San Diego Divorce Attorneys Blog

March 25, 2022

Your Guide to Spousal Support in California

Divorce in California can be incredibly stressful and complicated, especially regarding the financial issues involved. The state upholds a strict community property statute that applies to property division, requiring divorcing spouses to evenly divide their marital assets, property, and debts. However, property division may not entirely resolve the financial issues present in a divorce. In some divorces, one spouse will need to pay spousal support, also known as alimony, to the other. Spousal support typically comes into play when one spouse is financially dependent on the other or unable to support themselves financially for other reasons.

If you plan to divorce in California, it’s natural to have concerns about your potential financial obligations to your soon-to-be ex-spouse. Whether you expect to pay or receive spousal support from your divorce, it’s vital to know how spousal support is determined, how long it lasts, and the conditions that would terminate an existing spousal support agreement.

March 18, 2022

What Is Paternity Fraud?

By Bickford Blado & Botros

What Is Paternity Fraud?

Paternity cases are common in the California family court system. It’s vital for parents to accurately establish a child’s paternity when resolving child custody disputes and determining child support obligations. Unfortunately, many men are victims of misattributed paternity throughout the US, sometimes spending years believing they are a child’s biological parent only to later discover this is not the case. Conversely, some men have no idea they have fathered children only to suddenly discover they are, in fact, fathers. Some of these situations arise from honest mistakes, but deliberate paternity fraud is more common than many people expect.

March 11, 2022

4 Things You Should Never Do During Divorce

By Bickford Blado & Botros

4 Things You Should Never Do During Divorce

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

Divorce is never easy, even when spouses are relatively agreeable with one another and reach the mutual decision to end their marriage. There is almost always some emotional discontent in divorce proceedings, and it can be challenging for some spouses to make calculated practical decisions concerning their divorce. Unfortunately, the emotional stress of the divorce process causes some divorcing spouses to lose sight of their best interests. Many people in this position make critical errors that negatively impact their divorce proceedings and their futures beyond divorce.

March 4, 2022

What Will Happen to My Business in Divorce?

By Bickford Blado & Botros

What Will Happen to My Business in Divorce?

Divorce can pose significant challenges for the next several years, even the rest of your life. It’s natural to have doubts and worries about how your divorce will unfold, and these concerns can be even more stressful for business owners. However, if you plan to end your marriage soon and own a business, several factors will determine whether your business must be divided between you and your spouse. You may have more options than you realize for effectively handling this situation, and an experienced attorney can help you approach divorce as a business owner with greater confidence.

February 24, 2022

The Divorce Process Timeline in California

By Bickford Blado & Botros

The Divorce Process Timeline in California

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

If you have recently decided to end your marriage in California, you may feel completely overwhelmed. It’s natural to have lots of doubts and concerns when it comes to the difficult legal proceedings you face. Divorce is a time-consuming, multifaceted, and emotionally draining process that can take months or sometimes even years to complete. Even if you believe your divorce will be fairly straightforward, there are countless variables that might arise and complicate your case. Ultimately, it is very difficult to predict exactly how any divorce will proceed.

It’s understandable to want to have a predictable timetable for your divorce. Unfortunately, it’s very unlikely to be able to calculate how your divorce will unfold with complete accuracy. However, there are some things you should know to help you better understand the process. There are also a few options you may have that can speed up your divorce timetable if you’re willing to be flexible. It’s vital to not only understand the California statutes that will come into play in your divorce but also be aware of your options for streamlining the dissolution process.

February 18, 2022

Domestic Violence in California Family Law

By Bickford Blado & Botros

Domestic Violence in California Family Law

Domestic violence, unfortunately, touches the lives of thousands of people in California and throughout the United States. If you or a family member has experienced domestic violence of any kind, support is available. It’s essential to know your rights and the options available to you for preventing further harm. In California, state prosecutors take domestic violence very seriously. An individual who commits any type of domestic violence is not only likely to face criminal charges but also lose any custody or visitation rights they may have had. They will also likely need to comply with a strict restraining order.

