Articles Tagged with marital settlement agreement

Your Guide to Spousal Support in California

Your Guide to Spousal Support in California

Divorce in California can be incredibly stressful and complicated, especially regarding the financial issues involved. The state upholds a strict community property statute that applies to property division, requiring divorcing spouses to evenly divide their marital assets, property, and debts. However, property division may not entirely resolve the financial issues present in a divorce. In some divorces, one spouse will need to pay spousal support, also known as alimony, to the other. Spousal support typically comes into play when one spouse is financially dependent on the other or unable to support themselves financially for other reasons.

If you plan to divorce in California, it’s natural to have concerns about your potential financial obligations to your soon-to-be ex-spouse. Whether you expect to pay or receive spousal support from your divorce, it’s vital to know how spousal support is determined, how long it lasts, and the conditions that would terminate an existing spousal support agreement.

Continue reading

4 Things You Should Never Do During Divorce

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

Divorce is never easy, even when spouses are relatively agreeable with one another and reach the mutual decision to end their marriage. There is almost always some emotional discontent in divorce proceedings, and it can be challenging for some spouses to make calculated practical decisions concerning their divorce. Unfortunately, the emotional stress of the divorce process causes some divorcing spouses to lose sight of their best interests. Many people in this position make critical errors that negatively impact their divorce proceedings and their futures beyond divorce.

Continue reading

What Will Happen to My Business in Divorce?

What Will Happen to My Business in Divorce?

Divorce can pose significant challenges for the next several years, even the rest of your life. It’s natural to have doubts and worries about how your divorce will unfold, and these concerns can be even more stressful for business owners. However, if you plan to end your marriage soon and own a business, several factors will determine whether your business must be divided between you and your spouse. You may have more options than you realize for effectively handling this situation, and an experienced attorney can help you approach divorce as a business owner with greater confidence.

Continue reading

The Divorce Process Timeline in California

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

If you have recently decided to end your marriage in California, you may feel completely overwhelmed. It’s natural to have lots of doubts and concerns when it comes to the difficult legal proceedings you face. Divorce is a time-consuming, multifaceted, and emotionally draining process that can take months or sometimes even years to complete. Even if you believe your divorce will be fairly straightforward, there are countless variables that might arise and complicate your case. Ultimately, it is very difficult to predict exactly how any divorce will proceed.

It’s understandable to want to have a predictable timetable for your divorce. Unfortunately, it’s very unlikely to be able to calculate how your divorce will unfold with complete accuracy. However, there are some things you should know to help you better understand the process. There are also a few options you may have that can speed up your divorce timetable if you’re willing to be flexible. It’s vital to not only understand the California statutes that will come into play in your divorce but also be aware of your options for streamlining the dissolution process.

Continue reading

Potential Benefits of Legal Separation vs. Divorce

Potential Benefits of Legal Separation vs. Divorce

If you and your spouse have been experiencing tension in your marriage, divorce could potentially arise as a possibility for your near future. However, it is vital that you do not make the decision to divorce lightly, nor should you rush into divorce proceedings in the face of marital problems. Divorce is a complex and stressful process. It is likely to pose significant changes to various aspects of your life for the foreseeable future. In some cases, couples need time and space to reevaluate their marriages before moving forward with divorce proceedings.

Legal separation can effectively provide some of the benefits that divorce can offer without the finality of divorce. While many people conflate legal separation and divorce, they are two very different family law procedures. In a divorce, the couple’s marriage contract is terminated, and the couple resolves many issues such as property division, child custody, and spousal support. In a legal separation case, the couple must also address many of the same issues and will ultimately end up with separate living arrangements, but they remain legally married.

Continue reading

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

Any divorce has the potential to escalate into a heated legal battle between the divorcing spouses. The emotional stress and tension that divorce can generate can easily encourage a divorcing spouse to feel as though they just need to get through the process as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the pressure to finalize a divorce as soon as possible can easily cause a spouse to overlook key details of their divorce, ultimately resulting in an imbalanced or materially unfair divorce order. This is especially true when a divorced spouse discovers important information after their divorce has been finalized that should have been considered during their divorce case.

