When you finalize your child support agreement in California, you might think the monthly payment covers everything your child needs. Many parents focus on the monthly child support amount after a divorce, but that number doesn't cover everything. California law...
Birdnesting (or nesting) is an increasingly popular yet unconventional approach to custody arrangements. Many co-parents in California consider it as an option to minimize disruption in their children’s lives. If this sounds attractive to you, take a moment to...
It is worrisome to think that ending your marriage can mean entering a bitter courtroom battle. Fortunately, you do not need to face a hostile legal system to separate from your spouse. A new California law allows you and your spouse to file a joint petition for...
Anyone who's going through a divorce likely knows that there are various areas that can be challenging to work through. One of these is dividing property. This process often becomes more complex in higher-asset situations. In California, high-asset property division...
A child support order in California often involves more than one monthly payment. Courts can require parents to share certain costs on top of the base amount, and those added costs can affect the final support amount for both parents. Costs a court excludes from base...
Divorce is already an emotional rollercoaster, but discovering that your spouse might be hiding assets adds a layer of betrayal that is hard to shake. After building a life together, the thought of being misled during such a vulnerable time can be painful. However,...
Property division affects where you live, what debt you carry and how you retire. When you understand how California handles marital property, you can better predict what may happen in your divorce. How California divides property California uses community property...
Protective orders often enter someone’s life during moments of fear, conflict or urgency. Whether you requested the order or is subject to it, the rules can feel confusing. Many people think enforcement only matters if a serious incident happens. In reality, small...
If you are a parent or expectant parent in California, understanding paternity is important. Legal parentage (or paternity) determines who the law recognizes as your child’s parent. It affects your rights, responsibilities and decisions about your child’s care and...
Many spouses who are thinking about divorce have questions about the process. They also worry about how to protect their money and property. If parties have built a large marital estate, including a home, savings, investments and personal items, dividing what spouses...