While most people have heard about the basics of estate planning, like wills and healthcare directives, many have not taken the initiative to create their own legal documents. A recent study found that nearly 60% of American adults do not have any kind of estate plan in place. This may be because, in our culture, we simply don’t want…
Filing for a divorce is choice that comes with many emotional and financial side effects. This includes one of the most complicated processes that occurs during a divorce case which is property division. While property division may seem like a daunting task, it is vital to have a plan for how you and your spouse will divide up your…
California is a community property state, meaning that typically the assets acquired during the marriage belong to both parties equally. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, if an asset was purchased with one party’s income or assets that were earned or acquired before marriage, then the subsequent purchase of property with those assets or funds have…
The length of marriage is a critical factor the Court uses to determine how long spousal support will continue. In short term marriages of less than 10 years, spousal support typically lasts one-half the length of the marriage. In a marriage of long duration of over 10 years, the Court may order that spousal support continue until the death…
Overview of the Divorce Process in California 1) Determine if CA has Jurisdiction and which County is the Proper Venue To meet the jurisdiction requirement to file for divorce in California either party must be a resident of the state for six (6) months prior to filing. If California has jurisdiction, then the county in which you reside is…
In re Marriage of Berman (2017) 15 Cal.App.5th 914, 223 Cal.Rptr.3d 604 In this case, the Second District Court of Appeal upheld the trial court’s order denying Husband’s request to terminate and/or further reduce spousal support. Husband claimed that he retired and transferred his business to his new Wife, thereby substantially reducing his income. The evidence showed that Husband’s…
