David Bulitt's Blog, page 3
March 7, 2017
February 21, 2017
LAWYER AND AUTHOR DAVID BULITT TALKS “BECAUSE I HAD TO”
BECAUSE I HAD TO is a “cant-put-it-down-tale of adoption secrets and the dark side of a therapist’s couch.” Its author, David Bulitt weighs in on some of the mental health and contemporary themes that are woven throughout the novel, as well as writing from the perspective of a 23 year old woman.
Q: Lets start at the beginning. Masturbation and cutting all in the first chapter immediately drops quite a contradiction of emotions onto the reader. Why did you decide that was the way to launch this story?
A: First of all, I wanted to write a book that grabbed people from the start. In terms of my main character, Jess Porter, it was vitally important to me that the reader immediately grasp a sense of who she is, her own inner conflicts and how they affected her actions and her thinking. Of course, if ‘the bathtub trick’ goes viral, that would be okay too.
Q: So why write the story from dual perspectives? Why a second narrator?
A: I liked the idea of running with a parallel story of an older, established and successful man who, much like Jess, was searching for his own path in life. That character, Joe Becker, narrates my first novel, CARD GAME and Jess’s deceased father was his best friend. Bringing them together was, I thought, an interesting way to show that we all, no matter where we are and in what stage of life, can still be looking for our place in this world.
Q: We get a lot of insight into therapy, both individually and in a group setting. Where did that come from?
A: The research for that was easy. My wife is a therapist. She works primarily with teens and younger adults, many with ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, depression and more. I spent a good amount of time annoying her, looking to find out what would go on in her office in different circumstances, times in this young woman’s story. From there, I constructed the character of Jamie, her therapist and developed the dialog between them. I also wanted to infuse some of this aspect of the story with some humor and we see that come out primarily in the group therapy scenes with Jess, Macy and the others.
Q: Adoption plays a large part of Jess’ sense of who she is, or thinks she is anyway.
A: It does. I have four daughters, two of whom are adopted. It never mattered to me how we got our kids. We loved them all the same. Now for the two who are adopted, they have their own feelings – loss, confusion and the rest. Its funny, I took quite a shot from a reader on Goodreads who apparently felt as if the book was not in some way representative of most adoptees experiences. She is right, of course, but to be fair, it was not my intention to write a textbook or treatise on adoption. This is one girl’s story. That’s it.
Q: Jess’ cutting was particularly painful to me to read.
A: It was hard for me to write. I had a daughter who was a cutter. It made me pretty sick, to be honest. As a father, I just could not understand it, the blood, scrapes and scars. The behavior made no sense to me. I mean, intellectually I understand that cutting is some sort of coping mechanism, a way to deal with intense pressure, strong emotions, desperation and the like. In my book, Jess is high velocity package of emotions and feelings. Cutting is one of the ways all of that comes to the surface.
Q: Many readers might be confused by JB’s disinterest in his job when, to me anyway, the lawyering stories are pretty interesting.
A: You know, that’s the thing with him. What he does is interesting to most of us, just not him. He has a great career, one many would swap for, yet he isn’t happy. He isn’t fulfilled. When I fleshed out his character, I wanted him to be likeable, not spoiled or overly jaded.
Q: This story has a lot of sadness, a lot of loss. Were there any pieces in the book that were more difficult to write than others?
A: Portions of Jess’ story come from raising one of my own daughters and the really deep sadness in trying, and ultimately not succeeding, in trying to make her well. That said, the dream sequence with JB and Tom on the beach, for some reason, that was really tough for me.
Q: Can we talk about the end of the story without giving it away?
A: Sure. Life is not easily wrapped up in a bow. I didn’t want Jess’ story to end that way either. That the ending should make for some good book club discussion did not escape me either.
Q: Is a sequel on the way? Sure seems like it.
A: Not at the moment. For now, anyway, I have moved on to another novel, completely unrelated to CARD GAME and BECAUSE I HAD TO. Ask me again in a year or two.
February 5, 2017
January 13, 2017
READERS LOVE ‘BECAUSE I HAD TO’
“great read, lovingly rendered”
“From the moment I read the first page, I was hooked.”
