Los Angeles Family Law Specialists
Steve Fernandez and Mark Karney are Certified Family Law Specialists* with over 50 years of combined experience.
Family Law Blog Posts
Read the latest blog posts from legal professionals regarding divorce, child custody and property division.
Is California a Community Property State?
California is a community property state. In community property states, any property acquired by spouses during a marriage is considered marital or community property. Absent a written agreement like a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement; all community property is...
How are Financial Investments Divided in a Divorce?
How financial investments are divided in a divorce depends upon the state in which a couple divorces. In California, financial investments are divided according to California’s laws governing community property. Any assets acquired during the course of a marriage in...
What is a Gray Divorce?
While more marriages end in divorce than in the past, there is one age group out-pacing the others. These are the Baby Boomers. Divorce among the fifty-five and up demographic has more than doubled in the past twenty years and remained so ever since. This upward trend...
What is a Default Divorce in California?
A default divorce in California occurs when the non-filing spouse (respondent) fails to file a written response to the divorce petition. The court grants the filing spouse (petitioner) a divorce in their absence. This may happen for a number of reasons. For example,...
What Should I Do If My Spouse Refuses to Sign Divorce Papers?
Ending a marriage can be frustrating and stressful. Having a spouse who refuses to sign the divorce papers only makes matters worse, leaving the divorce process to drag on longer than necessary. If your spouse does not sign the divorce papers, there are options to...
Can You File for Divorce in Another State?
While you may have extenuating circumstances, all states in the U.S. have residency requirements for filing a divorce. This is to prevent spouses from shopping for a state with laws advantageous to their case. However, residency requirements can vary significantly...
Legal Separation Vs. Divorce in California
California offers couples who are unsure of or unable to end their marital union an alternative to divorce. If you and your spouse need to remain married but want to live separately and maintain individual households, a legal separation may be the right option for...
How are Royalties Split During a Divorce?
A royalty is a sum of money paid to another person in exchange for using their property. Royalties may be paid to use a person’s music, art, photography, writing, or patented and copyrighted items. Any item that generates royalties is an asset, as is the income...
Spousal Abandonment Laws in California
Spousal abandonment occurs when a spouse walks away from a marriage and its legal, contractual commitments without terminating the marriage in the family court. Spousal abandonment can take different forms. A spouse may vanish, though this is difficult with today’s...
When Does Child Support Begin After a Divorce?
Child support is a monthly payment that one parent provides the other parent to aid in the cost of rearing a child. When parents legally separate or divorce, a parent’s child support obligation begins on the date ordered by the court. This date relies heavily on the...
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1 Certified Family Law Specialists
2 Over 50+ years of combined experience
3 Experienced with complex divorce and child custody cases