In the event you discover any information that you believe should have been addressed during your divorce, you should prepare for modification proceedings. When new information would have changed the outcome of your divorce, it’s important to bring it to the court’s attention and have your divorce order modified accordingly. It’s also possible to face more serious legal proceedings if you discover that your ex engaged in serious misconduct. Modification proceedings can potentially allow for changes to child support, child custody, and alimony determinations.

Continue reading

Keeping Separate Property in a California Divorce

Keeping Separate Property in a California Divorce

California upholds a strict community property law for divorce, meaning that all of a married couple’s shared assets and debts must be divided evenly in divorce. However, California is a dual property state, meaning the court recognizes both separate property and marital property or community property. “Separate” property is anything that belongs solely to one of the divorcing spouses, while community property is everything subject to division. While you might think this is a straightforward distinction, many divorcing spouses encounter disputes when it comes to their separate property ownership rights.

If you are preparing to divorce in California, property division is likely to be one of the most contentious aspects of the entire process. You may believe that you can easily identify your separate property and shield it from division. However, many people in this position discover that their separate property is not entirely immune from division in divorce. An experienced California divorce lawyer can help you complete your financial disclosure and establish separate property ownership rights, but it’s wise to know what your property division proceedings are likely to entail before you begin divorce proceedings.

Continue reading

California’s Community Property Law in Divorce Mediation

California’s Community Property Law in Divorce MediationDivorce is a notoriously arduous process for many reasons, one of the most commonly cited being property division. Unfortunately, California is one of the few states that upholds a community property statute, one that many people find to be too rigid and imbalanced when it comes to determining a fair distribution of marital property in a divorce. However, while the community property law of California may seem overbearing at first, it is actually more flexible than many people realize, and many California divorce agreements do not end with a completely equal division of marital assets and debts.

If you plan to end your marriage in California soon, it is essential to understand the state’s community property law and how it is likely to come into play in your divorce. This law essentially states that all assets and debts acquired during a marriage are the equal property of both spouses. However, the actual legal process of property division in California requires a close examination of various aspects of each asset and every debt involved in a divorce.

Continue reading

Divorce Mediation Vs. Litigation

Divorce Mediation Vs. Litigation

The divorce process is never an easy experience, even for couples who have reached completely mutual decisions to divorce without any second thoughts. The formal steps required to end a marriage in the California family court system are more stressful and time-consuming than many people realize, and it’s vital to approach this situation armed with valuable information that will help you make informed decisions about your options. One of the most vital considerations you must make is how you should go about handling your divorce. You don’t necessarily need to prepare for a difficult court battle; alternative dispute resolution can potentially offer a more streamlined, less stressful, and ultimately less expensive divorce.

Alternative dispute resolution allows a divorcing couple to avoid the typical stress, expense, and time commitment divorce usually entails. Divorce mediation has quickly become the most popular form of alternative dispute resolution for divorcing couples throughout California, and it’s essential to consider the potential benefits this process may hold for you in your situation. It’s also necessary to understand what the divorce litigation process involves and how mediation can help you avoid much of the litigation divorce usually entails.

Continue reading

Important Steps to Take Before Filing Your Divorce Petition in California

Important Steps to Take Before Filing Your Divorce Petition in California

The decision to end your marriage is likely to be one of the most impactful decisions you ever make, and it is not one you should make lightly. While it’s vital to take the appropriate time to consider your decision and its potential effects very carefully, it is equally important to consider the potential drawbacks of ending your marriage and the steps required for completing the process.

Many Americans have preconceived notions about divorce that do not entirely align with reality, and many others encounter unforeseen issues with their divorce cases they did not expect and did not know how to handle. Therefore, before you file a divorce petition, consider the following so you can approach this demanding situation with greater confidence.

Continue reading

Contact Information