The Legal Process for the Division of Marital Property: Identification, Characterization, and Valuation The division of property in a divorce case can be a very contentious issue—and for good reason. People feel pride and ownership in the things they have worked hard to attain over the course of a marriage.…
What Are Grounds for Annulment in California? In California, divorces and annulments serve the same general purpose—to legally terminate a marriage between two parties. However, the two tools function in vastly different ways. While an annulment is a legal declaration that a marriage never existed, it is different from a…
What Happens When a Parent Violates a Custody Agreement in California? When divorced or unmarried parents have a child custody agreement in California, both of them need to abide by the terms of the agreement to the letter. While life is unpredictable, and a parent may have an emergency or…
When Is it Appropriate to File Contempt Proceedings in California Family Court? If you recently completed divorce proceedings in California, or if you and your co-parent have recently completed a child custody determination, reaching these milestones does not necessarily mean that your time in the family court system is entirely…
What Happens If Divorce Mediation Doesn’t Work? Divorce mediation has become the preferred method of handling the divorce process in California and throughout the United States. Unlike litigation, which is very formal, daunting, and stressful, mediation provides a divorcing couple the opportunity to privately negotiate the terms of their divorce…
Legal Separation as a Precursor to Divorce in California Many people mistakenly believe that legal separation is essentially the same as divorce, but this is inaccurate. Legal separation is an alternative to divorce that can potentially serve as a springboard to a formal divorce in the future, but it is…
Can You Sell Your House During a Divorce? When a couple decides to divorce in California, their house is often the most important asset to distribute in the settlement. Spouses often wonder if they can stay in the house, whether they can retain ownership, or if they should sell. It…
Know What to Do if Your Spouse Is Lying During Your Divorce Experiencing a divorce is one of the most stressful situations many people will face in life. As a result, the divorce process is often a time in which individuals may exhibit behaviors that are not typical for them.…
Making a Change in Divorce Judgements Due to a Change of Circumstances Life can change in an instant, and individuals who are divorced are not immune. In fact, divorced people frequently experience changes in their life circumstances that may necessitate changes in terms of their divorce regarding spousal support, child…
Understanding Child Support in California When a couple with children goes through a divorce, one of the most important decisions included in the final terms is the amount one parent will pay the other for child support. Unfortunately, however, it is increasingly rare for both parents to be happy with…