For families with school-aged children, the daily schedule at a child’s school tends to inform every other aspect of life. Childcare arrangements, how parents juggle family with work and even how separated or divorced parents share custody may all depend on the school schedule for the children in the family. Although the end of the school year can seem like a liberating moment for the children, it can also be a time of destabilization for the family. The current schedule may no longer work at all. Instead of maintaining a predictable routine, the parents may need to adjust to the children bein ..read more

Planning ahead and developing a strategy is of the utmost importance for parents who are trying to minimize how stressful divorce is for children. Not only do parents have to tell their children about the major changes ahead for the family in an appropriate manner, they also need to prepare for the children to lash out emotionally and express themselves as they process their frustrations. Parents also have to inform the family’s broader social network about the upcoming changes in the household so that their children can have adequate support. This process can certainly prove to be emotionally ..read more

The moment that you know you’re headed for a divorce, you have to start thinking about all the practical concerns that come with a split: How will your assets and debts be divided? How will the custody arrangements work, if there are children involved? Will you need to pay or receive alimony? What you may not immediately consider, however, is your insurance coverage. Here’s what you need to know to be prepared: While your divorce is pending It’s not uncommon for one spouse to carry health insurance for the entire family, even if the spouse is otherwise employed. When a divorce begins, however ..read more

For many couples in California, the home where they live together will be the most valuable asset they share. Therefore, it is natural that people become possessive over the family home. People often become so focused on their fight to secure control over their marital home that they never stop to ask themselves whether doing so will actually benefit them or not. Before you attempt to negotiate with your spouse, attend mediation or schedule a hearing for litigation in family court, you need to determine if you can keep the house in your divorce and whether doing so is the right choice. Can you ..read more

Nothing makes your divorce or family law matter complicated or expensive more quickly than heading to family court. You and your spouse may become very emotional and exaggerate your circumstances as you describe your marriage to the judge who will make decisions about property division, child custody and support matters. The more time you spend in court, the more the divorce will cost, and the more damage the end of your relationship may cause for your children. What are three ways that you can potentially prevent the drama that comes with family court litigation? Leave the burning bridges min ..read more

As you go through your divorce, you’ll run into issues that you and your spouse argue over. You may not have the same opinion on the custody arrangements for your children or be undecided on how to divide your assets. To help you get through these issues, it helps to know what some of the most common fights are and why they happen. Here is what you should keep in mind. Establishing custody The first issue many people run into is with custody arrangements. Getting enough parenting time is important, but coming up with an exacting schedule can be hard. Discussions over custody could break down i ..read more

When you’re divorcing and have many significant assets, you may need to take a different approach than usual. While California is a community property state, meaning that you should divide your assets around 50/50, it is possible that you could divide your property differently. Any property or debts involved in your marriage are subject to equal division, but there are exceptions that you may want to use to help protect your personal savings or certain assets that you put your time and effort into developing. How can you appropriately divide your retirement accounts? With retirement accounts ..read more

When you and your spouse are divorcing but have disputes to resolve, you have a few options for doing so. You could arbitrate or litigate, but one other option to consider first is mediation. Mediation is less formal than those other two options, and it allows you to talk through problems and disagreements to try to come up with a reasonable solution that both parties are happy with. Mediation is a unique process that walks you through relevant law and policies while helping you resolve divorce-related issues outside of court. Mediation benefits both parties The nice thing about mediation is t ..read more

If the court has to determine your custody arrangement, they’re going to do so with the best interests of the child in mind. That is their overall goal. The desires of the parents do play into this, but the court will always attempt to put the child first. This often leads to parents asking what the court really considers to be in the child’s best interests. How do they make these decisions? What factors do they consider? Knowing what they’re going to think about can help you understand how this choice may be made. Creating the best post-divorce life for the children There are a lot of differe ..read more

It has become increasingly popular for spouses and co-parents to pursue mediation as the go-to method for resolving their differences on family law matters such as property division and child custody. This type of alternative dispute resolution aims to help two parties with seemingly divergent interests find their common ground.  When it comes to custody, both you and your spouse likely want to do what’s best for your child. If you know others who have been involved in child custody cases, then you’re likely aware that a judge will sometimes ask a child about their preferences in a custod ..read more