CALLER: “I recently broke up with my girlfriend of three years. We had a kid together, and I’ve been paying her child support and keeping track with money orders. So basically my question is, where do I stand now for support for the child legally? I’m not getting visitation with the child because she’s upset with me.”
CALLER: “My son has temporary custody of my two-year-old granddaughter. We’ve been trying to get permanent custody, and it’s been going through the courts little by little. It’s taken us two years, but now finally in December, we have a trial date. We’re doing this without an attorney and have been blinded at times at what to do. We’re not quite sure what to expect at the trial and I was hoping that Rick could give me some guidance?”
After a divorce, you may never want to see your ex again, but if you have kids, meeting during custody exchanges is likely going to happen.
Child custody disputes are common during divorce. But what about when there was no marriage?Who gets the kids? Do you even have any parental rights?
With Halloween right around the corner, it’s a great time to watch horror movies. And because many of us have kids, here are some family-friendly choices.
You have a great deal to consider when ending a marriage, and not to pile on, but there are a handful of scary divorce facts to be aware of.
Military service complicates many relationships. It also complicates the divorce process. One area that often gets twisted is military pensions.
Sadly, it’s time to go back to school. This can be tough for both kids and parents, especially divorced dads. Here are some tips to help smooth things out.
When an ex refuses to sell a home, a number of issues large. But what can you do? How can you protect yourself against foreclosure in divorce?
It’s the stuff of melodramatic TV movies, being trapped in a loveless marriage. But can your spouse actually prevent you from getting a divorce?
Couples ending marriages later in life face a number of unique challenges and concerns. Here’s what you need to know about gray divorce.
Given our profession, it’s a safe bet that when it comes to the pages of comic books, some of our favorite characters are lawyers. Here are our favorites.
Focusing on family law, it makes sense many of our favorite comic book characters are fathers. But who are the best comic book dads? Check out our list.
What happens if your wife shows up pregnant with someone else’s child during your divorce? Are you on the hook for child support?
This is a complicated situation that encompasses domestic violence, home equity, and what to do if you can’t go to the authorities.
Going up against a divorce attorney without your own representation puts you at a serious disadvantage. Our founder explains why.
There are two options to end a marriage. Divorce or annulment. Divorce is by far the more common choice because qualifying for an annulment is not easy.
CALLER: “My Baby mama is trying to move to California for a job and she’s trying to take my kid with her. We have joint custody in our parenting plan. I have custodial rights as well, visitation is ‘meh,’ it’s minimal but I have custody rights, 50/50 custodial rights. So…What do I do?”
If your divorce requires spousal support, making payments while knowing your ex is living with someone else may be a bitter pill to swallow. You also may be able to do something about it.
The date of separation has a huge impact on divorce, but a significant change to California law is about to alter the landscape.
Child custody cases have a massive impact on your life and the lives of your children, so how you prepare is a matter of great importance.
A house is the biggest purchase most of us make. What happens if we own a home, marry, then divorce? That’s where Moore Marsden comes in.
Adultery so often strikes a fatal blow to a marriage, but how big a role does it actually play when it comes time to file for divorce?
CALLER: “My ex agreed to pay my daughter basically the same sum of money he was paying for child support. And that was what we agreed to. Unfortunately, we didn’t file any legal documents to that effect. What can I do?”
During a divorce you lose assets you likely need to replace. Rebuilding your finances post-divorce should be a huge priority.
Divorce can be a highly emotional time, one full of pressure and tension, and being prepared helps make sure nothing gets lost along the way.
Not every divorce devolves into a heated courtroom battle. When spouses see eye-to-eye, uncontested divorce is often a viable option.
Bankruptcy impacts every facet of your life. Your marriage feels the brunt, and so does the process of ending it. Does bankruptcy change divorce?
What we do outside of the office can have a big impact on our work. Even though we try not to, we often bring the weight of our home lives with us to the day job. It seems like weekly we hear about a person getting canned for using poor …
Stepparenting and bringing distinct families together never goes as smooth and simple as on The Brady Bunch. Are there potential dangers?
Whether or not to file for divorce is a big question, but another is whether or not you should file for divorce first, before your spouse.
The short answer is that there’s a lot to deal with when dissolving a marriage. As usual, the full answer is much longer.
CALLER: “I am…so over my husband right now. To sum this up, we have no kids. I own the house. I’ve always owned it and lived in it since we’ve been married. He’s rarely home and when he is he’s a train-wreck. Next time he’s on the road for work, can I move out all his stuff and change the locks, because I’m just tired of the whole thing.”
