Our Blog

We each have a unique relationship with money in terms of how we save and how we spend. Habits that began in childhood often carry over into our adult lives with varying degrees of awareness, [...]

“No matter how a couple shares financial information during their marriage, in a divorce, both people have the right to be fully informed.” – Theresa Beran Kulat, Collaborative [...]

Earlier this year, we redesigned our website with the intention to provide resources for people in the Chicagoland area who are considering divorce and who want to do so with dignity. We began [...]

I must admit – I never thought this could happen. The 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers list includes – me! Given the long history of recognizing lawyers for “wins,” which [...]

Theresa is honored to receive an appointment to the Family Law Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). Comprised of judges and experienced family law attorneys, this [...]

Over the next few weeks, I will be wrapping up my term as President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois (CLII). A member since it was created in 2002, I have served in many capacities [...]

Here’s a great article that just published in the Chicago Tribune’s Barrington Courier-Review this week that explains what Collaborative is about and who is a good candidate. Many [...]

Collaborative Process is getting more play in Illinois with the passage of the Uniform Collaborative Process Act and the timing couldn’t be better: New child support guidelines went into [...]

Mari Frank’s weekly radio show Fighting for Love features interviews with thought leaders in various fields, including Arielle Ford, author of The Soulmate Secret; William Ury, author of [...]

“There has to be a balance of head and heart, where both are engaged and both are honored,” Kulat said. “You can’t be all gushy-gushy Kumbaya because that doesn’t satisfy the needs of your [...]

As a non-adversarial divorce attorney, people say to me: “Can you really advocate for your client if you are non-adversarial?” I interpret this to mean something along the lines of [...]

We are pleased to announce that Theresa is a contributing author to the new book Stress Free Divorce. Here’s an excerpt from her chapter, “Holistic Divorce: An Opportunity for [...]

At Trinity Family Law, we are committed to our clients living great lives and parenting their children effectively. That’s why we sponsor “Let’s Get Real”, Zen Parenting [...]

At the collaborative table, I have sat in many spots: first as a client in my mid-thirties with two young sons … then, because of what I learned in my own divorce, as an attorney [...]

On November 7th, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School inducted me into their Hall of Honor along with six other women. I am both greatly humbled to be in the company of such accomplished women [...]

I help people settle cases. Non-lawyers sometimes think that the law “is” something and that there is a “right answer”. Folks who went through law school know that is far [...]

When pets are part of the family, the needs of the pets matter – just ask any pet owner who is also involved in a divorce. The Collaborative process (and other non-adversarial approaches to [...]

  Because Collaborative Practice relies on well-functioning teams, frequent communication is necessary. Professionals should “debrief” following each meeting and following a [...]

  In the early 1980s, I learned about affirmations. I took workshops and read books about them. Louise Hay was just starting out when I read and embraced You Can Heal Your Life. For years, I [...]

Lynn Torre, a Certified Financial Planner and founder of Financial Transitions, Ltd., hosts the Mind Money Connection on WebTalkRadio. Her podcasts – and corresponding books – educate [...]

Difficult conversations – we encounter them all the time, but what do we do? Do we avoid them altogether, forge ahead and hope all turns out okay …? In the groundbreaking book, [...]

What feeds our happiness? What factors play a role in our happiness level? In this article for Suburban Life Magazine, Theresa elaborates on the idea that one way to raise your  happiness [...]

Inspired by several former clients, Theresa shares an expanded view of legacy.  Yes, it is nice to be able to pass down wealth to our children. Other ways of viewing legacy include the creation [...]

In this first article for Suburban Life Magazine, Theresa discusses how time transforms relationships. Look back at how your relationship with a parent or sibling has changed over the years. [...]

People’s lives can be complicated. When a couple gets divorced, life often gets even more complicated. Many aspects of their lives need to be untangled, including finances. That means [...]

As a guest contributor to the October 2014 Piles to Smiles newsletter, Theresa writes about how parenting requires organization systems and communication skills – family calendars, dinner [...]

The end of a marriage does not need to cause collateral damage to the entire family. Downers Grove attorney Theresa Beran Kulat is an expert in collaborative divorce law, an emerging practice [...]

Your whole life is impacted by divorce but it does not need to be defined by divorce. Helping my clients to see and understand this is one of my primary goals as a Collaborative divorce attorney. [...]

For many of us, the New Year begins with writing down numerous resolutions, often the same resolutions we listed last year! My challenge for you, my readers, is this: Get your financial house in [...]

“Happy. Divorced. Holidays.”  These words don’t usually go together.  For many, it’s more like “Tension. Divorced. Holidays” right? And what does Facebook have to do with the holidays and divorce [...]

As a Collaborative professional, I enjoy teaching people about the non-adversarial divorce options that are available, including Collaborative, Uncontested, and Cooperative Divorce. I’ve learned [...]

Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers talks about the “10,000 hour” rule – essentially that it takes an average of 10,000 hours of practice to get really good at something. In that time, you have to [...]

On Saturday, September 14th, Trinity Family Law hosted a small gathering for colleagues and friends to celebrate new beginnings, including our new home and new name.  As you can see, there was [...]

Divorce: What’s Love Got To Do With It? Two people get married because they love each other. They begin a shared journey. Sometimes the journey ends as planned, “’til death do us part.”  [...]

In the last post on ways to save your marriage, I covered some difficult ones – dealing with addictions and changing communication habits. Here, I wrap up the series with discussions on financial [...]

In my last post, I started sharing ideas to help a person who wants to save their marriage. I started with some simple ones.  Next come a few that are a little trickier.   3.  Deal with [...]

“A divorce lawyer talking about saving my marriage?  Seems odd,” you may say. Well, I see a lot of divorcing people.  So I definitely know the factors that cause a breakdown to be [...]

What is Collaborative Law? Collaborative Law is a way for people who have a legal problem to work out a solution, with the help of lawyers, outside of the court system. When these people find [...]

Spiritual teachings applied to the practice of law can lead to a more joy-filled and manageable Life. This article takes a fresh look at “opposites.” By altering our perspective of things that [...]

Hi. I am Theresa Teri Beran Kulat. I help people transform who want more Peace and Joy in Life. My current life is a beautiful tapestry of relationships with my children, my clients, my [...]