Author Archives: Selena Walckner

Dealing with Stress in your Marriage

By Selena Walckner | Published: October 17, 2011

Everyone knows that stress can cause a lot of problems, so it should be no surprise that too much stress can harm your marriage. To protect your marriage from stress, first, you have to figure out what is causing the … Continue reading →

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A Snapshot of Divorce

By Selena Walckner | Published: October 13, 2011

The widely publicized 50% divorce rate is limited to certain subsets of the population and is not the U.S. population as a whole. Factors, such as income, education, and age when first married, all influence a person’s likelihood of divorce. … Continue reading →

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Government Encourages Unwed Parents to Marry

By Selena Walckner | Published: October 12, 2011

Can government do more to promote marriage? Kansas thinks so. The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services applied for a federal grant of $2.2 million per year for three years to provide programs that encourage unwed parents to marry … Continue reading →

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Think Divorce Will Make You Happy – Think Again

By Selena Walckner | Published: October 11, 2011

If you are unhappily married, will divorce make you happy? Research says no. In fact, the opposite is true. Divorce tends to not alleviate depression, improve self esteem, or increase feelings of mastery of one’s life – key factors in … Continue reading →

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Tips for Setting Goals with your Spouse

By Selena Walckner | Published: October 6, 2011

Our responses to this week’s marriage chat hosted by blackandmarriedwithkids.com.   Should spouses plan goals for the marriage? Definitely! Working towards joint goals gives strength to your marriage. If you’re not heading in the same direction, you’re heading for disaster. … Continue reading →

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Turn Falling in Love into Staying in Love

By Selena Walckner | Published: October 5, 2011

Popular culture is filled with tales of finding a soul mate and falling in love. As children, we hear stories of princesses riding off into the sunset with their knights in shining armor, finding happily ever after. As we age, movies … Continue reading →

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What Makes Marriage Work

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 26, 2011

Faithfulness is the most important factor in a successful marriage, according to a recent survey by Pew Research Center. Participants were asked to rank nine items associated with a successful marriage as either “very important,” “important,” or “not very important.” … Continue reading →

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Long-term Effects of Conflict on Children

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 24, 2011

Today’s parents are embracing the mindset of “staying together for the kids” out of a desire to protect their children from the pain of divorce. But parents must also protect their children by preventing conflict. Parental conflict, regardless of divorce, can have … Continue reading →

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Yours, Mine, and Marital Mediation

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 23, 2011

It is estimated that 65% of people who remarry have a child from a prior relationship. In reality, the percentage could be higher because there are no accurate statistics about the number of stepfamilies (when at least one spouse has … Continue reading →

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The Changing View of Fatherhood

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 20, 2011

The Center for Work and Family at Boston College researched the changing view on fatherhood through a series of in-depth interviews. The results of the study show that increasing numbers of men define the role of father as someone who … Continue reading →

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Latest Marriage News

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 18, 2011

 9-11-2011 to 9-17-2011   The latest marriage news: The U.S. ranks in at #5, but can you guess which country has the highest international divorce rate? Marriage isn’t outdated. Young Americans think marriage is an important life goal. Michigan postnuptial … Continue reading →

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Different Types of Postnuptial Agreements Equal Different Results in Michigan

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 14, 2011

Michigan law divides postnuptial agreements into three categories. The requirements and enforceability of a postnuptial agreement depends upon its classification. First, postnuptial agreements that are entered by spouses who have separated will be upheld as settlement agreements. Second, postnuptial agreements … Continue reading →

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Tips for Handling Marital Disagreements

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 8, 2011

Our responses to this week’s marriage chat hosted by blackandmarriedwithkids.com. How should spouses address disagreements? Spouses need to give each other the time and space to be heard and to process what the other is saying. This can’t happen when … Continue reading →

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Postnuptial Agreements are for Parents, Not Children

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 5, 2011

Parents naturally want to do all they can to take care of their children. Sometimes this instinct leads to spouses trying to create contracts about how they will raise their children if they ever divorce. The hope is the family … Continue reading →

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Quick Advice for Dealing with Difficult In-Laws

By Selena Walckner | Published: September 1, 2011
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Avoiding Divorce with Reconciliation Services

By Selena Walckner | Published: August 30, 2011

Over the past 40 years, marriage assistance has moved away from reconciliation efforts and towards helping couples quickly divorce. A myriad of professionals are available to help ease the divorce process, including lawyers, financial advisors, and parenting educators. However, this … Continue reading →

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Addressing Debts in Postnuptial Agreements

By Selena Walckner | Published: August 23, 2011

Spouses can use postnuptial agreements to manage debt and avoid joint liability. Through the postnuptial agreement, spouses define which debts and assets are separate and which are marital. This establishes who is responsible for specific debts.  However, it may not … Continue reading →

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Why Hiring Two Lawyers Produces Better Postnuptial Agreements

By Selena Walckner | Published: July 29, 2011

Yes, spouses really should hire two lawyers when they enter a postnuptial agreement. This is true even when both spouses want to enter the agreement and when they agree on all terms. For purposes of the postnuptial agreement, the spouses … Continue reading →

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Demystifying Divorce Statistics

By Selena Walckner | Published: July 21, 2011

Statistics say that half of all marriages will fail. Is it really a 50-50 chance that if you choose to marry, you will also choose to divorce? Possibly not. Your personal risk of divorce might be lower than you realize. … Continue reading →

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The Reality of Marital Agreements

By Selena Walckner | Published: July 11, 2011

Although more couples are entering marital agreements in today’s society, there are still a lot of myths surrounding prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. The misconceptions involve all areas, such as the purpose of a marital agreement, who should sign one, and … Continue reading →

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