Avoiding the Left Hook

A little creative storytelling never hurt anyone, right? When it comes to your attorney, you may be hurting your chances for a successful claim or defense.

Imagine your attorney as the boxer you send into the ring to fight on your behalf. Your attorney has trained and prepared for your big rumble. She uses evidence to knock the other fighter on their heels. She bobs and weaves to avoid the devastating blows that will be thrown throughout your case. Now imagine half way through the match, you send your fighter into the ring blindfolded. There is no way for her to see the punches coming, and before the referee can call it, your fighter is TKO'd with a solid barrage of left hooks. What are those left hooks? The information you chose not to disclose to your attorney and she is blindfolded because she had no way of preparing for the left hook.

Keep in mind; you have hired the attorney to represent you in your legal matter. That means she is bound by a legal duty to effectively navigate the legal ring with your interests in mind. Within the attorney-client relationship, you are protected by attorney- client privilege, which means that communications between you and your attorney, related to your representation, are confidential. The idea behind this protection is to reinforce your confidence in your attorney and your attorney’s confidence in you. Family law, by its very nature, opens up our homes and lays bare the intimate details of our bedrooms. This can be scary even for the most unabashed among us. Your attorney’s job is to leave judgment to the judge, and your job is to tell your attorney the relevant facts and details. Your attorney has trained to wade through the details to find the items that will help or hurt your case. They can extract those items that will build a strong defense or counter argument when those details look like they will TKO your claim. The fact is: your attorney can’t prepare for what she doesn't know about. So don't be shy, spill the beans and give your case a fighting chance.

Keo'vonne W.

"Turn Your Dream Into Your Legacy"

Tipping the Scales

When I think of the model/social media star Amber Rose, the first thing that comes to my mind is not “exemplary housekeeper”. So I was not surprised to see the photos of a "less than tidy" home posted all over the internet this morning by her ex husband and father of her child, rapper, Whiz Khalifa, I thought to myself immediately  “what does he hope to accomplish here?” Sure there were overfilled trash cans outside of her home and dog poop on the patio, but was this proof of an unfit home for the purpose of modifying a parental custody agreement?

I ask my family law clients some version of these questions whenever there is some nasty bit of information that may be marked for exhibit: “What do you hope to accomplish with this information?” and “will this information work toward that goal?”

It may be strange to think of setting goals when considering the dissolution of a marriage, but I think that a clear set of goals keep both attorney and client focused on the desired outcomes. These clearly defined goals can help shape the trajectory of the divorce itself.

To overgeneralize, most clients who are navigating the treacherous waters of dissolving a marriage-with-children start out with a goal to dissolve the marriage and make sure the children are not traumatized in the process. Most will repeatedly clarify throughout the initial client meeting and initial filings that they are only interested in the best interest of the children. But somewhere along the way, perhaps after weeks of back and forth with attorneys, adjusting schedules, unpleasant emails or texts, a few initial hearings, the goal takes on shades of Black and Yellow and the focus becomes exacting petty revenge.

Revenge becomes a priority and clients began engaging in tit-for-tat digs at each other. Case in point, the blurry photos of an ex’s poop-spotted porch and public Twitter spats. Does any of this serve the interest of the child in the short or long term? I posit a firm no.

When balancing the “child’s interest” and “exacting revenge” the child’s interest should always tip the scale in its direction. The love of a couple’s child(ren) has to outweigh the hatred for each other.  

Parents should dig in and fight hard for the safety and wellbeing of their child(ren). As an attorney, I stand in the ring with my clients with boxing gloves on. But before the gloves come off, it is important to access what “winning” looks like. Is it a well-rounded child, in a safe environment, and access to both parents in the absence of abuse, or is winning mutually assured destruction.

Whiz Khalifa’s concerns may be genuine and his goal clear, but I’m not convinced this is the best way to reach his goal, which he argues is his son’s safety and well-being.  A frank and honest discussion with his attorney about his goals may help Mr. Khalifa tip the scales back towards protecting his son’s best interest rather than publicly shaming the child's mother. That of course is assuming his son’s best interest is the goal he is working towards. If the goal he has in mind is humiliating the mother of his child, then he needs to just keep on doing exactly what it is he is doing, because The Plan is working.

Keo'vonne W.

"Turn Your Dream Into Your Legacy"

That One Time Kanye West Got It Right or How to Say I love you with a Prenup.

"Holla we want prenup, we want prenup, it's something you need to have, cause when she leave yo a**, she gone leave with half” ~Kanye West "Gold Digger"

   Kanye West is not always credited with being on the right side of any issue, but this complex artist may have been right when he directed his fans to investigate the merits of a prenuptial agreement. Prenuptial agreements tend to get a bad rap (no pun intended) but they are a great multipurpose tool for people considering marriage.

