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2024.10 NYACP Newsletter Fall 2024 |
NYACP NEWS ~ Fall 2024Volume 6, Issue 4 In this Issue President's Message A MESSAGE FROM OUR 2024 NYACP PRESIDENT
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Jay Mota was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He is married with four children and is a Veteran of the US Marine Corps and the Army National Guard. His educational background includes studies at NYU, Fordham University, and The American College of Financial Services, with business management and strategic communication degrees. Jay has over 27 years of experience in the financial industry and is the founder of Divorce Logic.
His Certifications include:
• Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF®)
• Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®)
• Certified QDRO Specialist (CQS®)
• Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
• Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
• Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®)
• Trained Family Mediator, and
• Collaborative Law Professional
As a Divorce Financial Forensic Expert, Jay works with clients in mediation, the collaborative process, or in a contested divorce. Jay specializes in reviewing and analyzing the financials and the financial situation of the parties thinking about, going through, or finalizing a divorce. He provides insight, analysis, projections, and strategies for clients and attorneys in the hopes they are able to settle their cases. However, in the event a settlement is not possible, Jay is qualified to testify in court, where his role is to simplify the complex financial situations of the parties so the court can more easily understand the financial complexities through forensic analysis of the parties’ lifestyles, taxes, assets, property tracing, and equitable distribution.
Lili Vasileff, CFP®, MAFF, CDFA® is proud to participate as a Trainer in the Mosten Guthrie Academy Inaugural Collaborative Practice Training, a dynamic three-day program from Oct 23 to Oct 25, led by esteemed experts in the field: Forrest “Woody” Mosten, Anne Robinson Lucas MA LMHC, alongside renowned guest presenters, including Harvard's Collaborative Law expert David Hoffman, Adam Cordover, Marguerite Picard, Betsy Vaszquez, and IACP Immediate Past-President Brian Galbraith.
One of the most important things we can do as Collaborative professionals is take care of ourselves (this is not easy work), and build our relationships. Our own Steve Linker shares how he enjoys spending some of his time off, as well as an invitation for you to join him.
Hiking has been one of my hobbies for several decades, including national parks, NYS parks, and local parks. One of my bucket list items is to visit (or revisit) and hike in many of the National Parks as well as New York's 250 State Parks. In New York, there are probably parks in all of our pod areas.
If you as I do have a love of Nature and hiking or think you might like to find out if you do, contact me. We could kick around some ideas in a Zoom meeting. Let's plan one trip and see where it leads us. A tour could be arranged by a tour operator, or we could simply arrange a date and time among ourselves.
Let's get outdoors together!
POD Meetings are monthly. Please check the full calendar on our website for topics, dates and times. PODS, which meet monthly via a virtual format, make this opportunity accessible to all of our members regardless of where you reside. PODS are a wonderful way to learn, grow, and develop relationships with your fellow Collaborative Colleagues. Looking forward to seeing you all of you taking advantage of this great member benefit. Thank you to all of our Pod leaders!
On the second Tuesday of each month, the NYC POD group hosts interactive learning opportunities for our members (held via Zoom. You don’t have to be in NYC to attend!). Thanks to Judy Stein for all you do to keep the momentum going!
On September 10, 2024, the NYC Pod hosted the first meeting to kick off Fall with a presentation by our own Sallie Mulllins, about Tax Traps for the Marital Separation Agreement, Part 2. - This presentation discussed various tax glitches that can occur in drafting the marital separation agreement and ways to avoid them so that your clients don’t experience unexpected future tax surprises. Topics ranged from real estate factors, retirement plans, investments accounts, property transfers, spousal support, and income tax return related issues were covered.
Sallie Mullins Thompson is a CPA, CFP, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), and tax strategist, with over two decades of experience in the financial services profession. She assists families, business owners, and individuals, in the NYC and Washington, DC metropolitan areas, with all elements of their financial lives – from tax to investments to savings to planning to life transitions and has a special interest in women who are navigating the divorce process. As a CPA financial planner, CFP, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), Sallie Mullins Thompson handles the money end of divorce – before, during, and after. She assists families in navigating divorce by drawing a road map for them; evaluates budgets, income, what’s owned, and what’s owed; prepares long-term financial projections; and focuses on both parties ending up with enough money to live. On a personal level, Sallie is the doting grandmother of her two beautiful grandchildren and lives near them in DC with her adorable cat, Snuggles.
