Compassionate and Strategic Family Law and Divorce Representation
Divorce and family legal matters can be complex and emotionally challenging. Whether you’re facing divorce, child custody disputes, spousal support issues, or other family law concerns, you don’t have to go through this challenging time alone.
An experienced Valencia family law lawyer can help you achieve a positive resolution in your case. Our passionate family law attorneys offer an exceptional client-centered approach to divorce and family law matters. We’re here to help, never boss or dictate.
Our Family Law Services
Our attorneys have over 40 years of combined experience achieving favorable outcomes for their family law and dissolution clients. They can assist you with the following:
California is one of the states that grant a divorce based on “irreconcilable differences,” and is a no-fault divorce state. This means that you could obtain a divorce even if there are no official grounds such as infidelity or infertility, and even if your spouse doesn’t want a divorce.
Please note that a divorce can either be contested or uncontested. A contested divorce means that either one party does not want a divorce, or that the various terms of divorce can’t be agreed upon. An uncontested divorce occurs when both parties are in agreement as to the necessity and the various terms of divorce.
Child support in Los Angeles County and throughout California is determined by a computer generated program, whereby certain specific information is input into the program (including each parents income and percentage of time each parent has with the child). Based on the information, a child support amount is determined.
Except for extenuating circumstances, the child support amount determined by the computer program will be the actual amount of child support ordered. In addition to this child support amount, it’s typical for each parent to share equally in the following costs:
- Medical expenses not covered by insurance
- Child care costs
- Agreed upon extra-curricular activities
Child support will continue until the child is eighteen, graduates high school, or court order.
California is a community property state. What that typically means is that assets and debts incurred during a marriage are considered the property of the community (or the shared property of the two spouses), regardless of which party acquired that asset or debt.
Separate property is an asset or debt that is acquired either prior to a marriage, after the date of separation, or an inherited asset that is not commingled with community property. Separate property belongs to the separate spouse that acquired the property.
There are no common law marriages recognized under California law. A valid marriage isn’t created by cohabitation for any length of time in California.
Mediation is the process in which a neutral third party (or mediator), who doesn’t represent either spouse, helps two spouses come to an agreement resolving any issues of custody, visitation, support, and asset/debt division.
A mediator can assist the parties in coming to an agreement through this process of mediation. However, if the parties do come to an agreement with the mediator, it’s still common for each party to take any Final Settlement Agreement to an attorney of their own choosing, who isn’t a neutral party for the parties, and to have that attorney review and advise each party on the contents of the Agreement reached with the mediator. That way each party can determine if the final agreement is a “fair deal” for them.
A premarital agreement, also known as a “prenup,” is a legal contract signed by a couple before marriage that outlines how their assets and debts will be divided in the event of a divorce, essentially allowing them to determine their property rights and financial obligations prior to getting married.
In California, a premarital agreement allows couples to specify how their separate and community property will be treated during the marriage and upon dissolution, deviating from the state’s standard community property laws if needed.