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I was talking to my 10 year old daughter, Gabby, the other day and she was asking me about divorce.  No, her mom and I are not getting divorced….lol…but there are a lot of kids in her class that come from single parent homes.   She hears them talk about having two mommies or daddies and sometime they wish mommy and daddy were still together.  That got me to thinking about some of the questions that they probably have for their parents when the family first started to fall apart.  Sometimes while we are fighting for our clients, we forget about the “casualties of war” when it comes to divorce.  I found this article online at www.goodmenproject.com and I thought it was a nice way to talk to kids about divorce and answer some of their questions.  (This article was copied from the site, we don’t claim to own the site, work for the site, or anything like that)

There seem to be 10 common questions that kids have about divorce:

1. Was it my fault? 

Many kids blame themselves. “If only I had just cleaned my room when my mom asked,” or “if only I had just finished my homework on time,” or, “if only I hadn’t told dad that mom yelled at me.”

The best response is to reassure your children that they are certainly not at fault. Remind them that you are not divorcing them and that it is mom and dad who made the decision to divorce each other.

2. Will you get back together? Is it really over?

Most kids are hopeful that the divorce will one day end up being a bad dream and they will wake up with their parents together again. When they see their parents getting along at an event, they might think, “Well if they are getting along now maybe they can fix things.”

If you are certain your marriage is heading for a divorce and is not just a trial separation, it is important to let your kids know that as soon as possible.

3. If I do something bad will we split too?

“No, we will never split. I will always be your mom and dad will always be your dad. We are still a family, just a different kind of family. Daddy and I both love you no matter if you do good things or bad things so keep on being you.”

4. What am I going to tell my friends?

Depending on your child’s age, what their friends think may be very important to them. You can tell your child that there are probably many of his/her friends who are going through the same exact thing or have already gone through it or will in the future. Let them know that your divorce is not a reflection on them, but rather you and your ex-spouse decided to make this decision together and feel it is the best decision for the family.

5. Will you and dad both be at my birthday party?

This question depends on the level of animosity between you and your soon to be ex. It would be best if you both could put your child first and make an effort to be as civil to each other as possible during milestone events. If this is impossible, you can tell your child that he/she can have two separate birthday parties and that they will be able to spend an equal amount of time with each parent on their special day (or weekend).

6. Can I still sleep at Susie’s house when it’s supposed to be my night at dad’s?

That would be up to your ex and hopefully, he will see the importance of allowing your kids to continue to live their life exactly as if you weren’t getting divorced. It is important to not make unilateral decisions for your kids when they are supposed to be with their dad. It is best to speak with your ex prior to your child doing so and then suggest to your child that they talk to their dad.

7. Dad says I can eat in my room. Why can’t I do that here?

Again, it is important for you and your ex to put up a united front and stick with the same general guidelines as each other. That being said, at times, one parent might feel they want to be more relaxed with certain rules. If not eating in their room is an important rule in your house, you can tell your child that you make the rules in your house and dad makes them in his, however, there are certain rules that you make together as a family and your child should know they cannot go to the other parent if they don’t like the answer they get from the other one they asked.

8. Do you still love daddy?

“Of course, I still love daddy, but not in the same way I used to. It takes a certain kind of love to make a marriage last and daddy and I don’t have that anymore. There are certain things about daddy that I will always love, mostly that because of him I have you.” Kids will be confused about the different meanings of love. You can also explain to them that some things about divorce might not make sense to them until they are older.

9. Where will I live?

Every situation is different; however, it is important for your child to know the schedule as much as they possibly can. If it is confusing for them, you can keep a calendar in your house to show your child whose house they will be staying at each night.

10. Will my life ever be normal again?

This is probably a question the adults involved also ask themselves. The answer is a resounding “YES”, however, it will be a new normal. Your child will eventually get used to living in two households and going back and forth. They will learn the ins and outs of their new lives as time goes on and different patterns will emerge. The important point to drive home here is that there is no such thing as a universal normal and you will all be on this journey together and will be there for each other through it all.

It is imperative that your child knows that he/she can always come to you to ask whatever questions they may have and that they will continue to have your love and support as well as that of their father’s.

