Practices

What are good grounds for divorce? Once you have established that you meet the requirements to file for a divorce you may officially begin the process.      

Visitation Sometimes a court will determine that the child should reside primarily with one parent. In that case the other parent will have visitation rights. The visitation rights can be either very general and vague or very specific and rigid. Again, visitation is determined on a case-by-case basis. The court will take into account the circumstances surrounding the case. Child Support It is important for you to know that child support is determined using both you and your spouse’s gross income. Visitation time/percentages and certain monthly expenses are taken into consideration in determining the amount of child support awarded. Such expenses include: monthly child care expenses, mortgage and property payments... Read More

It is important for you to know that child support is determined using both you and your spouse’s gross income. Visitation time/percentages and certain monthly expenses are taken into consideration in determining the amount of child support awarded. Such expenses include: monthly child care expenses, mortgage and property payments and other special expenses. Child support will be awarded for each child that is under 18 years old, or where the child still lives at home and has not yet graduated from high school, child support will be awarded until the child graduates from high school or until he/she turns 19 years old, whichever occurs first.  

Many people think that spousal support is always awarded and always is granted to the wife. However, spousal support may be awarded where it is shown that one spouse needs support and that the other spouse has the ability to pay that support. This means that the wife could be paying support to the husband or the other way around. It can also mean that spousal support is not awarded at all. The court will look at the specific facts and determine if one of the parties needs to pay support to the other party. It is important to provide to the court relevant information that goes to establish why... Read More

Restraining Orders are a very serious matter that deserves your immediate attention. If a person, generally a spouse or partner, asks the court to issue a restraining order against you because of alleged domestic violence or other domestic conflict, you are entitled to be notified of the request. You are also entitled to have a court hearing and to defend yourself.  

Parents regularly relocate during or after a divorce. This is often a highly contentious situation, raising two questions: whether the parent is allowed to move away and how the custody arrangements should be amended to reflect the change in circumstances. We understand both the law and the sensitive realities of these disputes. We represent parents on both sides of custody relocation, in contested proceedings and in negotiated agreements, providing honest counsel, practical suggestions, and zealous advocacy.

The LGBT community has been at the center of a sea change within family law, with marriage equality and increased legal recognition of their families. As the law has evolved, we have dedicated part of our practice to helping LGBT individuals, couples and families make sense of a complex, often confusing legal landscape. With recent development after the Supreme Court decision affording marriage equality to LGBT couples, LGBT families will need experienced legal guidance more than ever. I am dedicated to helping individuals navigate this new legal terrain. We take pride in serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (“LGBT”) community. If you are facing a family law issue, such... Read More

Community Property California is a community property state. So what exactly does this mean? This means that all assets and liabilities (debt) accrued throughout the duration of the marriage must be divided equally. This does not mean that each asset must be divided in half or sold and the proceeds divided. It does mean that the assets and debts will be set out on a balance sheet and that each spouse will receive one half of the net worth of the community property. What about Separate Property? Separate property is that which was owned by either one of the spouses before the marriage, property that was acquired during the marriage... Read More

Our office provides adoption services to adoptive parents and birthparents. Our role is to provide you with sound legal advice and information in order to realize your adoption plan. We will make ourselves available to personally coach you through the adoption process. Our priority is to get you to a safe adoption that is right for everyone involved. Below you will find information regarding the different areas of adoption where we can use our experience to help you: Newborn Adoption and Independent Adoption  Relative Adoption  Step-parent Adoption  Domestic Partner Adoption  Second-Parent Adoption  Adult Adoption

Premarital agreements (also called prenuptial agreements or “prenups”) are not just for celebrities. If you are planning your wedding, should you also plan on a prenuptial agreement? Prenuptial agreements establish the property and financial rights of each spouse in the event of a divorce. Obviously, you are not thinking about a divorce as you are planning your dream wedding, but unfortunately, about one half of all marriage in the United States end up in divorce. If you are bringing personal or business assets to the marriage, you can definitely benefit from a prenuptial agreement. The agreement is simply a contract between the parties. The document lists an inventory or pre-marriage assets... Read More