On September 18, 2024 Micki McWade LMSW Presented: The Year of the Lightworker. Given all of the tumultuous events over the past several years that are happening all around us, in addition to the very demanding work that we do, we must find ways to manage and cope. Micky McWade offered a wonderful mechanism to help us find calm in the storm. Light practice is an effective, non-partisan technique that reduces anxiety and protects and defends our country at the same time. According to Micki, we all know we can change the energy in a negative situation. We do it every day when we mediate or collaborate. We are expanding that energy to create peace across the political divide in the United States. Add this to an existing practice or learn how to develop one. No experience necessary. All who do our work are Lightworkers and already are quite advanced. Let’s do more!
Micki McWade, LMSW
Micki is a Collaborative Divorce Family Specialist, psychotherapist, author, parent coordinator and clinical social worker with a practice in New York that focuses on divorce issues. She works with matrimonial attorneys to help clients divorce with dignity as part of the interdisciplinary team model of Collaborative Divorce. She has an extensive background in divorce, having founded and developed the Twelve Step Divorce Recovery Group model which ran weekly from 1993 to 2020 as well as participating in hundreds of Collaborative cases. She supervised the development of other Twelve Step Divorce Recovery groups and has taught Parents Apart classesfor the Putnam County court, which help parents recognize and avoid the pitfalls of divorce for children.
Micki has served on the board of the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals and on the executive committee of the Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce Association. Micki has been on the faculty of numerous national conferences and her books include Getting Up, Getting Over, Getting On: A Twelve Step Guide to Divorce Recovery, Daily Meditations for Surviving a Breakup, Separation or Divorce, Healing You, Healing Me: A Divorce Support Group Leader’s Guide andMoving Towards Mastery in Collaborative Divorce.
NYACP's Northern Westchester Pod will present a Member Zoom Meeting every third Wednesday at 9:00am of each month with a hiatus during the summer.
October 1 Presentation: The Basics of Business Valuation
Glenn S. Liebman, CPA/ABV - Partner, KLG Business Valuators & Forensic Accountants, LLC
Glenn Liebman of KLG Business Valuations and Forensic Accountants and valued member of NYACP spoke to the Long Island pod in October on various levels of business valuation. He discussed fair market value even for non-tranferable businesses and those with good will. He talked about how the length of the marriage, contributions to the business affect the marital percentage. This also had an interplay between tangible assets and income of the business owner. There were many scenarios and questions asked of Glenn, so much so that the presentation may continue for another time, either another long island pod or a webinar for the entire membership. Glenn’s wealth of information and helpfulness in sharing his knowledge in an understandable way was well received by our attendees.
Glenn Liebman is a CPA who is accredited in business valuation and is a managing partner at the firm KLG Business Valuators & Forensic Accountants. Glenn brings over 27 years of experience and has worked on over 1,500 matrimonial matters across mediations, collaborative and litigated matters. His experience covers a variety of areas including business valuation, forensic accounting, separate property analysis and tracing, lifestyle and budget analysis, net worth statement preparation, tax consulting and assisting with dividing assets in a practical and tax efficient manner. Glenn prides himself in taking a practical approach and presenting complex concepts in an uncomplicated manner to assist professional and parties in achieving a mutually beneficially settlement of the finances of their matters.
If you would like more information about the Long Island Pod, contact [email protected].
All NYACP Members are encouraged to take the opportunity to join a Support Group. Participation will provide you with the experience of joining with other members in our community to connect in a more in-depth way regarding our work and best practices. This is separate from our POD Groups. These are closed groups and they require a commitment. This commitment includes being responsible for presenting, and addressing some of the complexities that can arise. On your Collaborative matters. This can be a vulnerable undertaking and building trust and understanding with our colleagues is an essential part of why these groups are valuable. We all know how challenging our work can be. If you are interested in joining a SGCP, contact [email protected]
Lower Westchester Support Group - Steve Kaplan [email protected] and Ellen Jancko-Baken [email protected] are leaders. Meetings are on the second Tuesday of the month from 5:30-6:30
Northern Westchester Support Group - Meg Sussman [email protected] and Melissa Goodstein [email protected]
Metro NY Support Group - Katherine Miller [email protected]
NYC Support Group - Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 5:00pm facilitated by Bob Raymond [email protected] and Rachel Green [email protected]. Meetings the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30am are facilitated with Barbara Rothberg [email protected].