 

Clearly this is not an exhaustive list of questions that kids will ask, and your answers will differ based on your situation, but it is important to keep an eye on the little ones and keep them in mind.  If you find yourself in the situation where you need assistance with a divorce, please call our office at 910-343-0603.

If you live in the area you have seen all the news leading up to today about the snow and freezing rain coming.  We at the Mediratta Law Firm want you to be safe and drive carefully.  If you have elderly parents living with you or pets, take special care to keep them warm.  Be safe and stay off the streets if you can…if you are out and something happens, remember we are here for you.

In the eighteen years since I graduated law school, I have seen a lot of funny things in court and have seen a lot of people charged with funny things.  I think you might get a laugh out of this fella.

http://www.wect.com/story/37151847/police-suspect-wearing-trust-me-t-shirt-steals-car

 

 

We at the Mediratta Law Firm just wanted to take a second out to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  We hope you have a great 2018 and always know that we are here for you in the upcoming year.

As a criminal defense attorney, one of the questions I get asked a lot is “how can you defend all of those terrible people”.  It is a good and valid question.

I have always believed that everyone, regardless of their crime, is entitled to a fair trial with fair representation.  My job is not “to get the guy off”…but instead to make sure that the State of North Carolina through the prosecutor, does their job correctly and fairly.

I get criminal clients in two different ways.  First, they come into my office and hire or “retain” our firm to represent him or her.  The other way is if they are not able to afford to hire an attorney, sometimes the court will appoint me to represent them.  Either way, I work just as hard for all of my clients.

When I first sit down and meet with a client, whether it is in my office or in a holding cell at the jail, the first order of business is to always make the client feel comfortable and confident with me and my firm.  If they feel comfortable with me, then they are more likely to be open and honest with me, and that will help me represent them better.

There is a sense of distrust from people who are facing criminal charges and when I have been court appointed to them.  They feel as though I am not really working for them because I am not making the “big bucks” on the case or just because I am court appointed that I am not as good as a “retained” attorney.

Nothing can be further from the truth.  The attorneys who are on the court appointed list, choose to be on that list because they want to help those in the community who can not afford to hire an attorney but still need representation.  Many of the people on that list, like myself, also have a private practice.

Are many of my clients guilty?  I would have to say that the number of people that walk in my office that are innocent is a lot less than not.  As a defense attorney you already know that you are going to have people walk into your office that have done some awful things and you have to stand next to them and try to protect them from the consequences.

My client did not write the laws, but the State is saying that he broke a certain law and he should go to jail for it.  It is my job to make sure that the State can prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, as is required for them to do.  If they can, then my client may end up in jail, but if they can’t then he shouldn’t go to jail.

Do I feel bad when I get someone acquitted of a crime that I know they are guilty of?  Mostly I would have to say no.  Not because I agree or approve of the crime they were accused of, but rather because I was able to show that the State could not prove their case.

It is not about the money (at least for us it’s not), it is about protecting the process and our client’s rights.  Even the bible teaches us to love the sinner but hate the sin.  When you hire the Mediratta Law Firm (www.medirattalawfirm.com) you get someone who cares about you and your case and will fight hard for you, regardless of your crime.

Regardless of the seriousness of your legal matter, you want to find the best attorney for you.  From something as simple as a speeding ticket to more serious crimes, you want an experienced attorney who will work hard on your case.

A lot of attorney’s offer a free consultation.  This is a valuable tool for you to see if you feel comfortable talking to the attorney.  Does he or she really seem to understand your concern and do they seem interested in helping you and not just taking your money.

It’s okay to get online and try to find out about the attorney you want to hire.  Do the research and see what kind of cases he or she has handled.  Ask them about their success rate.  It’s OKAY to ask them how much they charge and see if they will take your case for less money.  There is nothing wrong in trying to negotiate.

There is nothing wrong speaking to a few different attorneys so you can see who gives you the best feeling and best initial consultation.  Don’t be afraid to ask your attorney tough questions.  After all, you are paying for his or her advice and knowledge, get your money’s worth.