Peace Talks Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Marital deduction

Deduction allowed by federal estate tax law for all property which passes to a surviving spouse, irrespective of the amount, free of tax.

Marital Exemption

Gifts between spouses are exempt from gift tax. However, the marital deduction does not apply to gifts from a citizen spouse to a non-citizen spouse.

Marital Property

Marital property describes the assets and debts that you will accumulate together once you are married.

Marital Settlement Agreement

A written document that outlines the financial, support, and custody arrangements which is signed by both parties and approved by the court.

Maritable Exemption

All property left by a deceased spouse to a surviving spouse is exempt from tax.

Marriage

Legal union between two adults

Marriage Contract

This term may refer to the legal contract implied by getting married, i.e., in California, by getting married you are subjecting yourself to the California family court laws and marriage laws. It may also refer to a premarital agreement, prenuptial agreement, or antenuptial agreement, which is an agreement made between a man and a woman before marrying in which they give up future rights to each other's property in the event of divorce or death.

Marriage Counseling

Counseling on marital problems and disagreements. every relationship experiences its ups and downs. It’s hard to know when your relationship is truly over because it’s a process, not an event. A therapist may be able to help you sort through your feelings, either individually or as a couple. The book Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Decide Whether to Stay in or Get Out of Your Relationship, by Mira Kirshenbaum, may be helpful, as well as many of Dr. John Gottman’s books, www.gottman.com

Mediation

* intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or Compromise. Divorce Mediation and Custody Mediation are a way to resolve your divorce or custody dispute which lets you keep full control of the outcome. The only people making decisions are those involved in the dispute, unlike arbitration or litigation where a judge or an arbitrator makes the final decision.

Mediation Attorneys

This term may refer to attorneys who act as mediators and who have specialized mediation training, or attorneys who represent clients whose cases are in mediation with a 3rd party mediator. Sometimes these are referred to as mediation friendly attorneys, meaning that while the attorney may handle litigation cases, he or she also understands the value of settlement and mediation.

Mediator

A third party negotiator who acts as a link between parties who reconciles disputes. Divorce Mediation and custody mediation typically consist of several joint meetings between spouses (or parents, if you are not married) which last 3-4 hours each. During those meetings, you and your spouse discuss the issues which need to be resolved in your case. The mediator is there to facilitate the discussion, assist with communication, provide information and suggestions, and use specialized training to assist the two of you to resolve your differences and write up an agreement which is fair to both of you, and, if you have children, in their best interests as well.

Minor

Person under the age of 18 years.

Mortgage

Security instrument which is recorded on the land records to prove the security for the repayment of a debt, typically against real property.

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