Divorcing parents understandably worry how the end of their marriage will affect their children. The parents will no longer be living together, the children will have to adjust to a new visitation schedule, there is the possibility of changing schools, and all the stress of a world turned asunder. It…
There is a saying by Benjamin Franklin that the only two things that are inevitable in this world are “death and taxes.” I don’t know if this saying is clever or morbid, but it is very true. In a family law context death does not come up often, but when…
This past September, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (“AAML”) released a new publication addressing the division of parenting time for families going through divorce or separation. The publication, titled Child Centered Residential Guidelines (“AAML Guidelines”), is the product of an AAML committee formed to look for developmentally and psychologically…
Since Lamar Odom has found himself in the hospital following a drug and alcohol related incident on October 13, news of him and the related Kardashian clan has been spattered everywhere (yes, we didn’t think it was possible, but we are hearing even more about them than we do under…
There are two types of support in Family Law cases in California. There is child support, which refers to support intended to assist in providing for the needs of the children involved in the case. Then there is spousal support, sometimes called “Alimony” (The two terms are interchangeable) which is…
It is often said that when one marries his or her spouse, he or she is also “marrying their debt.” Is that how it works in California, too? It depends. Family Code section 910 provides the following: “(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided by statute, the community estate is liable…
If you are considering a divorce or are already involved in the divorce process, you have likely done some research and been left scratching your head in bewilderment. Divorce is so common these days that you may assume it’s easy to do. Unfortunately, however, it’s not the most “user friendly”…
It’s no secret that divorces can get expensive. The divorce between Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt exceeded $20,000,000 in fees! There are three fairly simple steps that every single person can take before and during marriage to make any potential divorce less expensive. 1.Keep your separate money separate. One…
Janus Friis, the co-founder of Skype, gave his Danish pop star girlfriend Aura Dione (real name Maria Louise Joenson) a $471,942 engagement ring when he popped the question in July of 2013. Among the platinum ring’s many diamonds are a 1.76 carat center diamond, two pear-shaped blue diamonds weighing in…
In my last blog I talked about how a custody evaluation is ordered, what it costs, and how long it takes. If you have not read that blog, it may be helpful to go back and take a look before you continue. If you prefer to get right into the…