Hawaii Family Law Blog

Create a positive future for you and your children after divorce

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

Divorce can bring out the worst in people, but it can also be a time of reinvention during which you turn yourself into the best person you can be. Remember that you can remain positive and open to many different possibilities during this time.

It is easy to respond in negative manners when there are bad things that happen during your divorce and in the period immediately after. Instead, think about how each situation might benefit you. By taking the time to think optimistically, you can focus on working toward your goal of happiness.

Divorce is a new chapter of your life, make solid choices

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

There are many things that you have to think about when you are going through a divorce. Many people try to work out the details through mediation. By taking appropriate steps leading up to that process, you might be able to get everything hashed out more easily.

The mediation process is usually less intense than going through the litigation option. The good news about mediation is that you have a say in what the final outcome will be. You can handle matters like child custody, property division and alimony during this process.

Gifts for someone going through a divorce

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Divorce on Monday, December 10, 2018.

Holiday gifts are a reflection of concern for other people and a natural desire to build relationships with friends, family members and even casual acquaintances. Gifts can range from a simple gesture of appreciation (like the tip you give your dog groomer or mailman) to a much deeper message of understanding and kinship toward someone you love.

Could your romance put your business in danger?

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Property Division on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

You're a creative individual with a lot of passion and drive, so it's no wonder that you attracted someone else with similar characteristics. Now, you're about to be married to a person you can absolutely see as your lifelong partner both in business and in your private life.

Hawaii's Adopt A Family program needs help

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Domestic Abuse on Monday, November 26, 2018.

Every year, an empty warehouse sits waiting to be filled by the generous donations of people willing to give a little so that another family's holidays can be a bit brighter.

Dating before the divorce is final

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Divorce on Friday, November 23, 2018.

By the time you sought a divorce, was your marriage already long over?

If so, you may well be ready to move on. It can be difficult to put your romantic life on hold, especially when you're enjoying the new-found sense of freedom that comes with ending a bad relationship.

Fathers say the family court system is unfair

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

A lot of parents feel that the system that's used to determine child support and custody is deeply unfair. Fathers, in particular, seem to feel that they don't get equal treatment in the court.

In an investigation for CNN, reporters spoke with numerous fathers who feel that they've been betrayed by the legal system after their relationships with their children's mothers soured. Some were struggling with unpaid child support, while others were barred from seeing their children due to protective orders that they claimed were unfair. Others had little contact with the children they'd had through temporary relationships.

Surviving the first holiday season after a divorce

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Divorce on Friday, November 9, 2018.

Most people dread the first holiday season after their divorce for a variety of reasons. The longer you were married, the more accustomed you've probably become to celebrating holidays as part of a couple.

Here are some tips that can help you cut through the doubt that surrounds you and make your holidays a little brighter:

Celebrity couple models cohabitating agreement

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Child Custody on Friday, November 2, 2018.

One of the moms featured in The Real Housewives of Orange County is modeling a post-divorce style of shared parenting that seems remarkable for its emphasis on the children -- even if it isn't for everybody.

Reality TV star Gina Kirschenheiter and her husband are almost finished with their divorce -- but their living situation looks remarkably similar to what it did before the divorce ever started. Despite asking for sole physical custody of the couple's three children, the celebrity mom has continued to cohabitate with her soon-to-be ex-husband in the house they shared during their marriage.

What could cause you to lose custody of your children?

On behalf of Coates Frey Tanimoto & Gibson, AAL, LLLC posted in Child Custody on Friday, October 26, 2018.

When you're divorced, custody issues are never really 100 percent settled until the youngest child becomes an adult. Until then, physical custody and visitation rights are always subject to revision, but only if there's a good reason.

What sort of things could put the custody of your children in question even years after the issue was initially settled? Generally speaking, there are some more common reasons courts will revisit custody orders and make some changes.