The QDRO Process From Start to Finish By Sandra McCarthy|April 24th, 2020|Family Law| What is a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO), and how do you know if you need one? If you need to divide property in a retirement or pension plan after a divorce, you will need a QDRO. Read on to learn more about the QDRO process from start to finish, and how A People's Choice can help. Read More 112
Online QDRO Preparation – What You Need to Know By Sandra McCarthy|November 3rd, 2019|Family Law| Don't settle for just any online QDRO preparation service. Did you know that most online QDRO services only prepare the forms? In other words, they do not provide the additional services you will require to actually complete the QDRO process. Remember, the actual division of the retirement account is only complete once a QDRO has been prepared, pre-approved by the Plan Administrator, signed by the parties, signed by the Judge, filed in the court case and a certified copy provided to the Plan. Read More Comments Off on Online QDRO Preparation – What You Need to Know
How to File a QDRO After Divorce By Sandra McCarthy|March 30th, 2018|Divorce, Family Law| It is not necessary to divide all retirements plans in a divorce. However, if the court has ordered the division of a retirement account, or the parties have agreed to divide one or more retirement account, it will be necessary to file a QDRO after divorce. Here are the steps on how to file a QDRO after divorce. Read More 19
Gilmore Rights and Your California QDRO By Sandra McCarthy|March 31st, 2017|Family Law| Gilmore rights allow a divorcing spouse to receive a share of community interest held in their spouse’s pension plan. Specifically, this means the spouse can choose to receive these benefits before the participant actually retires. Benefits become eligible at the earliest date in which the employee spouse would be eligible to retire. To enforce your [...] Read More 2
QDRO Wording, Terms and Definitions By Sandra McCarthy|April 15th, 2016|Family Law| Words… there are many in the English language. Add a layer of “legalese” in the mix and often reading and understanding legal documents seems like you are reading a foreign language. This list of QDRO wording, terms and definitions will help you understand common terms used in QDRO matters. What is a QDRO? The acronym [...] Read More Comments Off on QDRO Wording, Terms and Definitions
QDROs By Sandra McCarthy|April 16th, 2014| Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDROs) A QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) is a special type of court order that allows the division of retirement plan benefits between parties in a dissolution or legal separation. A QDRO (pronounced “quad row”) is a specific type of order that recognizes the right of an “alternate payee” [...] Read More 0
What Is My Wife Entitled to in a Divorce in California? By Sandra McCarthy|August 17th, 2022|California Courts, Divorce, Family Law| If you're thinking about (or are in the process of) divorcing your wife in California, you know navigating a divorce can be a demanding and perplexing time in your life. Establishing who obtains what assets and child support go to whom is stressful, to say the least, but recognizing what you are entitled to [...] Read More 0
What You Should Know about Mental Incapacity Divorce in California By Sandra McCarthy|April 11th, 2022|California Courts, Divorce, Family Law| Divorce isn’t easy. You have to agree on difficult topics like custody of children and division of property, all while dealing with painful emotions. A mental incapacity divorce in California complicates things even further. It's not enough to show that your spouse acts erratically or irrationally; they have to fit very specific criteria for [...] Read More 2
Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate: What’s the Difference? By Sandra McCarthy|November 1st, 2021|Divorce| No one really likes paperwork, but it's part of a lot of the important processes of life. This includes divorce. Once you make up your mind to file for divorce, you’ll encounter different types of documents before, during, and after the completion of the divorce process. Arguably the most important of such documents is [...] Read More 0
Everything About Uncontested Divorce California Wants You to Know By Sandra McCarthy|July 19th, 2021|Divorce| If you’re looking for a divorce in California, it usually goes one of two ways: contested divorce or uncontested divorce. If you’re getting an uncontested divorce California can process it fairly quickly. A contested divorce, on the other hand, can take a long time to move through the system. So, what’s the difference? A [...] Read More 0
8 Steps to Divorce in California [2022] By Sandra McCarthy|June 28th, 2021|Divorce| Filing for divorce in California needs some due diligence and proper planning. To ensure you follow the right steps to divorce in the Golden State, you need to know what the applicable law (divorce law). The divorce process entails some legal procedures (steps) that lead to a default judgment. As a divorcing spouse, you [...] Read More 0
