Modern Family Matters

with Pacific Cascade Legal

Modern Family Matters is a podcast based out of the Pacific Northwest that discusses a variety of different topics that can impact the family unit, such as divorce, custody, estate planning, adoption, personal injury accidents, and bankruptcy. We believe that there is no such thing as "broken" family, and that true family can take on many different forms. Join our host, Steve Altishin, as he interviews attorneys and other industry professionals on all matters pertaining to the modern family.

  1. Jun 9

    The Divorce Worry List: What Keeps People Up at Night Before Filing for Divorce

    Send us Fan Mail Divorce can feel like stepping into a fog where every rumor sounds like fact: you will lose the house, you will be broke, the case will drag on for years, and the court will air every private detail. Steve Altishin sits down with Founding Attorney Lewis Landerholm to name the concerns people bring to an initial divorce consultation and to explain what’s real, what’s misunderstood, and what you can actually control. We start with the fear that hits first for most families: financial security. We talk about the pressure of going from two incomes to one, funding two households, and protecting the biggest assets for many couples the family home and retirement accounts. We also dig into why negotiated settlements and mediation can create options beyond the rigid “split everything and sell the house” storyline, especially for Oregon and Washington family law cases where practical compromise can reduce disruption. Then we get concrete about the divorce process, including timelines, legal fees, and why trial is usually the most expensive route. We address discovery and the “dirty laundry” anxiety, plus how transparency can prevent hidden asset fights that explode costs. Finally, we cover kids: whether to move out, why a temporary parenting plan matters, and how child support differs from the more subjective spousal support analysis. If you’re wrestling with the question of “should I get divorced,” we also explain where legal advice ends and where therapists and other professionals can help most. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs clarity, and leave a review so more people can find practical guidance when it matters most. What question about divorce do you want us to answer next? If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    28 min

  2. May 27

    Smart Retirement Planning at Any Age: Using Pop Culture to Make Finances Easy

    Send us Fan Mail Retirement planning can feel like a wall of jargon and spreadsheets, so we brought in someone who makes the numbers feel human. CPA and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Jesse Hurst joins us to break down how to start retirement financial planning at any age and why the first step is not picking investments. It is getting honest about where you are today, then turning “someday I want to retire” into real retirement goals you can measure. We get practical about the questions that trip people up: how much should you put into a 401(k), why an employer match matters, and why starting at 22 versus waiting until 32 can completely change the outcome even if you save the same way. Jesse shares a simple strategy for increasing contributions over time so you still feel your raises, while your retirement savings rate quietly grows. We also talk about the gap in financial literacy for younger adults, and why many traditional wealth management firms ignore people who are still building, even when they have strong income and big decisions like buying a first home, choosing benefits, setting up insurance, or handling 401(k) rollovers after job changes. Then we move into the part nobody warns you about: the emotional switch from saving to spending. Many retirees have done everything “right” and still feel like they are not allowed to use their money. Jesse explains how a retirement income plan can create permission to spend, and how to prepare for market volatility with a liquidity strategy that helps you avoid selling at the worst possible time. If scary headlines make you want to change your plan, this conversation will help you trade anxiety for a process. If you find this helpful, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a clearer retirement plan, and leave us a review so more families can find the show. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. To learn more about Jesse and how he can help you, you can visit his website at: https://www.impelwealth.com/ Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    31 min

  3. May 19

    The Business Breakup: The Realities of Business Division in Oregon Divorce

    Send us Fan Mail Your business is not “just an asset.” For a lot of owners, it’s years of risk, late nights, pride, and a sense of security for the future. That’s why business ownership in an Oregon divorce can turn into one of the most intense parts of the entire case, and why the wrong assumption early on can cost you later. We sit down with Lewis Landerholm to map out what actually needs to be answered when a company is on the table: Is it marital property or is there a credible separate property claim tied to premarital value or limited marital contribution? What happens when a spouse works in the business and gets underpaid? How do you handle the very real “double dipping” problem where the business is valued for property division and the business income is still used in spousal support? Then we get practical about business valuation. Different industries require different expertise, and expert opinions can land far apart, sometimes by hundreds of thousands of dollars. We also dig into the messy edge cases that show up in real life: OLCC and other regulated licenses, cannabis-related complications, intellectual property like copyrights, and whether an asset can even be transferred the way people assume. Finally, we talk about entity structure, bylaws, partners, enforcement language in the judgment, and why mediation often gives business owners the time and flexibility that court can’t. If you’re facing divorce with a business involved, subscribe for more straight answers, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more Oregon families can find the guidance. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    20 min

