How to Get a Copy of a Will If you are involved in a loved one’s estate, you may be wondering how you can get a copy of their will. If your loved one is still living, it may be difficult to get a copy of their will unless they willingly provide it to you. This is because the will is considered personal [...] By Sandra McCarthy|May 10th, 2016|Estate Planning|Comments Off on How to Get a Copy of a Will Read More
How to Finish a Divorce in California The are several legal documents you must file to finish your divorce in California. The legal documents you will have to complete in the California divorce process will depend on whether or not your spouse filed a response to the Petition. Unfortunately there are many forms and the process gets very complicated when dealing with [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 27th, 2016|Family Law|3 Comments Read More
Custody Terms in California and What They Mean Understanding custody terms commonly used in California and what they mean can be somewhat confusing. From filing for joint legal and physical custody of your child, to creating a visitation schedule in the event a sole custody order is granted, A People’s Choice can walk you through the steps of obtaining a custody and visitation [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 26th, 2016|Family Law|Comments Off on Custody Terms in California and What They Mean Read More
Dissolving a Nonprofit – What You Need to Know Dissolving a nonprofit in California involves several steps. From obtaining approval to dissolve the nonprofit, to filing all required legal documents with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, winding up a nonprofit can be a tedious task. Read on to learn more about what you need to know when dissolving a nonprofit in [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 19th, 2016|Business|Comments Off on Dissolving a Nonprofit – What You Need to Know Read More
Terminating Parental Rights in California For various reasons, there may come a time when a parent’s rights are terminated under California law. What this means is that the parent is no longer considered the minor child’s legal parent, and all rights and obligations of being a parent end. The issue of terminating parental rights in California often comes up [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 17th, 2016|Family Law|138 Comments Read More
Common Law Marriage In California? Here are the Facts (and Myths) Are you an unmarried couple in California seeking to coexist without a formal marriage? Or maybe you moved into California recently from a state that recognizes common law marriage, and you’re wondering if you will still enjoy the same rights and responsibilities of common law marriage in California. Common law marriage in California ended [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 17th, 2016|Estate Planning|22 Comments Read More
The Importance of a Promissory Note When Loaning Money Have you ever heard the expression, “never loan money to family or a friend”? Loaning money to a friend or family member can create a sensitive situation and has broken many friendships as well as created family rifts. A person who loans money to someone else wants to make sure that the money they loan [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 17th, 2016|California Courts|8 Comments Read More
How to Serve By Publication in California Divorce In California, serving the respondent in a divorce can be challenging. Under certain circumstances, you can petition the court for permission to serve the respondent with divorce papers ”by publication” or “by posting.” “Service by publication” means the court Summons and other required documentation is published in a local newspaper of general circulation. Read on [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 15th, 2016|Family Law|Comments Off on How to Serve By Publication in California Divorce Read More
QDRO Wording, Terms and Definitions 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 [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 15th, 2016|Family Law|Comments Off on QDRO Wording, Terms and Definitions Read More
Hiring an Attorney – The Pros and Cons Are you considering hiring an attorney to handle your legal matter? Read on to learn the pros and cons of hiring an attorney in California for various legal matters. The Pros of Hiring an Attorney in California Preparing California legal documents can sometimes be a complex undertaking. Incorrectly completing a document can result in a [...] By Sandra McCarthy|April 5th, 2016|California Courts|Comments Off on Hiring an Attorney – The Pros and Cons Read More