The paparazzi probably doesn’t hound you and follow your every move, but that doesn’t mean privacy during divorce is important to you.
Step 1: File petition. 2: Serve spouse. 3: Respond to summons. 4: Discovery. 5: Temporary orders. 6: Settlement /negotiation. 7: Sign and file final papers.
CALLER: “I’m a grandparent, and the child is in foster care, the parents are trying to get the child back. The father has a lot of warrants, but he still continues to see the child under supervised visits. Is that legal?”
Over recent years, January has become known by many as “divorce month,” but just how accurate is that unflattering title?
For men that are going through a divorce, it’s never too early to get holiday help and make a plan for the coming festivities.
The length of a marriage has a lot to do with how a divorce plays out. Part of this is practical. In shorter marriages, there’s usually not as much shared property. On the other hand, the longer the marriage, the more intertwined the two lives become. Thus it becomes more …
A legal separation is a formal and legally binding agreement that divides debt, assets, and property between spouses; it will also address the issues of support and custody. Creating a separation agreement is similar to getting divorced, with the main difference being after a legal separation is finalized, you are still married.
What better way to wind down Thanksgiving than by sitting back and watching movies? And we’ve got some holiday appropriate viewing suggestions.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This time of year can be tough for newly divorced dads. Here are suggestions for making it through in high spirits!
While any number of factors go into pursuing a divorce, there’s much more to deal with when it comes to who has jurisdiction.
CALLER: “I got divorced back in 2011. My ex-husband and I owned a home together, which we still do. He was willing to release his interest to me so we did a quick claim deed. But apparently, all that did was release my interest, but not my responsibility on the loan.”
CALLER: “Here’s the situation. I am divorced, it’s been over a year, I still have belongings in the home and I can’t get them out. What are my options? She won’t return a phone call or anything.”
The common refrain goes: “Mothers always get custody after divorce.” We’ve all heard something similar. But has that always been the case?
Ending a marriage is complicated in the best of times, but what happens to the process you have a spouse from a foreign country?
If you file for divorce and share credit card debt with your spouse, in the state of California, you are equally liable for paying it off.
Houses, cars, and savings accounts don’t come as a surprise, but it’s a shock when divorce assets like a professional degree is included.
Divorce doesn’t mean we stop caring for our kids. It certainly doesn’t mean we stop providing for their care. This most often takes the form of child support.
You may think of fantasy football as a way to make Sundays more interesting or as a tool to gain bragging rights, but it can also help out divorced dads.
CALLER: “I’ve been married 19 years. Been with my wife for 21 years. I’ve been the stay at home dad and she makes all the money. What am I going to get out of this and how will it work?”
Divorce can be a traumatic event. Ending a marriage may throw your entire world into upheaval. After surviving this experience, many people simply want to get away and a relocation is an option. Some move to a new place to escape negative memories; to be near family, friends, or another …
During a marriage, your life becomes intertwined with that of your spouse, but what about spouses who are also business partners?
CALLER: “I married my ex-husband and remarried him after we were divorced. He thinks that our first divorce decree settlement is null and void because I married him twice, and then we got divorced a second time. Is that true? I don’t see what one marriage has to do with another one.”
Finding the best child custody lawyer for your case is one of the most important things you’ll ever do. Here’s how to go about it.
“I pay child support and recently got remarried. Can my ex come after me for more child support, including my new spouse’s income?”
Retirement benefits like pensions often play a huge part in divorce settlements. But how long do you have to stay married until they kick in?
Did you know June is Men’s Health Month? Here are some ways to get in the spirit, celebrate, improve your health, and prevent issues down the road!
Father’s Day is almost here. It’s also the thick of baseball season. One of our favorite celebrations is watching baseball movies with the old man.
California’s child support formula is calculated with an actual mathematical equation. It gets complicated, so let us break down all the pieces.
Divorce, child custody, and child support battles can boil over into heated, contentious affairs, but military service often complicates matters further.
CALLER: “I’m with a long-term girlfriend who is cheating now. Or has been for a while. But we bought a house together. I can’t get her to go out, and I can’t afford to get out. What can I do to help push her out?”
Sometimes divorce comes out of nowhere. Especially if you live apart. We hear the question often: How can I find out if my wife filed for divorce?
