Filing an emergency custody motion, also known as an ex parte motion, is common in family law cases. An emergency custody motion can help California residents get immediate legal relief regarding custody issues in divorce, legal separation and paternity cases. California Family Law Code section 3064 outlines the requirement of an emergency custody motion. [...]

Negotiating a divorce settlement is overly complicated at times. Couples tend to let emotions cloud their judgment and often end up unhappy with the results. Below are divorce settlement strategies you should consider using during negotiations with your spouse. Read on to learn more. Divorce Settlement Strategies For Spousal Support Negotiating spousal support is not always [...]

Discovery is a great legal tool to use to find hidden assets in a divorce case. It should be noted, it is not uncommon for some spouses to hide assets before or during a divorce. In this regard, discovery in divorce can help you find these hidden assets that may be part of the community [...]

Establishing paternity is a major psychological and economical factor that affects a child’s life.  For a child born to a married couple, that child is considered legitimate under California law. However, if a mother is unmarried, the person named as the child's father on a birth certificate does not, in fact, legally establish paternity. Furthermore,  [...]

Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a psychological condition often seen in children that have been traumatized by high conflict divorce. One of the main signs seen in children that are experiencing PAS is an unfounded hatred toward a parent for no logical reason. This article is an overview on how to identify and deal with [...]

What do you do when you and your spouse "think" you have been married for over 30 years and then unexpectedly discover that your marriage certificate was never officially filed with the Court Clerk? Well, this is exactly what happened recently to clients of ours. Our clients, whom we will call Sam and Betty,  had [...]

When a person files for divorce, spousal support (alimony) can be awarded by the to one party based on economic need or a marital settlement agreement. In essence, the purpose of spousal support is to make sure the lower-wage earning spouse or the non-wage earning spouse is fairly compensated upon the dissolution of marriage. Spousal [...]

The California Public Employees Retirement System (CALPERS) provides lifetime monetary benefits to employees and their spouses. If you have filed for divorce, you may be wondering how you or your spouse’s CALPERS pension may be affected. Depending on your marital settlement agreement, you may receive up to half of your spouse's CALPERS retirement. Below is [...]