If you are married, one of the most important things to discuss with your spouse is how the two of you will handle your estate. It can be a difficult conversation, but sitting down with an estate planning lawyer and working out a solid plan will give you peace of mind and the knowledge that […]
For many couples, divorcing is even more complicated than they anticipated. Assets and bills must be divided, financial agreements put in place, and in many cases, custody arrangements reached. All of these critical issues can take time to resolve, particularly if there are matters in contention. However, if you need a quick divorce, and your […]
Every parent has a legal obligation to support their children. If you are not married, or get divorced or separated, you may be required to pay a certain amount of your income in child support to the custodial parent. Child support payments are based on each parent’s income, time spent with the child, the number […]
After a divorce, it is not uncommon to want to start your new life as soon as possible. If this involves a relocation and there are children involved, you will want to carefully consider how it may impact their lives. Will they feel like they are being uprooted from life as they know it? What […]
As a child or spouse, you have certain rights when it comes to inheritance of the property or assets of a parent. For any number of reasons, a testator (author of the will) may attempt to disinherit a child or spouse by omitting them from a will or trust. Common reasons include: lack of any […]
The family law system has traditionally favored mothers, sometimes leaving fathers disconnected from the program, and their children. Though this aspect has changed drastically over the last couple of decades, there are still plenty of improvements to be made. Establishing Paternity The first challenge, particularly for unwed fathers, is establishing paternity. A mother who is […]
Congratulations! Marriage is a very exciting time at any age and something that should be both celebrated and protected. The best way to protect your marriage might surprise you: with a comprehensive estate plan. That’s right, LGBT or straight, first marriage or fifth — your estate plan should be as important to you as getting […]
The courts no longer favor the mother over the father in child custody matters but in many cases and for whatever reasons, the mother does retain primary child custody. In these matters, the father will typically have to pay child support based on state guidelines. If this is your situation, it does not mean that […]
There are generally two legislatively mandated methods in the US in which property is divided in a divorce matter: community property and equitable distribution. California is one of the handful of states that uses community property whereby that property which was acquired or accumulated during the marriage and before the date of separation is divided […]
In California, there are three ways to effectively end a marriage or domestic partnership; divorce, legal separation or annulment. Some would be considered a quick divorce, and some options are so restrictive few couples qualify. Here is a guide to the divorce options in California. Annulment Annulment is a legal declaration by the court that […]
