Tough Conversations

Solutions Through Compassionate Communication.

202-544-5675

  • Home
  • Resources
    • FAQ
    • Elder Mediation Defined
    • The Uses of Elder Mediation
    • News Articles of Interest
  • News & Events
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Love’s Way
  • About Us
  • Testimonials

Tell Me About the Skeletons in the Closet

April 24, 2014 By Carolyn Parr 4 Comments

Carolyn Parr, http://toughconversations.net/, discusses the importance of communicating with family before it is too late. That’s a question Bryan Bishop eventually gets around to asking every prospective client who comes in for a will or estate plan. As the client is recovering from the shock, Bryan reassures them, “Every family has them.”

Think about your skeletons. What are they? The loving son who can’t manage money. The brilliant, strong aging parent you suspect has undiagnosed dementia. The kind daughter who can’t say no. The addicted grandson. A second wife you love, but whose son you consider immoral. An in-law you dislike or distrust. Mental illness, secret HIV, a hidden mistress for whom you’d like to provide. Maybe even an unacknowledged child of your own. The IRS lien on the family farm. The list goes on and on.

And heaven forbid you die without a will.

Why does your lawyer need to know all this stuff? The short answer is to prevent war from breaking out before your body is cold. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Communication Tagged With: Behavior, Bryan Bishop, Carolyn Parr, death, Estate Planning, Mediation, Point of View, tough conversations, Will

Don’t Get Stuck Between the Taffy and the Truth

April 8, 2014 By Sig Cohen 8 Comments

Sig Cohen, http://toughconversations.net, discusses mediation and communication. I just read my horoscope. It states: “You feel as if you are being pulled like taffy as you listen to both sides of a story. Encourage the parties involved to respect each other’s differences.”

Welcome to mediation… and to life! My horoscope reads like a “best practices” maxim for mediators, and for the rest of us as well. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Communication Tagged With: communication, Mediation, Point of View, Sig Cohen, tough conversations, Truth

« Previous Page
Newsletter Sign Up

Sign up to receive our Monthly Newsletter and receive a free copy of our 10 point Guide to Tough Conversations.


Sign Up

Read stories, tips, and facts
about some of life's tough
conversations »

Please call us for
more information:

202-544-5675

HOME | NEWS & EVENT | SERVICES | BLOG | ABOUT US | CONTACT US

©2011 Beyond Dispute Associates, Washington, D.C. Maryland, Virginia. All Rights Reserved.


Like us on
Facebook
Visit us on
Linkedin