As a family law attorney, I do see the effects of untreated mental health conditions. This is a good reminder that mental health is just as important as physical health. Mental health struggles don’t just impact the individual, it can affect the whole family and society. Mental health can affect family law, criminal law, and […]
In looking for legal representation, you generally have two options: either an attorney who specializes in one area of the law or a general practitioner. With a specialized attorney, you may get more expertise on the subject but with a general practitioner, such as the Law Offices of Ian S. Topf, APC, you can get […]
In this segment, we will discuss how debt in one spouse’s name is generally presumed by the public to be the sole and separate obligation of that spouse and how that presumption is often wrong. In assessing whether a debt obligation in one spouse’s name is truly just the responsibility of that spouse, we first […]
Shocking News Flash: A breakdown of one’s marriage and debt usually go hand in hand. Money issues can lead to separation and separation between married people can lead to substantial debt issues. Debt does not go away when a couple separates; it merely sits in wait, ready to pounce as the next woe to be […]
Wedding season is coming around the corner and more couples are contemplating a pre-marital agreement (commonly called a “Prenup”), especially those marrying later in life and millennials (with their parents in their ears). In the old days, prenups were for the wealthy. Nowadays, with the divorce rates constantly on the rise and the corresponding expense […]
Many people come to my office determined to get an annulment to their marriage/domestic partnership because they’ve heard it’s simpler than getting a dissolution of marriage/partnership. In some cases, this is true, but an annulment is only possible under certain circumstances and there must be sufficient grounds for taking this action. First, let’s get the […]
We all know or should know, that anything we post or upload online can be a risky proposition. Embarrassing celebrity videos or compromising text messages are in the news all the time. Don’t we all think to ourselves, “How could they be so stupid as to let that happen? I would never make that kind […]
Divorce triggers a lot of strong feelings so it’s natural for each side to have negative emotions and the desire to express them. But as a family law attorney with extensive experience in this area, I strongly urge my clients not to express those feelings in the home setting. Kids are “sponges” As a parent […]
Clients often ask me what they can do when an ex-spouse or former domestic partner violates or ignores a Family Court order regarding child support, visitation rights, restraining orders, etc. If such a violation occurs, they ask, shouldn’t the offending party be subject to a contempt of court action? In California, most contempt of court […]
In any dissolution of a marriage or domestic partnership, one critical issue of fact is the date of separation. Generally, “date of separation” is defined as the time when the people involved actually separate—either physically (one party moves out of the common residence) or subjectively (when one party feels the marriage is truly over or […]