Filing for Divorce Citing Irreconcilable Differences

California was the nation’s first no-fault divorce state beginning in 1969 with the signing of then-governor Ronald Reagan’s Family Law Act. Before that time, the law required anyone seeking to divorce a spouse to prove that the spouse had done something wrong—something unforgivable enough to break the marriage bond, for example, committing adultery or spousal abandonment. Today, all states have a form of no-fault divorce law. To file for divorce…

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How Should I File My Taxes While Going Through a Divorce?

There is a lot to consider during the divorce process in California. Besides the emotionally fraught aspects of divorce, there are also intimidating legal processes and the necessity of making new living arrangements and adjusting to a change in financial circumstances. For most divorcing spouses, how they should file their taxes is the last thing on their minds—at least until the tax deadline approaches and they’re still in the process…

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Who Gets To Stay in the House During a Divorce?

Choosing who gets to stay in the marital home during a divorce is often one of the most contentious issues when spouses separate, along with child custody and spousal support. California is a community property state where marital assets are split 50/50 between spouses in a divorce. The answer to the question of who keeps the house depends on the status of the house in or outside of the pool…

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Custody vs. Legal Guardianship: What are the Differences?

We’ve all heard there’s more than one way to be a parent, but this observation is especially accurate when it comes to legal terminology. Two examples are child custody and legal guardianship. While both terms have similar definitions and the responsibilities that come with both are also comparable, there are distinct differences between custody and legal guardianship. Both are long-term and even lifelong commitments to caregiving and both address a…

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Can You Transfer a Family Law Case to Another County or State?

Life can take people on different paths, which is why they sometimes end up in family court deciding matters of divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, adoption, guardianship, and other cases involving families and children. But what happens when life’s path leads to another county or state? What happens to a family law case when one or both parties move away from the original county and the court that…

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How To Change Your Name After Divorce

While no one taking marriage vows expects their marriage to end in divorce, sadly, a significant number of walks down the aisle end at divorce court later. When closing one chapter of your life and opening a new one, it’s common to want a fresh start. For many newly divorced individuals, that fresh start includes moving on from a spouse’s last name and reclaiming the name they had before their…

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Where to File for Divorce in Los Angeles, CA

The decision to file for divorce may feel like the end of a rough road, but once the decision is made, it’s actually the beginning of another journey—a legal one, that starts with learning where to file for divorce. If you live in Los Angeles County and you’ve made the decision that a divorce from your spouse is inevitable, you might wish to be the petitioner rather than the respondent…

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What Is Discovery in Divorce?

Divorce is a difficult process both emotionally and throughout each of the necessary steps required by law to end a marriage in California. California’s no-fault divorce state means either spouse may file for divorce simply under the grounds of irreconcilable differences, so filing is a relatively simple matter; however, it’s also a 50/50 divorce state for separation of marital property, including all debts and assets accumulated during the marriage. This…

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