  4. May 6

    The Divorce Tug-of-War: The Assets That Couples Fight Over Most

    Send us Fan Mail Five assets keep showing up when divorcing couples hit a wall, and the reason is almost never just emotion. It is value. I sit down with founding attorney Lewis Landerholm to unpack why retirement accounts, the marital home, business interests, investment portfolios, and valuable personal property become the flashpoints in divorce and family law cases, especially when each asset carries different tax rules, different volatility, and different paperwork. We get practical about the hidden math: why pre tax 401(k) dollars are not the same as cash, when pensions require an actuary, and how premarital versus marital components can change the division. Then we move to the marital home, where the deed is often easy but the mortgage can be the real obstacle, particularly when a refinance means higher interest rates and a smaller buying power for the spouse who keeps the property. We also explain why judges tend to choose the simplest clean break if a plan is not realistic, and why vague terms in a divorce decree can lead to expensive enforcement fights years later. From there we dig into business valuation, including why picking the right valuation expert matters, what happens when both spouses work in the business, and how buyouts can collide with future cash flow and support issues. We also cover investment accounts, RSUs and stock gains, cost basis, and the tax surprises that can dwarf the “headline” account value. Finally, we talk about appraisals for cars, jewelry, art, and even bitcoin, where volatility makes timing and documentation critical. If you found this helpful, subscribe for more real world divorce guidance, share this with someone sorting out a separation, and leave a review so more families can find clear answers. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    29 min

  5. Apr 28

    Art, Wine, Guns & Timeshares: Divorce Assets You Won’t Believe

    Send us Fan Mail A “high-value asset” is not the same thing as a “high-value check,” and that gap can wreck a divorce settlement. We sit down with Professor Kelly Lise Murray, a wealth dispute resolution educator and real estate collaboration divorce specialist, to unpack the assets that look impressive on a spreadsheet but become brutally complicated the moment you try to divide or sell them. We talk through the real-world mechanics of divorce asset division when the property is unusual: art collections that have an insured value but no practical resale market, wine collections that can literally disappear bottle by bottle, firearms that raise eligibility and safety questions, and timeshares that can act like a negative asset once annual fees are considered. Along the way, we highlight why judges decide cases based on admissible evidence, why “only one side brought proof” can become the final number, and how the right experts and documentation can prevent costly post-divorce enforcement fights. You’ll also hear how some courts get surprisingly practical with unique property, including creative approaches to splitting collections, plus what it means to negotiate for enforcement before mediation so you can actually receive what you bargained for. If you’re facing a high net worth divorce, equitable distribution questions, asset valuation disputes, or concerns about dissipation, this conversation will help you think more clearly and prepare more strategically. Subscribe for more family law guidance, share this with someone sorting out property division, and leave a review if it helped. What’s the strangest or most emotionally charged asset you’ve seen people fight over? If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. To learn more about how Kelly can help you, you can visit her website at: https://vettingthehouse.com/ Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    33 min

  6. Apr 23

    Creating a Financial Plan When Starting From Ground Zero in a Divorce

    Send us Fan Mail Divorce can flip your financial life overnight, especially if you were not the person paying the bills, tracking accounts, or managing investments. We sit down with Ryan Finley, CPA and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, to map out what a real “ground zero” financial reset looks like and how to replace panic with a clear plan you can actually follow. We start with the basics that make everything else possible: gathering documents, building a marital balance sheet, and translating tax returns and pay stubs into a simple picture of income. Then we get practical about divorce budgeting by categorizing 12 to 24 months of bank and credit card activity so your monthly spending is based on facts, not memory. From there, we walk through the tough decisions that hit fast, like whether keeping the house helps your kids or quietly harms your future cash flow, and how child support or spousal support may fit into the math. Ryan also explains why equal looking assets can be wildly unequal after taxes, especially when dividing retirement accounts and investments with different cost basis and capital gains exposure. We dig into advanced issues that often show up in negotiations, including vesting bonus plans, forensic accounting, and tracing dissipation. The through line stays the same: build a plan that helps you feel steady now and capable later. If you want more clarity during divorce, subscribe for more family law and financial strategy conversations, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the help. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. To learn more about how Ryan can help you or to learn more about Freedom Financial Services Group, you can view his website at: https://www.freedomfsg.com/  Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    29 min