“Couldn’t, wouldn’t, and didn’t put it down until it was done.”
“If this novel starts with a punch, it ends with an upward kick into my sternum.”
“I felt David Bulitt wrote from his gut with no fear.”
“Bulitt’s cutting and often brilliant dialogue makes this a can’t-put-it-down-page-turner.”
“a compelling look at adoption, friendship and family. The story of Jess is sad, funny, true to life and leaves you wanting more because not every girl excels at being social or in academics……”
BECAUSE I HAD TO: 5/5 Stars
“My first thought when I finished this book was NO! How could the author end this book leaving me wanting more? I really did not want the story to end. The novel is the story of Jess, who is an adopted twin who has had a difficult time dealing with her father’s death and her relationship with her adopted mother and twin. We follow her story as she leaves her family and moves to Florida and tries to find herself. She asks her father’s best friend who is an attorney to help her find her birth mother, and they travel together with her best friend to meet her birth mother. The novel is really the story of a young woman who is trying to find herself, as she makes her way through young adulthood, Learning to trust new relationships and how she fits into this world, learning to deal with expectations vs. reality as she integrates what she has learned from her birth mother and adoptive mother and how it all fits the giant puzzle of her life. I found myself drawn to Jess and rooting for her to propel herself forward in life and succeed. The irony at the end of the story was not lost on me, and left me wanting to know what her decision would be and how would her life develop. I really enjoyed reading this author’s novel.”
-Tracy Doerner, NetGalley
November 21, 2016
DAVID BULITT TO BE REGULAR TV PANELIST
David Bulitt will be a regular panelist on Zev Halpern’s “The Raw Marriage Show”.
The show, airing on MCCTV Channel 21 is thirty minutes of wide open insight, discussion and banter about love, sex and what helps makes marriages work. Halpern, a highly respected, frequently quoted and published relationship and couples counselor, moderates the monthly program.
Insightful, informative and always “raw”, Halpern’s show has been a local TV mainstay for over a year. Bulitt, a divorce lawyer and novelist, joins several Halpern and several other professionals, beginning with the November 30, 2016 episode, set to air on Montgomery County Cable Channel 21 at 10:30 pm that evening.
To contact David Bulitt or schedule an appearance, email him at db@davidbulitt.com
For more information about “The Raw Marriage Show”, email Halpern at zev@zevhalpern.com.
October 31, 2016
October 10, 2016
THE JOLIE-PITT BREAKUP: HOLLYWOOD POWER GIVES WAY TO HIGH PROFILE DIVORCE
The entertainment news has recently been dominated by the very high profile divorce of one of Hollywood’s power couples, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Although the couple was actually together for 12 years, they were only married for two. They have six children together and reports indicate since their marriage in 2014, the two have combined to earn in excess of $117 million, before taxes. Of that sum, Pitt himself earned over 76 million, while Jolie brought in “only” about half that amount.
While Pitt and Jolie are two very high net worth individuals and off the charts wage earners, the issues raised in their divorce are actually the not that different from others in the throes of breakup, whether A-list magazine cover movie stars or not. The fact of the matter is that the Jolie-Pitt divorce highlights conflicts and questions that bleed into many divorce cases, including that dastardly five-letter word and its much loathed purveyor – taxes and the Internal Revenue Service.
Impact of the Prenuptial Agreement:
Jolie and Pitt apparently executed a Prenuptial Agreement in advance of their marriage. Generally speaking, a “Prenup” is a contract between two people planning to marry. That contract, assuming it is enforceable (a discussion for another time) usually sets forth the parties’ respective rights in terms of an asset division, alimony and other obligations in the event that the two ultimately divorce.
Alimony:
While Jolie reportedly has a lower net worth than Pitt, she is not seeking alimony, or any kind of “spousal support” payments. It is possible that she waived her right to make a claim for alimony in the Prenup, but either way, however, if she was free to seek some kind of spousal support, Pitt may have been exposed to paying Jolie enough to cover the “reasonable” costs of maintaining the standard of living that she and Pitt enjoyed when they were an intact family.
