From the desk of My Collaborative Team President, Edward S. Sachs, CPA

What do you do when you think you are settled, and one last issue pops up? Two weeks ago, we reached settlement in a Collaborative matter and the attorneys began completing the Collaborative Marital Settlement Agreement. While minor issues arose, the attorneys were able to work through the issues with their clients and the assistance of the mental health professionals. The issues tended to center around the parenting plan.

But then, we ended up with one final problem, financially related, and the parties had drawn a line in the sand. This family had three children and we had negotiated that the husband would take the youngest child as a dependent, the wife would take the middle child and they would alternate years taking the oldest child. So, what was the big problem? They each wanted to get the older child in even years, obviously, because we are in an even year and by getting the oldest child this year, they would get an extra year based on the child’s age.

The professionals sought my advice. How do we solve this?

Flip a coin, I said. The clients agreed and instructed that I should just do it. No way was I doing that without it being witnessed. So, the four professionals got on a five-minute Zoom call. I declared that the MHP would call the flip on behalf of the wife. I told the MHP to write down on a piece of paper either the word heads or tails and not show us. Then I flipped a quarter. It was heads. Then, I asked the MHP to show us what she had written down. It was heads. The wife won the toss.

Sometimes it can be as simple as that!!