What Is A California Legal Document Assistant? By Sandra McCarthy|February 7th, 2021| California Legal Document Assistant vs. Paralegal What is a Legal Document Assistant (LDA)? On September 30, 1998 former Governor Pete Wilson signed California State Senate Bill SB1761, regulating the legal document preparation profession in the State of California, and creating a new formal title, Legal Document Assistant. Today, the legal document assistant profession [...] Read More 0
“Real Housewives” Star Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi: A Case Study in Divorce Asset Division By Sandra McCarthy|January 23rd, 2021|Divorce| Erika Jayne, a star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, stunned her fans on November 3, 2020, by announcing the end of her 21-year marriage to attorney Tom Girardi, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Jayne made the announcement as news of a barrage of lawsuits filed against Girardi and his law firm, Girardi Keese, [...] Read More Comments Off on “Real Housewives” Star Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi: A Case Study in Divorce Asset Division
Helpful Tips and Information about California Divorce Forms By Sandra McCarthy|December 20th, 2020|Divorce, Family Law| Anyone starting a marital dissolution in the state of California should expect to complete anywhere from 10-20 documents during the divorce process. Luckily, at A People's Choice, we provide our clients with a full set of forms and walk them through each one. Looking for help with California divorce forms? Contact A People's Choice today! Read More Comments Off on Helpful Tips and Information about California Divorce Forms
How the Court Calculates What You Get In a California Divorce By Sandra McCarthy|September 20th, 2020|Divorce| If you are involved in an uncontested divorce, you may not know what to expect when it comes to dividing property. Plus, it can be hard to understand exactly how the court will determine monetary amounts for child and spousal support. Therefore, we've outlined in this article exactly how the court will calculate what you get in a California divorce. Read on to learn more. Read More Comments Off on How the Court Calculates What You Get In a California Divorce
Involved in a California Divorce? Here’s What You Should Know By Sandra McCarthy|September 13th, 2020|Divorce, Family Law| For those in the process of or considering getting divorced, one of the major questions you'll face is what assets you'll be entitled to. Between shared property, pension plans, and even debt, your portion may or may not be what you had in mind. Read More 64
A People’s Choice’s Ventura County Legal Document Services Can Help You Save Money! By Sandra McCarthy|August 19th, 2020|Personal, California Courts| Unfortunately, some clients discover our services only after spending countless hours in court and unnecessary funds on attorneys fees. Therefore, we always recommend extensively researching your options for legal assistance BEFORE hiring a lawyer. In fact, many routine legal matters can be handled on your own with some help from a legal document assistant! We can help you complete and file required paperwork for matters in which you're representing yourself with the California court system. Call today for more information! Read More 2
What Is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order? By Sandra McCarthy|August 9th, 2020|Family Law| Diving property during a divorce is overwhelming; as a result, many couples forget about their retirement savings! In fact, a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) ensures that a portion of one spouse's retirement benefits are transferred to the other spouse upon divorce. However, there are certain legal requirements and regulations that limit QDROs. Read on to learn more. Read More 5
What is Community Property in California? By Sandra McCarthy|June 14th, 2020|Divorce| Fear of the financial hardships brought on by divorce is one of the factors that makes people stay in unhappy marriages until they become certain that divorce is the only option. Every couple that gets a divorce must divide their community property, and not all states have the same rules about how to divide a couple’s property in a divorce. California is a community property state, which means that each spouse gets an equal share of the net value of the couple’s community property in California. You do not need a lawyer to fight for your fair share of the community property in California. By law, you are already entitled to half of it. Therefore, unless you and your spouse cannot reach an agreement about some other issue, such as child custody, there is a good chance that you can finish your divorce without a lawyer. All you need is a registered legal document assistant to prepare your divorce documents. Read More Comments Off on What is Community Property in California?
How To Collect Child Support Arrears By Sandra McCarthy|May 27th, 2020|Family Law| Collecting child support arrears, or child support owed to you, is often a complicated and lengthy process. Thankfully, you have several options available to help you. For example, the Department of Child Support Services is available in the state of California. However, for a faster option, consider working with a registered legal document assistant like A People's Choice. Read More 8