While the prospect of divorce hearings may be intimidating, it definitely helps to go in with an idea of what to expect out of court.
Divorce is emotional and complicated in the best of times, but when there are health issues to contend with, it wreaks havoc on the process.
CALLER: “I was recently divorced and currently have full custody of my son. He’s three-years-old and I’d like to legally change his last name from my ex-husband’s to my name. Am I able to do this? And if so is it fairly easy? And most importantly, does his father have a say because I know he would totally hate the idea?”
Every case is different and the unique facts of your case will impact the outcome. So how do you find the best San Diego divorce attorney is for you?
It’s not set in stone, but it’s not far off. Here’s what you need to know about how to modify child support in California.
Meeting with a divorce lawyer for the first time can be intimidating and overwhelming, but here are some ways to prepare for your initial consultation.
Do I need to hire a lawyer? That’s a question no one really ever wants to ask themselves. But how you answer is hugely important.
There are two ways that assets and debts are divided in the US. Forty-one states use equitable distribution and the rest use community property. California practices community property.
With so much information floating around, it’s important to have a good understanding of divorce. Here are ten common divorce myths to be aware of.
Divorce doesn’t necessarily need to take place in court, there are other options, and two popular choices are mediation and arbitration.
Spousal support is court-ordered payments designed to ease the financial hardship of dependent spouses following divorce. Many people refer to it as alimony. Depending on the circumstances, the court may award temporary or permanent support.
A “divorce decree” simply refers to the court’s final ruling and judgment order that makes the termination of a marriage official.
Summary dissolution presents a solution in the case of short marriages with few complications where the spouses are on the same page.
For single parents, it can be frustrating when your teenager wants to live with the non-custodial parent. Accurate advice for parents is critical.
An obstinate ex can cause a plethora of challenges during the divorce process, but what happens if she is refusing to sign?
It’s important to know the various types of divorce and what each means. There are differences and similarities. Some apply to multiple circumstances, while others have specific criteria and only fit certain cases. Being aware of the types of divorce can help streamline the process and get you on the road to your new life faster and easier.
Every divorce has a lot at stake, but high asset divorce presents its own unique problems. Here are some costly common mistakes people make.
Is there an age in California where a child can legally choose to opt-out of visitation and go against the schedule laid out in a parenting plan?
CALLER: “I’m married. Say my wife got a ‘gift’ but it’s called an ‘inheritance’ even though her parents are still alive. Is that an actual ‘gift’ or is it really an inheritance?”
Emotions are high and tempers can flare, but that’s no reason to lose control. Here are some tips to help avoid or lessen conflict after your divorce.
Divorce is tricky business in the best circumstances, but what if you can’t locate your spouse? How do you divorce someone you can’t find?
There are bound to be clashes as the custodial parent enforces the rules while the other gets to be the “fun parent.”
California law provides guidelines for courts to use in determining and setting child support payment amounts.
In general, it’s a good idea to have representation during a divorce. The process often gets twisted in short order and having a professional to guide usually you saves time, money, and hassle. That said, it’s also important to trust your divorce attorney. But what happens if you don’t? What …
Recreational marijuana has been legal in California for a year and a half, how does this newfound status impact child custody disputes?
People damage their own cases in countless ways. To help minimize that, here are eight things you should never do during divorce.
Leaving the marital home without having a strategy in place, can create a significant disadvantage throughout the rest of the divorce process.
It’s easy to make mistakes that hurt child custody cases, but here are a few common missteps that can sink a case and how to avoid them.
There are many divorce lessons to be learned from football– a strong defense is sometimes a great offense and having the right team is essential.
No one likes to sit in traffic, but can a long commute actually contribute to divorce? One new study looks to answer this question.
Roughly half of marriages end in divorce, and because of that, an increasing number of marriages have become remarriages.
We all know smoking cigarettes comes with certain health risks, but does it also carry risks to your marriage? The answer might surprise you.
Being in a relationship with a person with an NPD is difficult. And if want to divorce a narcissist, you may be in for a turbulent ride.
Marriage may be an institution, but it’s not immune to change. What marriage is, what it means, how important it is; all of this and more have transformed dramatically over time. Some shifts are massive and easily recognizable. Others are subtle, changing across many years, so gradual you hardly notice …
For many, video games offer a way to kill time and decompress from the pressures of the day. But what happens to a marriage when escape becomes addiction?
In contested divorces, discovery may prove incredibly valuable. Discovery compels each side to reveal what evidence and info they have.