Family Law includes child custody, child and spousal support, and division of property. Child custody can be extremely painful and difficult for people to fight about in court.
While the first thought of a parent in a "custody battle" may be "I should just give in" or "give up," an experienced family law attorney can often mean the difference between losing a child to the family law process, or working out an order which will permit both parents - and both sets of grandparents - to have regular contact with the children.
Child and spousal support may seem easier than child custody issues - it is based on a formula in California. As always, you will be better off with some advice and possibly, an attorney representing you. Did you know spousal support is taxable to the supported person? Did you know it is tax deductible for the supporting party? Support arrearages can often be settled, or challenged.
Property issues may seem quite simple at first - in California, we have community property, which means splitting assets and debts equally. With the rise in property values, these assets and debts can require quite a bit of work in splitting things up. What if one person owned the house before marriage, then the couple refinanced it during the marriage? What if one person "quit claims" to the other person, then claims a part of the property? Did you know that the person who "quit claimed" to his wife may have a claim against the property during a divorce?
All of the simple websites out there, promising simple answers to complex problems, may provide more problems than sitting down with a good attorney to work out those nasty details, just to be certain you're in good hands.
Merritt McKeon is always happy to help review proposed "settlements" or to assist in setting aside unfair judgments, or appealing cases which are wrong at law.
