raging about sexual offending, but to start the dialogue about what we can do? We need to educate ourselves and take action to protect our children and, as you can see, there are many ways to do that.

About the Author
Dr. Kathryn Seifert has over 30 years experience in mental health, addictions, and criminal justice work. She has authored the CARE and numerous articles. Dr. Seifert has lectured internationally on youth and family violence and trauma. Dr. Kathy Seifert

Article source:
11 Ways to Protect Our Children from Sexual Abuse

My name’s Scot King, and I’m a licensed mortgage broker for Pacific West Capital here in California. My firm is approved with over 150 lenders many of which deal in subprime loans. In a nutshell it works as follows:

If you had bankruptcy discharged, either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13, in the last 12 months, and you know for a fact that your middle credit of the three credit reposotories (i.e. Experian, Transunion, and Equifax) is above 580, you may qualify for 100% financing, that’s right, that’s no money down financing! You will be required to verify your income with documentation, and your housing payment history must be good for the last 12 months. You must show that you have not been over 30 days late on any mortgage or rental payments. Proof of this is shown via cancelled checks front and back. If you rented from an apartment complex, a verification of rent (VOR) is usually acceptable. If you had a private landlord, it gets a little more tricky. I have a lender who does not require any VOR but you do need to have a qualifying tradeline or two. So, if you put everything into the Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, and didn’t maintain any accounts, we may need to use an alternative tradeline. This can be done if you have a cell phone bill, a utility bill, or a similar account which you know that you have always paid on time with for the last 12 months. Again, this needs to be documented for the underwriter with either cancelled checks or possibly with a statement from the creditor showing a history of payments and when they were applied to your account.

The key to obtaining the no money down financing is your credit score. It can be the very day after your bankruptcy has discharged as long as you have the score, which again is a 580 plus. After a bk discharge, it is common to see scores drop down into the 500s and sometimes below 500. If you also had a foreclosure within the last twelve months, the no money down financing can still be done, but the pricing isn’t too pretty. You have to sort of take what you can get and get your foot in the door. As long as you make your payments on time for usually 2 years, depending on when your bankruptcy discharged, or when you had your foreclosure, you can refinance out of the loan into something better at a later time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is only for stick built homes, (i.e. single family residences, condos, townhouses, and modular homes) No Manufactured homes. The financing is accomplished either by doing one loan at 100% of the purchase price or with an 80/20 combo. The 80/20 usually beats the one loan by about 1% in interest and it goes to those individuals with the scores under 600.

If you are short on cash for closing costs, the seller may contribute up to 6% of the purchase price a credit towards your closing costs (non-recurring). It’s always good when you can come in with at least something of your own. Usually you will be required to do this for some of the prepaid expenses including interest,property taxes, and hazard insurance.

About the Author
Scot King is a licensed mortgage broker in the state of California. His company is Pacific West Capital, and he has been originating mortgage loans nationwide since 1998. For more information, please see his site at Pacific West Capital

Article source:
Mortgage After Bankruptcy

If debts have gotten out of hand and a solution seems hard to find, there are some things a person can do before charging into bankruptcy. They include:

* Assess all debts versus income. Is there a way to handle the debt without filing for legal redress? If income outweighs monthly payments, bankruptcy might not be the answer. Careful handling of cash assets and payments might be the smarter route. Setting a budget and sticking with it would be in order.

* Contact creditors and try to negotiate lower interest rates. If you’ve made your payments on time all the time, this might be an option for helping you avoid bankruptcy and get out of debt quicker. This doesn’t always work, but some credit companies will be more than happy to work with a good client.

* Create a debt management plan. If it’s possible, pay off credit cards one at a time. Take a look at the smallest balance card and set a date for paying it off. Once this is done, dedicate the money that would normally go on that card to another one. Rinse and repeat until debt is erased.

* Don’t add more debt while you’re paying old debt down. Live within your means, reserving credit for emergencies only. This can be hard to do, but if a future without debt is desired, this practice will greatly help you in attaining that goal.

* Seek help from credit management companies. If you know you can pay off the debt without seeking bankruptcy, but you can’t come up with a viable plan on your own, seek help. There are nonprofit companies dedicated to helping consumers get out of holes they’ve dug for themselves. These companies look at all the debt a person has, work with creditors and negotiate settlements. Although it’s true credit involved in the settlements will be unusable during the repayment periods, the bottom line presented by these settlements can be much lower and more manageable than the debt prior to the agreement. This methodical process for paying off debt has worked for thousands and thousands. Just make sure you’re dealing with a reputable company.

