In California, there is a presumption that, in general, a mother and father (or domestic partners) can work together to raise a child jointly, even after they no longer live in the same household. This is referred to as “joint legal custody.” It involves collaborating on decisions that directly affect the health, welfare, education, and […]
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In California, “community property” is defined as the marital interest in an asset or debt that was obtained or incurred between the date of marriage/registration of a domestic partnership and the date of separation. When I initially sit down with a client who’s going through a divorce or dissolution of domestic partnership, I start by […]
In general, “child custody” refers to all the important decisions regarding the raising of a child, including his or her health, education, and welfare. Custody is basically divided into two parts: (a) legal custody (the decision-making part) and (b) physical custody, as in who is responsible for the child’s physical well-being. Unless the parents share […]
If the time comes to meet with an attorney, it’s in your own best interest to come as prepared as possible. Being prepared saves time and money. Why? The more time an attorney needs to become familiar with your legal issue, the more expensive it is for you. Frequently, I’ll ask a client for bank […]
If you and your spouse face impending separation or divorce, there are important legal and emotional factors to consider. Whether you intend to hire a lawyer to represent you in Family Court or you wish to represent yourself, here are several things to keep in mind: Put a game plan together. The legal process of […]
Many issues arise in the course of a divorce proceeding but some of the most common (and most commonly misunderstood) relate to a couple’s marital residence. Who will live in the house while the legal action is pending? Can both spouses continue to reside there? Should they? Who’s responsible for maintaining the property (including general […]
Sometimes it seems that issues around child custody are needlessly complicated to understand. So when a parent who shares custody of a child wishes to travel internationally, he or she should be aware of the additional legal ramifications of taking that child out of the U.S. In one respect, things are fairly straightforward, at least […]
By its very nature, a divorce proceeding is an adversarial event. But adversarial doesn’t have to be the same thing as bitter or filled with antagonism. With the high cost of litigation—not to mention the potentially devastating emotional damage on spouses, partners, and their families—it makes sense for the parties involved to try and step […]
At some point in our lives, many of us will need to create an estate plan to manage our assets—including property, financial holdings, personal belongings—not just for our lifetimes, but for our loved ones after we’re gone. For the most part, there are three types of trust you may want to consider in your estate […]
With the holiday season upon us, people often find themselves in a financial crunch, (buying gifts, hosting visiting family members, etc…). The burden of these additional holiday expenses can be especially challenging if you’re either paying spousal,/partner support or even receiving such payments yourself. That’s why it’s not unusual at this time of year for […]