During divorce, the issue of spousal support, often called alimony, frequently comes into play. These payments—they can be one-time or recurring—are designed to create a balance, a financial equality between spouses. The courts usually award spousal support in situations where there’s a significant discrepancy between incomes or earning potential. In …
Pets often form hugely important parts of our lives and our families. In many cases, people view them in the same light as children. Because of this bond, they also often factor into divorce settlements. But how do the courts view pets in divorce? Are pets considered assets in divorce, …
Legal paperwork is notoriously complicated. Before you can divorce, you have fill out and file all kinds of forms and jump through various hoops. There’s a lot of detail. So much that it’s all too easy for things to slip through the cracks. But what can you do if there’s …
How long do I have to pay child support? It’s a question we hear often. As is so often the case in family law matters, there’s a quick answer and a more in-depth conversation. And what about post-secondary education? How do you plan for that following divorce? One of our …
For most of us, buying a house is the biggest purchase we ever make. So when it comes to divorce, it’s no surprise it’s often one of the primary assets to divide. But how does divorce impact things like home loans? If you end your marriage, are you still on …
Is it a gift or inheritance? Does it matter? That’s a question we hear often during divorce proceedings. The answer may impact how the courts view certain assets and thus how they are divided. It’s easy to see why this is important information to have. Rick Jones, one of our …
Pensions are less and less common these days as fewer companies offer them to employees, but they do still show up during divorce. The attached question usually runs along the lines of, “I worked my whole life, can my ex really take part of my pension in the divorce?” The …
When it comes to child custody decisions, the courts generally put the best interests of the child above other concerns. Part of this most often involves keeping the parents a major part of their lives. But what about situations where the parents can’t or won’t “parent?” Can grandparents step in …
Money often becomes a huge issue following divorce, especially when it comes to spousal support. And like most court orders, once in place, it’s difficult to modify alimony. That said, some people take it upon themselves to change things up, which isn’t always a great idea. Rick Jones, one of …
In shorter marriages without children or much shared property to divide, divorce can be relatively straightforward. However, it doesn’t take much to for things to become knotted and complex in a hurry. And the longer you’re married, the more complicated things tend to get. Rick Jones, one of our founding …
Buying a house is a huge investment. For most people, it’s the biggest purchase you’ll ever make. Because of this value, in divorce, it’s also usually the most significant asset to divide. But what if you were never married? How does that change things? One of our founding partners, Rick …
This probably comes as no surprise, but college costs quite a bit. Student loan debt can be a huge lingering burden on young people trying to move forward and start their lives. As parents, not all of us are in a position to help financially. But if we can, it …
Divorces, splits, and breakups are never easy, for a variety of reasons. When you combine two lives to that degree, untangling them at the end often becomes a mess. One of our founding partners, Rick Jones, makes regular appearances on the Danny Bonaduce and Sarah Morning Show, where he answers …
When it comes time to divorce, splitting up assets and property forms a huge part of the process, even when dealing with inheritance in divorce. California is a community property state, which means the courts generally view anything acquired during a marriage as belonging to both spouses. Is inheritance considered …
After a breakup or divorce, if you have children, you have rights as a parent. The exception being, if one parent presents a danger to the child. That said, it’s not always easy to protect these rights. This is why parenting plans are so important. Even in amicable splits where …