If debt and monthly payments outweigh income, bankruptcy might be the only alternative. If it is, you’re not alone. Thousands of individuals and companies file for bankruptcy every year. Bad things happen to good people; it’s a fact of life. Just remember as you’re going through the process to hire good legal representation, follow the laws and be certain not to dig yourself back into the same hole when the process is over.

About the Author
More Resources

Bankruptcy.

http://www.bankruptcyonline1.com

Debt Management.

http://www.debtmanagement2.com

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Think Beyond Bankruptcy For Debt Elimination

If both spouses decide on a single divorce mediator, they can share the cost, which may be about $1,000 to $5,000 total. With separate lawyers, each will have to pay a retainer of $1,500 just to start the proceedings. With divorce mediation, it is you, the couple who decides on how quickly or slowly the divorce decisions are made and the terms of the divorce in the Marital Settlement Agreement. Everything here is done through an agreement unlike a divorce where the attorneys set dates and judges, which takes time.

When applying for a divorce, you may face difficulties understanding laws and the paperwork that is involved with it. However with divorce mediation, all the paperwork is done by your mediator. The trauma the children face in a divorce is less with divorce mediation as they know that the parents are working together, and will not involve them.

With a divorce mediation, your marriage ends on a happier tone, where you can face your future with a better attitude. There is no steadfast rule that you have to give up going to the court with divorce mediation. If you are not satisfied with the rulings of the mediator, you can always have an individual attorney and let the judge give the final judgment. Whatever was discussed in mediation will remain a secret, and the divorce proceedings start afresh.

You can avail of sufficient legal information from the divorce mediator on making fair and just decisions. Attorneys are not permitted to advise either party; only their client. However the mediator can discuss how the court may address issues relating to your case. The mediator also encourages you both to approach individual attorneys for legal advice before agreeing to the Marital Settlement Agreement.

With a divorce, there is always the possibility of anger getting out of control in the courtroom. However, with a divorce mediator, you can voice your emotions and with their help, come across a fair decision. There is no chance of your emotions controlling the decision making process. You can be sure that all information exchanged in divorce mediation is and remains confidential. You are both encouraged to see the positive sides in each other to reach an amicable agreement. This helps in retaining goodwill in matters needing future contact between the two like in parenting.

When choosing a divorce mediator, make sure that they are knowledgeable in family law and counseling, child development and meditation process. With a mediator, a team of mental health professionals and attorneys your divorce mediation runs better. Find out their experience as those with an experience of at least ten cases is the better choice. To find out the benefit of divorce mediation, listing out the pros and cons of your divorce proceedings will show you that the divorce mediation is indeed a better choice for you.

About the Author
For more info on divorce mediation and getting divorced, please visit our website. Divorce Mediation

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What Is Divorce Mediation

Consumer credit card balances are usually reduced from 35-65 percent, allowing you to save a substantial amount of money and pay off your outstanding balances quickly. Companies that negotiate your debt usually require at least $10,000 or more in unsecured credit card balances before they will take you on as a client. There are some things you should consider before you choose a company to help you settle your outstanding credit balances.

What kind of certifications and accreditations do they have? The company you choose should be a member of the Better Business Bureau and have no unresolved complaints. Your debt negotiation company should also be a member of the Chamber of Commerce and their negotiators should be certified by the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators.

It is also good to know if your debt negotiation company has any alternatives available, in case debt settlement is not going to work for your financial situation. There are financial agencies that can assist you or recommend legal help for using the bankruptcy process. Although debt settlement is your best alternative to bankruptcy, it will not work for everybody.

You will want to research your organization’s pricing structure to make sure it fits your budget. Getting involved in something that you can not deal with financially is only going to make your life worse and will not help you get out of debt. It is also a good idea to shop around and see how the agency you are thinking about using compares to other settlement companies.

Be wary of any company promising to settle your debts with no negative impact to your credit report. Any time an outstanding balance is settled for less than what is owed, it will have a negative impact on your credit. However, a settlement will not impact your credit to the extent that filing bankruptcy will.

Debt settlement can be your way to financial freedom. Knowing the facts about debt negotiation will help you make an informed decision about your credit and the choices you have available. The best time to get started is now.

About the Author
Marjorie Salada is the owner of debtmanagement1.com, a website that contains information on debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt counseling and how to manage credit card debt.

Article source:
4 Things to Consider Before You Select a Debt Settlement Company

A spouse can have unreported income; most people don’t understand that if they file a joint return, they will also be responsible for their spouse’s unreported income. The money situations don’t stop there. If you let your spouse complete your tax return and don’t examine it carefully, your spouse may claim deductions that you are not aware of. This is not a problem if the deductions are valid and accompanied by receipts, but what if they aren’t? You may be liable for the additional tax due from deductions that a spouse declared that weren’t allowed by the IRS. Problems of this nature can continue on for years and may not go away unless you work with a professional tax attorney.

