What is the Adoption Process in California? By Sandra McCarthy|April 25th, 2020|Adoption| Adoption legally establishes a parent-child relationship between two people who are at least 10 years apart in age. Adoptive parents have a legal responsibility to support their adopted children financially and provide care for them until they reach adulthood. Adopted children have the right to inherit from their adoptive parents even if the parents do not leave a will. For this reason, California law makes it possible to adopt a child or an adult. With this in mind, you are probably searching for more information about the adoption process in California. Here's what you need to know. Read More Comments Off on What is the Adoption Process in California?
What Happens at a Probate Court Hearing and What is the Best Way to Represent Yourself? By Sandra McCarthy|April 24th, 2020|Probate| Want to represent yourself in probate court in California? Learn how to represent yourself in probate court without a lawyer. Plus, learn how A People's Choice can prepare all necessary paperwork so the estate can avoid paying statutory fees. Contact us today for more information. Read More 8
How to Adopt an Adult in California By Sandra McCarthy|April 23rd, 2020|Adoption| In California, adult adoption is a legal procedure in which an older adult adopts a younger adult to create a legal parent-child relationship. Older adults may be inspired to pursue adult adoption for a plethora of reasons. For example, some people use adult adoption to help deal with complicated estate planning issues. Others may solidify [...] Read More 25
California Divorce Checklist By Sandra McCarthy|April 13th, 2020|Divorce, Family Law| Filing for divorce can be a very stressful process. To help out, we've created a California divorce checklist to alleviate some pressure and help ensure you complete all necessary steps prior to filing divorce. Check it out now! Read More 3
LegalZoom vs. Nolo vs. Rocket Lawyer & A People’s Choice – Compare Legal Document Services By Sandra McCarthy|March 28th, 2020|California Courts| If you're looking for a legal document preparation service, a simple Google search will present a plethora of a results - but how can you know which service is best? In this post we'll compare LegalZoom, Nolo, and Rocket Lawyer, three of the most popular legal document services, and also alert you of some of their dangers. Read on to learn more! Read More Comments Off on LegalZoom vs. Nolo vs. Rocket Lawyer & A People’s Choice – Compare Legal Document Services
What is a Criminal Certificate of Rehabilitation? By Sandra McCarthy|August 18th, 2019|California Courts| Sometimes it feels like the punishment for a criminal conviction does not end when you finish probation or get out of prison. When you have a criminal record, it can be hard to get prospective employers to give you a chance. People treat you like a criminal when all you want is to earn an honest living. Lawmakers have become aware of the challenges faced by people with criminal records and have begun to offer some options to help protect their rights. In California, one of these options is a certificate of rehabilitation (COR). A registered legal document assistant can help you apply for one and move on from your criminal conviction. Read More Comments Off on What is a Criminal Certificate of Rehabilitation?
What is a Joinder? By Sandra McCarthy|July 6th, 2019|California Courts, Family Law| Legal proceedings can be a complicated process. Sometimes, unexpected people and parties have an interest in the legal process. When this is the case, you must add them to the legal proceedings before you can fully resolve the case. You will use a joinder to do this. So what is a Joinder, and how does it affect a legal matter? Read More Comments Off on What is a Joinder?
Serving Legal Documents With No Address By Sandra McCarthy|July 6th, 2019|California Courts| A court will not hear a case until the defendant or the opposing party has personally received a court summons and a copy of the complaint or petition. Usually, defendants receive these documents by personal delivery, substituted service, or service by mail. Unfortunately, serving legal documents gets complicated without the defendant's address. Here's what you need to know when serving legal documents with no address. Read More Comments Off on Serving Legal Documents With No Address
Representing Yourself in Family Court By Sandra McCarthy|October 21st, 2018|Family Law| In family law matters, many people choose to represent themselves rather than hire a lawyer. Although representing yourself in family court has the potential to be risky, many of our clients are quite successful at it. Obviously representing yourself and using a non-attorney service for document preparation can save a lot of money in attorney fees. On the other hand, for people who cannot afford an attorney, representing themselves in family court may be the only option. Here is what you need to know about representing yourself in Family court. Read More Comments Off on Representing Yourself in Family Court
Can You Trust Online Legal Services Companies? By Sandra McCarthy|October 21st, 2018|California Courts| Recently, there has been a rise in online legal services. These sites offer a range of services from document preparation for a flat fee to monthly subscription services where you can get periodic legal advice and basic legal documents prepared. These sites are gaining in popularity because they offer a faster low-cost alternative than hiring an attorney. But are they really a good idea and can you trust online legal services? How do you pick a good online legal service? Here's what you need to know if you are looking for help preparing legal documents. Read More Comments Off on Can You Trust Online Legal Services Companies?
How to Register a Foreign Child Support Order in California By Sandra McCarthy|December 30th, 2017|Family Law| Learn how to register a foreign child support order in California. When you register a foreign child support order in California, the California court will have the power to collect and enforce the child support order of another state. Here are the steps to register a foreign child support order in California. Read More Comments Off on How to Register a Foreign Child Support Order in California
Steps to Incorporate in California By Sandra McCarthy|November 23rd, 2017|Business| Looking to incorporate in California? Learn the steps to incorporate in California without having to hire an expensive attorney. Step 1: Choose your name... Read More Comments Off on Steps to Incorporate in California
Joint Child Custody Tips and Solutions By Sandra McCarthy|September 2nd, 2017|Family Law| When exploring joint child custody solutions, there are many joint child custody options a couple can consider. First, California custody orders include both legal and physical custody. Legal custody refers to the decisions a parent makes about their child’s schooling, religious activities, and medical treatment. Physical custody refers to which parent the child resides with [...] Read More Comments Off on Joint Child Custody Tips and Solutions
How to Reconvey a Deed of Trust By Sandra McCarthy|August 21st, 2017|Estate Planning| People often confuse the term "Grant Deed" vs "Deed of Trust". A deed signifies the passage of property ownership from one person to another. Transferring title to real property can be completed by a Grant Deed, Quitclaim Deed, Interspousal Transfer Deed, Trust Transfer Deed or other type of deed that transfers ownership/title. On the contrary, [...] Read More 2
How to Sell a Business in California By Sandra McCarthy|July 15th, 2017|Business| Congratulations! Selling a business in California is a huge milestone. From getting a business up-and-running, to developing customers and continued growth, selling a business in California is a true sign of success. Read on to learn more about how to sell a business in California. How to Sell a California Business [...] Read More Comments Off on How to Sell a Business in California
Can You File for Divorce in Another State? By Sandra McCarthy|June 30th, 2017|Family Law| Can you file for divorce in California when you and your spouse live in Nevada? The answer is probably not! Almost every state, except Alaska, South Dakota, and Washington have strict residency requirements to file divorce in that state. In other words, if you live in California but want to file for divorce in another [...] Read More 4
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
Dealing With Parental Alienation By Sandra McCarthy|September 2nd, 2016|Family Law| 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 [...] Read More 1
Petition to Establish Fact of Marriage Granted After Judge Has Change of Heart By Sandra McCarthy|July 10th, 2016|Family Law| 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 [...] Read More Comments Off on Petition to Establish Fact of Marriage Granted After Judge Has Change of Heart
How to Set Up a Special Needs Trust By Sandra McCarthy|May 22nd, 2016|Estate Planning| Parents with special needs children often worry about how to secure their child’s future upon their passing. Setting up a special needs trust as part of your estate planning will allow you to leave money or property to a loved one with a disability. A special needs trust, sometimes called a supplemental needs trust, is specially [...] Read More 5