Mental Health Support Group – Facilitated by Jeffrey Steiger and Bob Raymond The last MHP Support Group meeting was informative and supportive. It contributed to our understanding of the work we do, and the work that needs to be done. On September 24th, a lively discussion was held about how we do our work with our Teams, how we keep the momentum going, deal with parties who are in different places in their process, and manage the matters so they are efficient and cost effective. We also discussed the importance of our Attorney colleagues understanding the value we bring to the process and helping the clients to understand how we “fit.” We missed those of you who could not attend, and we appreciate all who did. Register on the NYACP website and get the link. These meetings are held Quarterly on Tuesday mornings from 7:45am-9:00am. Our next MHP meeting is on September 24, 2024. Only NYACP members qualify to participate in this group. Look out for the announcements.
The Training and Education Committee continues their work planning educational programming that will enhance our member experience, and enable members to improve your knowledge, skills, and Collaborative practice. At the same time, these programs, whether in person or virtually, provide our members with the opportunity to network, get to know one another. Educational programs include periodic advanced collaborative practice trainings averaging once a month from Sept to June every year for all professionals by non -members and members, basic collaborative divorce training for prospective new members by members annually or every other year and annual day of collaborative process training and annual meeting. The committee is given a budget approved by board on an annual basis and programs are designed to enable members to achieve excellence in collaborative practice. The committee strives to provide trainings in response to membership interests and topical issues relative to our collaborative practices. Trainings take place at locations in NYC, Westchester and on Long Island, with location and platform for a particular training taking into consideration preferences of trainers, sponsors, likely attendees, cost and other factors. The Committee meets monthly September-June on the first Thursday of the month from 12 to 1pm via Zoom. Most programs will provide CLEs, CMEs. And CEUs (Sponsored by Family Kind).
September 17, 2024 – The Education and Training Committee presented Part 1 in a series of Skills Development Trainings - The First Meeting - Moderated by: Anthony Markus, Esq., Meg Sussman, Ph.D., and Ivan Alter, Esq. – other participants included Marcos Fernandez, Esq., Melissa Goodstein, Esq., and Nancy Kaye, CPA - The Education and Training Committee of NYACP designed these sessions to tap our vast communal knowledge about the ins and outs of collaborative practice. Using lively demonstrations, panel discussions and community forums, NYACP members shared their collective experiences about what worked, what didn’t and what to watch out for.
The NYACP Annual Meeting to be held on 12-12-24 in NYC at NYC Bar Building with Dr. Charles Chaffin, Behavioral Economist. The Annual Meeting will begin with a networking luncheon at 11:30. a.m. Please see our website for more details.
Business Meeting ~ Networking Lunch ~ Professional Training ~ Evening Reception
CLE and CFP Credits will be available by NYACP
CE Credits for Mental Health Professionals via FamilyKind
Family Kind is an approved NYS provider of Continuing Education Credits for Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Psychologists
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the impact of divorce through the eyes of the children. This is a wonderful presentation that will provide you with tremendous insight for yourselves as professionals and to share with your divorcing parents. The Education Committee will identify a venue in Southern Westchester that can accommodate a film screening such as Picture House. Ellen Bruno (Director) will be available via Zoom for a panel discussion. Date and time TBD. Please watch out for future announcements.
Over the past year NYACP has had a host of new members. Welcome to all of you! Member benefits are very important to the NYACP Board. To that end, we urge all of you to get involved as a member of the Membership Committee, or it’s sub-committees (the GCC- Grow the Collaborative Circle, the Events Committee, the Mentorship Committee, or our committee that organizes our Collaborative Connection Luncheons in the various regions). Whether you are a committee member, or are participating in our functions, we on the committees believe that doing so will enhance your experience at NYACP!