If money issues are a problem when two people are married, they only get more complicated with divorce. If the fiscal year isn’t complete when the settlement is finalized, you still have to deal with filing. Some divorces are amicable, but most aren’t. April is the month when most estranged couples experience tax problems with the IRS. Many ex-spouses try to get out of paying money they owe in back taxes. This can result in wages being garnished by the IRS.

A spouse’s death can be even worse. There may be items that you do not even know about because you may have left the tax preparation up to them. When a spouse dies, you may not be able to find receipts or even records of income and expenditures that may help you settle a claim without problems. A tax professional can assist you by providing advice that will help solve any issues that you may have.

If any of these situations apply to you, the best help you can find will be that of a tax attorney. IRS wage garnishments can be removed. If you have a previous tax debt that the IRS is pressing to recover, an offer in compromise can be made. You can settle your debt with the IRS for less than what they state you owe. A qualified tax professional is the best person to negotiate with the IRS on your behalf to reach a settlement amount.

About the Author
Greg Roy has experienced the financial pain of an IRS wage garnishment first hand. To learn more about negotiating with the IRS and getting a wage garnishment released, visit his website at http://IRS-wage-garnishment.com.

Article source:
Tax Debt Settlement Help

The difference commonly isn’t a matter of whether the change was good or not, but is instead the way that the change was put into place. Even the simplest and most reasonable change cannot function if it has not been added to the company’s function in a practical and meaningful way.

It is therefore the responsibility of a business to not only choose which changes are needed in order to improve its overall function, but also how and when it should take its place among the “everyday”.

One of the best ways to discover where the problems may lie is to include the people who will be impacted by the change in the planning and implementation process. For one thing, it is the people who will be taking on the change who will best know how the change will work, and how it can be utilized. Furthermore, it will allow the affected employees to build a trust and a relationship with the management so that they can develop a belief in the change that is coming, and the motivation to make it work.

Trust is extremely vital when making a change in a business. When an organization does not have trust, its employees will resist any upcoming changes, making it much more difficult to implement, and can even cause the change to fail.

Whether or not the organization’s management is has a high or low level of trust with its employees is one of the determining factors in the success of any changes it makes. It makes the difference between simply adopting a change, and actually adapting to the change to make it work. With trust, the employees will have a willingness to use the change to better their performance, and with it will come greater job satisfaction.

With trust, and constant measuring of the performance of the change, a good change can easily become a great change in any business or industry.

About the Author
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

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Adapting to Change is Equally Important as Adopting Change

Termination strategies create a barrier against discrimination suits
Discrimination lawsuits are big business in the United States. In 2004 alone there were 79,432 discrimination lawsuits filed by employees against employers. Well prepared termination strategies establish checks and balances in the termination process that stand up in court. Employers must set solid goals for employees and have a foolproof way of documenting progress compared to goals. There must also be established and well documented standards of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and processes in place to consistently document inappropriate behavior.

Establish a consistent warning system
For an employee, termination is often an unexpected experience that threatens the well-being of his or her lifestyle and family. Events seen as sudden attack on a person’s well-being can often cause people to react irrationally and often violently. To reduce violence and possible discrimination issues, workplace termination strategies must include a precise and consistent warning system for issues of poor performance. Additionally, a clearly defined set of inappropriate behaviors puts the responsibility on the employee to decide to act in a way that clearly leads to removal from the company.

Deliver the message in a way that eases fear
Advanced termination strategies also involve proven ways to deliver the termination messages in a strategic way, presenting options that ease the employee’s fears early on in the conversation. A terminated employee who leaves the premises feeling as if they are about to lose everything can be a ticking time bomb and a threat to themselves, their families, or former coworkers. Effective termination strategies should include a plan for the termination conversation that leverage any benefits packages offered by your company such as job placement plans, severance packages, options to cash out 401K plans, etc.

Well prepared warning and termination language
Managers and HR employees that interact directly with the employee being terminated should be extensively counseled on the use of appropriate language to be used throughout the warning and termination process. Effective termination strategies include well prepared language that is impartial, factual, and free of interpretative words and phrases such as “I think,” “I believe,” etc.

Effective corporate termination strategies are essential in today’s society where workplace violence and discrimination lawsuits are on the rise. When it comes to termination strategies, it’s important to seek out professional strategists rather than learning by costly trial and error.

About the Author
Author is a writer for Academy Group which specializes in behavioral sciences and threat assessment. For more information you can visit www.Academy-Group.com.

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Workplace Termination Strategies for Preventing Violence and Discrimination Lawsuits