The end of the year holiday visitation schedule can either result In a peaceful, memorable time for parents and their children, or it can become a painful exercise in frustration. I have encountered many families and their parenting arrangements in my decades as a family law attorney. Needless to say, I’ve observed the best and worst examples of… Read More »
Long Term Restraining Orders Granted as Part of a Criminal Domestic Violence Conviction The good news is that domestic-violence victims throughout California will be able to obtain long-term protective orders the instant their assailants are criminally convicted, rather than endure a multistep process that can drag on for months. This new law will take effect January 1, 2012.… Read More »
Courts take serious their responsibility to protect children. A parent who neglects or abuses a child is almost always seen as unfit to have custody and may even be limited or restricted in visiting with the child. CHILD CUSTODY Any behavior that is detrimental to the health or welfare of the child by those seeking custody will be… Read More »
It is getting to the point that almost every week a tragic attack concerning a child custody or divorce dispute appears in the news. A spouse disputing property and finances falls victim to an assault by the other party. Children are abducted and have been killed by a parent seeking revenge on the other parent.
Unless you were on a remote island for the last two years, you’ve suffered daily inundations of bad news about the state of the economy. California’ s overall unemployment remains over 10% and housing values crushed by the weakened real estate market continues its downward slide. In these hard economic times it can sometimes make good sense to… Read More »
When most people enter divorce proceedings, they often make one crucial mistake: they assume that they know better than their divorce attorney. I’m the one who’s living this situation, they rationalize. My divorce attorney might have experience but that doesn’t mean they know what I’m going through.
In all the years I’ve served my family law clients, rarely have I heard a client voice pleasure over the end of a marriage. Even clients getting out of abusive relationships confided to me that no matter how relieved they were to get away from the harmful, or even downright dangerous marriage, they felt real loss over the… Read More »
If you’re just entering or in the middle of a divorce case, it can be a tough time to think about strategy. After all, a divorce case is full of emotional investment on both ends of the spectrum. Under the circumstances, it’s no surprise that it can be hard to think clearly. But that’s no reason you can’t… Read More »
There’s an old saying that states an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But this doesn’t apply only to the medical world; it applies to just about every aspect of our lives, including our relationships. If you’ve come reading this far, it means you’re thinking about a divorce – either you’re going to file it… Read More »
Access to an Attorney and the Real Cost of Self Representation During my 33 years as an attorney practicing Divorce and Family Law in California, I’ve witnessed many changes in the rules controlling how our courts manage these cases. By far, one of the most important family law changes to date concerns getting court orders for attorney fees… Read More »