The Committee is very actively involved in planning events with professional groups outside of the Collaborative arena who may benefit from joining us in spreading the word about Collaborative Practice, either directly or indirectly. Some of our upcoming events include and are not limited to social events, presentations about Collaborative Practice, Regional luncheons for our members, and the engagement with, support for and mentoring of new and existing members so that you feel a part of our organization. There is also a new Buddy Program in place for incoming new members. Take advantage of what’s being offered. You will be glad that you did!
The Membership Committee: Ellen Jancko-Baken – Chair, Catherine Canade, Jacqueline Caputo, Ariella Deutsch, Marcos Fernandez, Shara Goldfarb, Adam Halper, Randy Heller, Michelle Lewis, Stephen Linker, Bob Raymond
The Events Subcommittee of the Membership Committee is focusing on planning the social piece of the annual meeting in December. We will plan a social/icebreaker activity, select a charitable cause for donations, and arrange for entertainment, possibly music. There will be a “Speed Meet and Greet” for everyone to connect. We received great feedback from last year’s event and look forward to more of the same this year! Stacy Collins, Stephen Linker, Ellen Jancko Baken, Michelle Lewis, Randy Heller, and Ivy Menchel are members of the Events Subcommittee.
On September 11, 2024, the GCC, Shara Goldfarb, organized a presentation to the Westchester Women’s Bar Association featured an interdisciplinary team of NYACP members Kathleen Donelli, Randy Heller, Shara Goldfarb, Melissa Goldstein, and Barbara Bel who spoke about How to Integrate or Transition Your Matrimonial Practice to a Collaborative Law Practice. The presentation explained the process as well as emphasized the benefits of Collaborative Practice for our clients and for ourselves. The discussion was moderated by Andrea Friedman and well attended by the WWBA. We strongly encouraged these attorneys to consider (at minimum) including Collaborative Practice in their consultations with their clients, becoming trained, and joining us in our mission to preserve families as they restructure their lives. Thank you, Shara, for your hard work on putting this together!
In an effort to Grow the Collaborative Circle (GCC), our members are reaching out to various groups of interest. Marcos Fenandez, Esq. and Randy Heller, PhD have been reaching out to Law School Students, as well as students enrolled in ADR programs to introduce them and teach them about the benefits of Collaborative practice. These students are the potential next generation of Collaborative Professionals. They are also wonderful referral sources. In late October, Marcos and Randy will present for a third time to the students at Seton Hall University School of Law in October. If you know of any Law, or Graduate students in Mental Health or Business who show an interest in our process and want to be trained, there is now the Kevin Scudder Higher Education Scholarship Fund in place to financially support their training. Please send inquiries to Randy Heller at [email protected]
In mid October, Randy Heller will be interviewed on a podcast intended to reach members of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), speaking about the distinctions between Mediation and Collaborative Practice and the benefits for families of utilizing Alternative Dispute resolution methods as opposed to litigation. This podcast will get the word out to university graduate programs in Mental Health (particularly Couples and Marriage and Family Therapists) to encourage these students (who are on the front lines working with many people contemplating divorce) to become involved and speak about Collaborative practice with their clients, as a better alternative for their families.
Meet and Greet with the FDMC and NYSCDM
The GCC tirelessly worked on the Meet and Greet with the Family and Divorce Mediation Council (FDMC) of Greater New York and the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation (NYSCDM), which took place on October 10th, at the Park Imperial Clubroom, 230 West 56th Street, New York, New York. A special shout out to our own share Goldfarb for taking the lead on making this happen!
Great connections were made and prior relationships were strengthened as we gathered together, shared conversation, broke bread, and talked about our mission and common goals of being peacemakers. A wonderful time was had by all. There was a full house, and we actually had to turn people away!
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The GCC cordially welcomes you to attend and asks you to register for the event if you have not done so already GCC Members: Marcos Fernandez (Chair), Shara Goldfarb, Randy Heller, Ariella Deutsch, Jacqueline Caputo.
