When you are faced with troubling family issues, having legal counsel you can trust at your side is imperative. You need an attorney who will protect your rights, who will competently evaluate and clearly explain unfamiliar legal issues in your case, who has the education and experience necessary to effectively handle your personal family law matter effectively with care and compassion, and who will help you navigate the twists and turns the path of a family law case takes from beginning to end.
Our attorneys limit their practice to family matters exclusively, are experienced in providing representation in a broad range of family law issues, are dedicated to helping your family through a difficult transition, and go the extra mile in delivering exceptional client service.
While we respect the positions taken by our adversaries and pride ourselves on our professionalism, we are relentless in our pursuit of the truth and obtaining the best possible result as each case allows. Aggressive, yet reasonable is our approach, which has served our clients well.
Our attorneys offer legal services for family law matters through:
We have found that the best and most cost-efficient resolutions in family law matters are often achieved through negotiated settlements. We strive to negotiate a fair and reasonable global settlement at the earliest possible stage in an effort to avoid the expense and inconvenience involved in protracted litigation. However, when litigation is necessary, we zealously advocate for the protection of your rights. We are skilled in preparing and presenting your case in a way that serves your best interests at every stage of the proceeding, and we know the ins and outs of Family Court. We will provide you with cost-benefit analyses throughout the progression of your case so you can make informed decisions along the way. Throughout the life of your case, our attorneys as both attorneys and counselors at law, which is essential in compassionate family law representation when the conflict is personal and ongoing.
We strive to make legal representation available to all types of prospective family law clients based on individual needs, goals, and financial circumstances. Call our office today at (619) 209-6080 to schedule a confidential consultation.
Contact Us TodayIn requesting a court in California to dissolve a marriage, one must decide whether to file for a dissolution of marriage or for an annulment. A judgment of nullity may be sought where the validity of the marriage is in question. The availability of an annulment in California is based on very narrow legal grounds. To determine whether an annulment may be an option in your case, and to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of requesting an annulment, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
If a court order is not being followed by a party, the other party may be able to file a contempt action to enforce the order and impose consequences for a party’s non-compliance with the underlying order. Contempt is a quasi-criminal proceeding that carries criminal penalties for a person who the court determines has violated a court order. The contempt remedy is only available as an enforcement tool for certain types of court orders.
Call us to discuss whether a contempt action may be an appropriate remedy if you are experiencing difficulty enforcing your Family Court order.
Once an order is rendered by the Family Court, it must be enforced to be meaningful. Sometimes that is easier said than done. An order may need to be converted into a judgment for collection purposes, a wage assignment order may need to be prepared to achieve garnishment of wages, support arrears may be determined, etc. We can assist in the preparation of documents and motions to enforce orders made by the Family Court.
In California, grandparents may seek to be joined to a family law matter for the purpose of requesting visitation rights with their grandchild(ren). One or both parents may oppose the request of a grandparent for visitation rights, often claiming that it interferes with their fundamental right to parent the child as they see fit, which includes if and when the children will visit with grandparents.
A legal separation can be granted on the same grounds as a dissolution of marriage, and provide for the same property, support, and custody orders as a judgment of dissolution would. The key distinction between a legal separation and a dissolution of marriage is that a legal separation does not terminate your marital status. A legal separation may be appropriate where a spouse prefers not to terminate the legal status of the marital relationship for religious or other personal reasons.
Dissolution of marriage and legal separation cases end in either trial or settlement. The vast majority of cases settle at some stage of the process. When a settlement is reached, it is then embodied in a marital settlement agreement or stipulated judgment. A well-drafted marital settlement agreement is essential to a clear, organized, enforceable, and reliable resolution to a dissolution case.
Mediation of family law matters is often the least expensive and most amicable manner of resolving family disputes. The mediator acts as a neutral third party who assists each spouse in arriving at an agreement to resolve their differences outside of court. The mediator can educate unrepresented parties on applicable law and help to streamline the dispute resolution process in a cooperative fashion. If a mediated agreement is reached, the mediator can also act as a scrivener to prepare a settlement agreement for the spouses to file with the court.
Our attorneys, with family law litigation experience, are knowledgeable about how the court is likely to view both sides of your family law dispute. If you and the opposing party in your family law matter are considering mediation, contact us today to schedule a joint consultation to learn about how one of our attorneys can act as a mediator in your case and help to keep your legal fees under control while coming to a fair, educated agreement.
When a divorce is on the horizon in a military family, often there are issues that arise that differ from those encountered by a civilian family. The pay structure, day-to-day realities, frequent relocation, deployments, and possible involvement of the servicemember’s chain of command, are examples of issues particular to military families that can complicate legal issues in family law disputes, such as the proper calculation of support, complicated custody and visitation circumstances, and jurisdictional problems.
A spouse involved in a family law case may desire to change his or her name, or even the name of a child, to reflect the new state of the family. A change of name may be requested during or even after the conclusion of your family law case.
In many areas of the law, entry of judgment usually signals the end of a case, unless an appeal is taken. Often times, the same is not true for family law cases. Typically, a party can seek modification of child support, child custody and visitation, and spousal support orders after judgment is entered if grounds to do so exist. The legal standard the party seeking the modification must meet to obtain the requested modification varies depending on the facts of the case.
It is important to know before you file your request to modify an order if it is an optimal time to seek a modification under the circumstances personal to your case.
From time to time during their marriage, spouses may desire to make agreements regarding property, support, or other matters without the expectation of a dissolution of their marriage. A postnuptial agreement may be crafted for this purpose.
California is a community property state. Therefore, all property acquired by spouses during marriage is presumptively community property. Property acquired prior to marriage, after separation, or through inheritance is generally separate property. The same is typically true for debts incurred by one or both spouses. There are many nuances and intricacies to California community property law that may have a bearing on the division of property in your dissolution case. The court, upon request by a spouse, will make orders about how community property will be divided. Property orders incorporated into a judgment of dissolution of marriage are generally final. Therefore, it is important that you be fully advised of your rights prior to having your assets and debts divided by the court.
If one or both spouses has an interest in a qualified retirement or pension plan under ERISA, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) may be required in order to divide it on dissolution of marriage. A QDRO is a separate legal document from a settlement agreement that explains, in terms acceptable to the specific retirement plan, how the retirement benefits are to be divided and paid to each spouse after their dissolution of marriage.
Domestic partners are "two adults who have chosen to share one another's lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring." Those domestic partners that have registered their domestic partnership with the California Secretary of State, or its equivalent in another state, have specific legal rights in the family law context. Registered domestic partnerships, like marriages, can end in dissolution, legal separation, or annulment. Domestic partners seeking to terminate their legal domestic partnership often face legal issues similar to those presented in a dissolution of marriage case, but other issues unique to domestic partnerships may also arise.
