Blog posts relating to legal separation.
Defamatory statements often occur in the context of judicial proceedings. If such statements could be the basis for an action for damages against parties and witnesses, this would deter parties and witnesses from participation in the judicial process. In order to ensure access to the legal process and encourage effective litigation through free communication, the […]
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Family Law has been described as being similar to General Practice because it can interact with other specialties of law such as real estate, retirement, estate planning, income tax, criminal law and bankruptcy to name a few. Another interaction is with Immigration Law. One such case is In Re Marriage of Kumar (2017) 13 Ca […]
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Unless celebrities are getting divorced you don’t see much about Family Law in the newspapers. Of course there are always exceptions and here are just a few: 1. LA Times, April 1, 2019: “Mother wins child support owed in 1970.” This story is about Toni Anderson, a San Diego County woman who was awarded child […]
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Legal custody refers to your decision making authority regarding your children, such as choice of school, child care, medical care, religious instruction, extra curricular activities and other major decisions. Unless one parent is unavailable to participate in these decisions, or has problems with anger or substance abuse, legal custody will usually be shared. This means that […]
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When parents divorce or were never married, the general rule is that the custodial parent (whichever parent has more overnights during a calendar year) claims the child as an exemption on his/her tax return. The other parent is the noncustodial parent. If the child was with each parent for an equal number of nights, the custodial parent […]
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Depending upon the length of your marriage, you accumulate an abundance of items during marriage. In the unfortunate event of a divorce, items and property you once never imagined dividing must now be divided. If you share with family and/or friends that you and your spouse are at a point in your Dissolution of Marriage process of […]
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There is a common misconception that Restraining Orders can only be obtained after one party has inflicted physical abuse on the other party. While all physical violence constitutes abuse under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA,) not all abuse involves physical violence. Increasingly, courts are granting protective orders for nonviolent conduct that disturbs the peace of another. […]
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Any time that a Dissolution of Marriage or Paternity matter is filed with the Court and there are pending child custody and/or child visitation orders, a Family Court Services Mediation appointment is mandatory. A mediation appointment is an appointment between both parents together and a Family Court Services Mediator only. Attorneys for either party, or any other […]
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Many pet owners would considers their pets more like their children than property. However, pets animals are considered personal property. Penal Code section 491 provides: “Dogs are personal property, and their value is to be ascertained in the same manner as the value of other property.” Newly enacted Family Code section 2605 provides that the court may […]
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When parties get married, they rarely think of their relationship ending in a divorce. Unfortunately, some couples eventually do get divorced, which may then require proof of the character and value of their property and debts. California is a community property state, which means that all property and debts acquired during marriage will be divided […]
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