If you are a collaborative professional looking to expand your connections with your collaborative colleagues, join us for our bi-monthly meet ups for lunch, coffee, or drinks after work. The NYACP Membership Committee is launching gatherings in Westchester, Long Island and Manhattan to offer an easy way to get to know your collaborative counterparts better with a simple RSVP. These small group (eight person) meet ups will offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with collaborative colleagues you might not already know, share experiences and insights, and learn more about one another both personally and professionally. Invitations are sent out by the office for each scheduled meet up, and the first eight NYACP members to register will reserve a spot for the next meet up at a designated time and location. These meet ups offer a great chance to build up you professional and personal network and to find support and encouragement in helping families who have chosen the collaborative process. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with your peers and get more involved in the NYACP.
It’s a GREAT WAY to build relationships with your Collaborative Colleagues!
What a wonderful experience and way to say “Happy Friday” at our Collaborative Connections lunch in NYC! So great to build these connections and get to know our colleagues on a deeper level! Hopefully we are developing friendships as well! Looking forward to seeing you at the next NYACP member event!
Wishing all who observe many blessings at Rosh Hashana! Hope to see all of you at the next event!
2024
2025
As part of the ongoing commitment to promoting racial equity and addressing systemic racism, the NYACP Racial Equity Media Club presented Rustin, a film directed by George C. Wolfe on May 16th, 2024. Rustin is an insightful documentary that delves into the life and legacy of Bayard Rustin, a prominent civil rights activist. Rustin sheds light on the challenges and triumphs faced by Rustin, who played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement. Through this film, participants explored the themes of racial equity and their relevance to our work as collaborative professionals. By examining Rustin's experiences, we can gain a deeper understanding of the systemic racism that persists today and how it affects the communities we serve.
There are also suggestions on the website HERE to read, view, and listen to regarding racial equity for your own personal reference.
If you would like more information about the Racial Equity Committee, please contact the NYACP Office.
Both the NYACP Media Club and the media resource list below are intended to encourage engagement with materials and subjects that may be normally overlooked, and to engage our members to be open to different perspectives and experiences. Chairs - Melissa Goodstein, Esq., [email protected] and Catherine Canade, Esq., [email protected]
SAVE the DATES: Please save the dates below to join us for the 2024-2025 Racial Equity Committee's Media Club. Meetings are on the 4th Thursday of the month, 12-1pm (except for November due to Thanksgiving).
September 26, 2024: "1619 Project" by Nicole Hannah Jones As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting racial equity and addressing systemic racism, the NYACP Racial Equity Media Club was thrilled to start the new year with the book "1619 Project" by Nicole Hannah Jones. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story is a 2021 anthology of essays and poetry, published by One World on November 16, 2021. You can purchase the book on Amazon. Thank you for joining us as we learn, grow, and advocate for racial equity in our work as collaborative professionals. Together, we can foster positive change and address systemic racism within our communities.
November: Film -11/21 -12 Years a Slave
2025 January: Book - 1/23 - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander February: Field Trip - Date and Location TBD
March: Film: 3/27 - Just Mercy May: Book 5/22 Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi June: Field Trip- Date and Location TBD
Each Mentorship session runs for four months. In the first meeting, participants are encouraged you to share a little about their background and how they became involved in collaborative practice, as well their expectations for the program. Based on prior experience, we suggest that the Mentor and Mentee schedule all of their mentorship meetings in that initial meeting, which can then be confirmed or changed as needed. We will send a reminder each month regarding scheduling.
A few months ago, under the auspices of the Mentorship Program, which is co chaired by Catherine Canadé and Shara Goldfarb, launched a Buddy Program whereby Board members are matched with new members for a period of three months. The Buddy is available to help the new member by checking in with how things have been going since they joined, answering any questions they may have, letting them know about the resources of the organization eg, pods and support groups. The Buddy may also invite them to our online or in person trainings and social events so that they can meet more members. So far the feedback has been very good from both the Buddies and the new members. We are excited to continue this initiative in the Fall. Thank you, Catherine Canadé and Shara Goldfarb, Co-Chairs, NYACP Mentorship and Buddy Programs
The NYACP Newsletter is intended to inform you not only about what is going on in your organization. It is an invitation and opportunity for our members to get involved as you strengthen your Collaborative relationships and your practice. Please send information about you, your practice, your activities, and your success to Randy Heller.
[email protected]