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California has now codified the concept of “Best Interest of the Pet” in Assembly Bill 2274, which came into effect January 1, 2019. 

Previously California law generally required that courts divide all “community property” – property acquired during the marriage, including companion animals – that means the pets were treated no differently than inanimate objects like electronics, cars, and furniture. But there is a growing interest to use custodial analysis in determining who should get the family pets in a divorce.  

When a couple chooses to get a divorce with a child custody agreement, the obligation to pay child support is taken very seriously under California law. It is treated notably differently from spousal support. The legal obligation to pay child support extends until the child leads the age of 18, becomes emancipated, or is otherwise self-supporting. 

Dividing parenting responsibilities is one of the most significant challenges of getting divorced.   One of the first things that have to be determined is whether one parent will have sole custody physical custody of the children, or if custody will be shared between parents, it is essential to note that while each state makes a distinction between physical and legal custody, the applicable laws vary from state to state. 

After Benzos the Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner has announced his divorce, what is potentially leading to the costliest divorce settlement in history with $137 billion at stake.

Read More “JEFF BEZOS´ GETS DIVORCE AND… WHAT HAPPENS WITH AMAZON?”

Going through a divorce can be one of life’s most difficult transitions. You are not only breaking-up with the person you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with, you are also dealing with many of the details of the fallout; such as custody and financial challenges. 

When you get served with a divorce, it is a shock.  It is easy to think irrationally.  Even to refuse to sign the document.  Whether you sign the papers or not, your divorce process has begun.

There are two parties in a divorce.  One is the spouse that makes the application to divorce (PETITIONER); and the other is the spouse who was served with divorce papers (RESPONDENT). How the divorce proceeds will depend on the respondent.

Even though you´re going through a divorce, your spouse does not have the right to be emotionally abusive.  If this is happening to you, you have to understand that your divorce process will probably be even more demanding than the typical divorce.
But first, we have to define…

Read More “How emotional abuse can impact my divorce?”

As an experienced Long Beach family law attorney, I deal with child support issues on a daily basis.  This post is the first in a series to provide you with the information needed to understand how the court will decide the issues in your Long Beach child support case.  The issue of child support most frequently arises in a divorce action, but child support is also awardable in paternity actions under the Uniform Parentage Act and in public assistance reimbursement proceedings.

Read More “California Child Support Basics”

As a Long Beach child support attorney, complex issues often arise in the determination of an appropriate child support award and monthly payment amount to be paid by a parent.  An issue which frequently arises involves a parent who is willfully unemployed or underemployed by working part time or in a job below the skill level or employment experience of the parent for purposes of diminishing the amount of income available for child support.  The court has wide discretion in determining a fair amount of child support in those cases and the services of a superior Long Beach child support attorney are required to ensure a proper result.

Read More “Determination of California Child Support–Imputed Income”