Alimony or spousal support does have tax implications, as alimony is taxable to the recipient as ordinary income – which much be considered both when drafting a Prenup or, during divorce settlement discussions, absent such an agreement. A benefit to the payor is that alimony they must pay out is in fact deductible as an “above the line” deduction, meaning that it is available as a deduction even for those taxpayers who don’t itemize.
Division of Assets:
Most couples must decide how to divide up their assets – bank and securities accounts, retirement assets, and real estate as well as other valuables such as artwork, automobiles and jewelry. It is likely that much of this is provided for in the Jolie-Pitt Prenup. In fact, according to the news coverage, they will each leave the marriage with any assets they brought in, and any income earned during the marriage will be placed in a trust for their children. Without a Prenup, division of the assets can often be a point of contention for divorcing couples, and this does raise tax issues as they can lead to tax gift liability or taxable gain.
Tax status:
For most states, tax filing status is determined by marital status on the last day of the tax year. In the event that Pitt and Jolie are still married on December 31, 2016, they may elect to file separately or jointly, assuming of course, the Prenup does not dictate their respective filing status. Again, absent a specific provision fin the Prenup, Jolie, Pitt and their lawyers may well have discussions about when to obtain the divorce, their filing status as well as who claims the child tax credits in future years. It should also be noted that some Pitt and Jolie do have adopted children and some adoption expenses can be deducted on personal tax returns, but usually only in the year that the adoption is finalized.
Engagement ring:
Jolie’s engagement ring was reported to cost $250,000 in 2012. Most states have laws that allow the bride to keep the engagement ring – Jolie will be keeping hers.
Child support and Child Custody:
Child support and child custody presents one of the most significant tax concerns, as child-related tax breaks will be impacted depending on whether one parent has primary custody, or the custody is split evenly. Jolie is asking for physical custody of the six children. It has been reported that she will not ask for child support. However, for other couples where child support is applicable, it is tax neutral, meaning it is neither taxable nor deductible. It should also be noted, parenthetically, that a Prenup cannot generally dictate future custody and visitation arrangements.
The Houses:
Jolie and Pitt have many stunning properties around the world. Division of these properties is something that would likely be outlined in their Prenup. For tax purposes, if a married couple chooses to sell their property when divorcing, they are able to exclude $500,000 in home sale profit from taxable income. A single homeowner only gets half that tax-sheltered savings.
The Winery:
The couple also owns a winery together, which they reportedly purchased for $60 million. The Chateau Miraval estate in the south of France is a well-regarded wine maker, with four different wines on the market today. In the case of a jointly owned business, they could choose to sell in order to liquidate assets that were acquired during their relationship, or perhaps one party could buy out the other. Either way, there would likely be tax implications with the sale to an outside party or if one chooses to purchase the other’s share.
The Jolie Pitt divorce brings to light many of the complex and difficult issues that people deal with in divorce on a daily basis. While you may no longer get along, divorcing couples must make incredibly tough decisions regarding finances, property, and most importantly children. Many of these decisions could have long-term tax implications for one or both parties, so making these kinds of decisions with the help of experienced counsel and free of emotions is key to avoiding costly mistakes.
Family law specialist David Bulitt has been praised as the lawyer who “epitomizes stability and old fashioned common sense” by Bethesda Magazine His clients say that he is “the best non-shaving, motorcycle-riding, bourbon-drinking, non-lawyer, lawyer” they know.
Bulitt is the Assistant Managing Director of Joseph, Greenwald and Laake, PA, one of Maryland’s largest and most prominent suburban law firms. His practice focuses on all areas of family law, including cases that involve complex financial and property matters and property distribution, divorce, and child custody disputes.
For more than a decade, Bulitt has been selected as one of the DC Area’s “Top Divorce Lawyers” by both the Washingtonian Magazine and Bethesda Magazine. Additionally, he has been recognized as one the “Best Lawyers in America” and as one of Maryland’s and Washington, DC’s “Super Lawyers.”
The grandson of a New Jersey bartender, Bulitt was the first member of his family to get a professional degree. An aspiring fiction writer, Bulitt spends his spare time working on his novels. His first book, CARD GAME, was published in 2015 to a bevy of five star reviews. His new novel, BECAUSE I HAD TO, is due to be published by Roundfire Books in January 2017.
Contact him at: dbulitt@jgllaw.com