You may have experienced domestic violence as a victim, the family member of a victim, or you may have been charged with domestic violence in California. Regardless of how you have experienced it, understanding the various legal implications your case is likely to contain is essential. Domestic violence is a unique area of law because it pertains to criminal law, civil law, and family law. These incidents often lead to extremely complex legal proceedings encompassing all three of these areas of law. An experienced San Diego domestic violence attorney is a crucial asset when you are involved in a domestic violence case of any kind.

February 11, 2022

Potential Benefits of Legal Separation vs. Divorce

By Bickford Blado & Botros

Potential Benefits of Legal Separation vs. Divorce

If you and your spouse have been experiencing tension in your marriage, divorce could potentially arise as a possibility for your near future. However, it is vital that you do not make the decision to divorce lightly, nor should you rush into divorce proceedings in the face of marital problems. Divorce is a complex and stressful process. It is likely to pose significant changes to various aspects of your life for the foreseeable future. In some cases, couples need time and space to reevaluate their marriages before moving forward with divorce proceedings.

Legal separation can effectively provide some of the benefits that divorce can offer without the finality of divorce. While many people conflate legal separation and divorce, they are two very different family law procedures. In a divorce, the couple’s marriage contract is terminated, and the couple resolves many issues such as property division, child custody, and spousal support. In a legal separation case, the couple must also address many of the same issues and will ultimately end up with separate living arrangements, but they remain legally married.

February 4, 2022

How to Prepare for Divorce Mediation in California

By Bickford Blado & Botros

How to Prepare for Divorce Mediation in California

Ending a marriage can be incredibly challenging, even when both spouses know that divorce is best for both of them. The actual proceedings involved in the divorce process are more difficult than many people realize. If you are preparing for divorce in the San Diego area, it’s vital to know all your options for handling the situation as effectively as possible. Many people think of heated court battles when they imagine divorce. However, the reality is that litigation isn’t the only option for resolving a divorce in California.

Many people are choosing divorce mediation to have more control over the determinations in their divorces. The major decisions regarding your divorce don’t have to be left in the hands of a judge. Instead, you can potentially reach more agreeable divorce terms if you and your spouse are willing to negotiate. Private divorce mediation can potentially save both of you tremendous amounts of time and money, but it’s vital to understand this process and know how to prepare for it effectively.

January 28, 2022

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

By Bickford Blado & Botros

What to Do If You Discover Important Information After Finalizing Your Divorce

Any divorce has the potential to escalate into a heated legal battle between the divorcing spouses. The emotional stress and tension that divorce can generate can easily encourage a divorcing spouse to feel as though they just need to get through the process as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the pressure to finalize a divorce as soon as possible can easily cause a spouse to overlook key details of their divorce, ultimately resulting in an imbalanced or materially unfair divorce order. This is especially true when a divorced spouse discovers important information after their divorce has been finalized that should have been considered during their divorce case.

In the event you discover any information that you believe should have been addressed during your divorce, you should prepare for modification proceedings. When new information would have changed the outcome of your divorce, it’s important to bring it to the court’s attention and have your divorce order modified accordingly. It’s also possible to face more serious legal proceedings if you discover that your ex engaged in serious misconduct. Modification proceedings can potentially allow for changes to child support, child custody, and alimony determinations.

January 21, 2022

Keeping Separate Property in a California Divorce

By Bickford Blado & Botros

Keeping Separate Property in a California Divorce

California upholds a strict community property law for divorce, meaning that all of a married couple’s shared assets and debts must be divided evenly in divorce. However, California is a dual property state, meaning the court recognizes both separate property and marital property or community property. “Separate” property is anything that belongs solely to one of the divorcing spouses, while community property is everything subject to division. While you might think this is a straightforward distinction, many divorcing spouses encounter disputes when it comes to their separate property ownership rights.

If you are preparing to divorce in California, property division is likely to be one of the most contentious aspects of the entire process. You may believe that you can easily identify your separate property and shield it from division. However, many people in this position discover that their separate property is not entirely immune from division in divorce. An experienced California divorce lawyer can help you complete your financial disclosure and establish separate property ownership rights, but it’s wise to know what your property division proceedings are likely to entail before you begin divorce proceedings.