To put it in perspective, prenuptial agreements, often referred to as Prenups or Premarital contracts, have been around since the Ancient Greeks and we see its legacy in the form of the Ketubah, which has its origins in Ancient Jewish Law. They fell out of fashion only recently as opponents of premarital contracts made claim that the agreements undermined the sanctity of marriage and forced couples to enter into a marriage with an eye on divorce.

While there is some debate as to the decline or rise of the divorce rate in America, one thing we know for sure is that sometimes people do get divorced. And more often then not the result, despite what we see on Maury Pauvich, is due to the reality that couples simply fall out of love, and generally not because we don't know who the baby's daddy's really is. A premarital agreement does not increase the possibility of divorce but rather serves as an insurance policy of sorts. You never want to have to use your insurance, but you're glad it's there just in case the marriage crashes and can't be salvaged.

Kanye Voice “Yo Keo’vonne, I’m really happy for you, Imma let you finish, but don’t prenups hose the party who is at an economic disadvantage?”

A prenup is an agreement like any other and can be negotiated and redrafted until both parties feel they are satisfied with the agreement. Remember, a premarital agreement must be entered into voluntarily and without coercion. It must be a written agreement, signed in front of witnesses. It cannot be unconscionable and both parties should consult an attorney who has their interest in mind.

A prenup can actual help provide for a spouse when the marriage ends. We typically think of prenups as a tool to shield assets, but they can be used in the reverse. A prenup can enable a spouse to have property rights in inherited property that would ordinarily escape a community property designation.

Prenuptial agreements are also a great way to preempt a drawn out and unsettling divorce. The financial details of a separation or divorce can be worked out while the couple is very much in love. The idea is that if the couple is making the hard decisions before they are being dictated by bitter emotions, they will make smarter and less destructive choices about how to end their their marriage. 

Prenuptial agreements are like any other contract because they can be amended or ended. Terms can include a sunset clause that voids the prenuptial agreement after a number of years of marriage. Terms can also be drafted to incrementally blend assets or increase/decrease financial obligations according to preset triggers like the birth of a child, infidelity and even a relapse of drug use[1].

So sure a bouquet of roses is sweet, but if you want to show your partner that you care holla “WE WANT PRENUP, WE WANT PRENUP!” Don’t really do that…an open and honest conversation should do the trick.

Keo'vonne W.

"Turn Your Dream Into Your Legacy"

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[1] Keith Urban, a former cocaine addict, forfeits his rights to any of wife Nicole Kidman’s fortune if he uses illegal drugs.

Take Back Your Date Night!

Leaving your children home with a baby sitter can be both a blessing and a curse. You finally get to wear your fancy clothes and tucked neatly into the pockets is your fully charged phone with the the ringer volume turned to the loudest possible setting. Because while you and your darling are finally able to get some much needed alone time, you never stop being the concerned parent.

You deserve some quality cuddle time, claim it, guilt free, by executing a Babysitter/Caregiver Medical Treatment and Parental Consent Form (aka Babysitter’s Consent Form).This handy little document gives the person left in charge (babysitter, grandparents, neighbor etc.) the power to make decisions that would ordinarily require parental consent, for your child.  In an emergency situation the caretaker (custodian) is able to give consent to time sensitive emergency procedures. A baby sitter consent form is also useful in non-emergency situations, like allowing the custodian to sign your child up for ballet classes or give a doctor permission to set a broken arm.

Authorizing parents remain liable for decisions made on their behalf because the form is the parent’s express permission to have the custodian act as “parental decision maker” in their stead. The custodian essentially becomes an agent of the parents. The form also gives the custodian the ability to sue those who refuse to acknowledge their authority.

 For parents with minor children, the baby sitter consent form is ideal to send along with your child on camping trips, class field trips and slumber parties. It can be used wherever there is a need for parental approval and is legally enforceable. Keo’vonne Wilson Legal, PLLC provides custom Babysitter/Caregiver Medical Treatment and Parental Consent Forms that provide the custodian with specific information regarding your child and their specific needs. You can include food and medicine allergies, nontraditional parent preferences and binding care instructions. The clearly defined powers bind both the custodian and the person requiring parental consent to abide by the Parental instructions. The form is especially useful for parents with minors that have special needs.

Reclaim Your Date Night With A Babysitter Consent Form!!!

Click here and simply fill out the form and enter payment directly at KeovonneWilsonLegal.com. Within 48 hours your will receive your custom Babysitter/Caregiver Medical Treatment and Parental Consent Forms via email. Call or email us for additional information. Info@KeovonneWilsonLegal or 480-383-4017

Keo'vonne W.

"Turn Your Dream Into Your Legacy"