  7. Apr 14

    Inside the Money Wars: Divorce, Forensic Accounting & High-Stakes Litigation

    Send us Fan Mail Money problems in divorce are rarely about “one weird transaction.” They’re about complexity: multiple accounts, transfers that look harmless until you see the full trail, business income that blends into personal spending, and documents that do not tell the whole story. We bring in CPA, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and mediator Ryan Finley to show what forensic accounting really looks like when a case needs facts, not guesses. We talk through how litigation support helps attorneys and clients during discovery, including how a forensic accountant organizes financial disclosures, builds a marital balance sheet, and translates confusing items like investments or bonus plans into plain English. Ryan also explains the core workflow of following the money across bank statements, credit cards, and investment accounts, then isolating the transactions that do not reconcile so the right questions get asked fast. From there, we get into the moments that change outcomes: hidden accounts created during advisor changes, tax return red flags like strategic overpayment, and dissipation claims when marital funds support a girlfriend, boyfriend, trips, or gifts. We also cover why self-employed income and business valuation can be the hardest issues in divorce, plus what to watch for with real estate partnerships, missing parcels, and paperwork that looks “off.” We even touch on practical settlement strategy, like when keeping a low-rate mortgage might actually improve post-divorce cash flow. If you want clearer numbers, smarter questions, and fewer surprises, listen now, then subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find trustworthy guidance. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. To learn more about how Ryan can help you or to learn more about Freedom Financial Services Group, you can view his website at: https://www.freedomfsg.com/  Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    29 min

  8. Mar 29

    Confused About Spousal Support in Oregon? Start Here!

    Send us Fan Mail Spousal support in Oregon sounds simple until you’re the one trying to predict what a judge will do and what a “fair” monthly number really means. We sit down with Pacific Cascade Legal's Founding Attorney, Lewis Landerholm, to clear up the confusion by breaking spousal support into the three categories Oregon courts actually use: maintenance support, transitional support, and compensatory support. Along the way, we explain why compensatory support is rare, why transitional support is often paired with maintenance, and how the facts of your marriage shape both the amount and the duration. We also get practical about timing and real-life pressure points. We talk about temporary spousal support during the divorce process, what “indefinite” support usually means (and why it does not automatically mean forever), and how retirement can trigger a reanalysis. Since Oregon doesn’t use a spousal support calculator, we dig into the judge’s discretion, how income disparities are evaluated, and why “income” can mean potential income if someone is underemployed. For complex cases, we touch on vocational and occupational experts who can help estimate earning capacity after years out of the workforce. To round it out, we cover the post-2019 tax treatment of spousal support, how spousal support interacts with Oregon child support calculations, and negotiation strategies like a lump-sum buyout or trading support for assets. If you’re facing a divorce, considering a settlement, or worried you’re leaving money on the table, this conversation gives you a clearer map of the spousal support landscape. Subscribe, share with someone who needs this, and leave a review, then tell us: would you prefer a monthly payment or a clean buyout? If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys, please call our office at (503) 227-0200, or visit our website at https://www.pacificcascadelegal.com. Disclaimer: Nothing in this communication is intended to provide legal advice nor does it constitute a client-attorney relationship, therefore you should not interpret the contents as such.

    20 min
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5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Modern Family Matters is a podcast based out of the Pacific Northwest that discusses a variety of different topics that can impact the family unit, such as divorce, custody, estate planning, adoption, personal injury accidents, and bankruptcy. We believe that there is no such thing as "broken" family, and that true family can take on many different forms. Join our host, Steve Altishin, as he interviews attorneys and other industry professionals on all matters pertaining to the modern family.

Information

  • Creator
    with Pacific Cascade Legal
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    217
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Modern Family Matters
  • Show Website
    Modern Family Matters

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