Category: Child Support

Divorce Law LA blog posts about child support.

Sherri Shepherd’s Child Support Drama Continues

Post author By Scott
Post date January 5, 2017

It appears that Sherri Shepherd’s child support drama is never ending. In the most recent drama, the former View star is slamming her ex Lamar Sally following his demands for more child support.

Sherri Shepherd’s Child Support Drama Continues

Shepherd, 49, filed for divorce from ex Sally just a few weeks before their son Lamar Jr. was born. The child was born via surrogate, with a donor egg and Sally’s sperm after previous attempts at in vitro had failed. Prior to the divorce, the couple was excited to be parents together.

When Shepherd filed for divorce, she refused to take part in raising the child. Following a contentious legal battle, a judge ruled Shepherd would need to pay Sally $4,100 a month in child support.

This past December, Sally went back to the judge to ask for an increase of that child support, claiming that the child has a medical condition that requires more money. Sally also requested that Shepherd pay his $75,000 legal fees.

In recently obtained court documents, Shepherd explained she did not feel a California judge had the legal right to increase the amount she already pays for Lamar Sally. Jr.

“The court dismissed this action after finding that this court lacks jurisdiction over Respondent and the issue of modifying a child support order issued in New Jersey, which is continuing exclusive jurisdiction,” the documents state.

Child Support

It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot, especially in divorce cases where children are involved, but it’s not always necessarily defined. Child support is a monthly payment that parents pay to help cover the costs associated with raising a child, such as education, health care, and after-school activity costs. Just as every child is different, the amount that needs to be paid is different, and will be based on the child’s needs, in addition to the ability of the parent to pay, in addition to some set legal guidelines.

Typically, the custodial parent – the parent who cares for the child most of the time – receives the child support payments. And the non-custodial parent – the parent that spends less parenting time – typically makes the payments. It is assumed that because the custodial parent is in legal charge most of the time, that they are already directly spending money on the child. A court is also able to order both parents to pay child support.

In cases where one parent makes more money than the other, such as in the Renner-Pacheco case, it makes sense that while the two share joint legal and physical custody, Renner will need to pay child support – his income is higher than Pacheco’s.

Usually, child support is paid until the child turns 18, though there are some exceptions. Exceptions include: the child marries, joins the military, or becomes self-supporting. Other times, the support may continue until the child turns 19 if the child is still in high school and lives with a parent. Support can also be extended past the age of 19 if parents agree, or if the child is unable to become self-supporting due to a disability.

Child Support Guidelines in California

While each case will be considered separately and individually, the payment amount a parent must pay is based on California’s child support guidelines.

The guidelines follow a mathematical formula and are based on a number of factors, which we will discuss. You can calculate a rough amount by using California’s Guidelines Child Support Calculator. A court presumes that the amount given by the California’s Guidelines Child Support Calculator is appropriate, but because there are so many additional factors that can weigh into a child support decision, that amount can be unfair. Because of this, it’s advised that you work with a family law attorney that can help you get a fair amount.

In cases with special circumstances, where parents have different time-sharing arrangements than the typical, child support decisions can be difficult to determine. Examples of these special circumstances include: when the parents have equal time-sharing, but one parent has a much lower or higher percentage of income; where the child has special medical needs. In cases like these, a court will need to weigh all these special factors.

Parents are also able to pay more, if it is agreed, and also agree for one spouse to pay less. Regardless of the decision, a court will need to approve the final amount. It’s important to note that a court will always take the child’s best interest into account. This factor will always play into the decision regarding the amount of support payments, so if a couple decides to pay less, then the parents will also need to be able to prove the child’s needs will be met. Paying less support is not an option for parents who have applied for or receive public assistance. Instead, a parent who receives public assistance may agree to support payments that are at or above the amount provided by the guidelines. Additionally, the local child support services agency must also agree to the lesser amount.

Calculating Child Support Payments

To calculate what a court will want you to pay in child support, you’ll first need both parents’ net disposable income. This is the difference between gross income and what counts as deductions for child support purposes. You can either consult the California Guideline Child Support Calculator User Guide, or work with a family law attorney to determine what can be deducted.

Gross income is income from the following: salaries, commissions, unemployment, spousal support, and social security benefits. You might even need to include lottery winnings, depending on the amount. You are able to exclude child and spousal support payments actually paid and money from public assistance programs.

After determining gross income, deduct state and federal income taxes, mandatory union dues, and health insurance premiums, among other things. You can either consult the California Guideline Child Support Calculator User Guide, or work with a family law attorney to determine what can be deducted.

You’ll also need to know the following:

number of children who need support
custody (time-share) arrangement
both parents’ tax liabilities
whether a parent is already supporting children from another relationship
child’s health insurance expenses
both parents’ mandatory retirement contributions and other job-related expenses, and
all other relevant costs (health care, day care, travel, etc)

Remember that a court will require either one or both parents to contribute to the child’s health care and child care. A court also has the discretion to require additional payment for the child’s education or special needs, as well as for a parent’s travel expenses for visiting the child.

Remember that after you have calculated your child support payment, that this is just an estimate until a court reviews it and approves it. A family law attorney is a great way to ease this process, as it can be overwhelming to calculate.

You Must Pay Child Support

Every parent that is ordered to pay child support, must do so. A parent that avoids paying by refusing to work or working less very rarely gets away with it. A court can “impute” income. This means that the court will look at factors like employment history, education, and training and come up with an amount of income that a parent should be earning.

Modifications to the Amount of Child Support

Even if a child support payment has been agreed to, it can be modified. This is usually only granted if there has been a significant change in financial or time-share circumstances.

Such circumstances include: job loss, increase in income, or a shift in how much parents are spending with the child. Other reasons include: when a parent has another child with a different partner or when a parent has an extended illness or goes to jail.

When a modification request is made, the court will consider both parents’ current financial situations and time-share. Sometimes when parent’s income has decreased, that parent’s child support payment goes up due to the time-share factor. Child support payments tend to increase when a parent’s percentage of time-share decreases. A court will need to recalculate time-share amounts in addition to the changes in income.

A Family Law Attorney

But when it comes to the actual legal process of a divorce and determining child support and payment, you’ll want to work with a skilled family law attorney. There are a number of things that a family law attorney will be able to advise you on, including: child support, spousal support, marital property division, and other things. Working with a skilled attorney can help ensure you get a fair case. For advice on divorce, child custody determinations, setting up a co-parenting agreement, dividing marital property, and spousal support you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

https://bestdivorcelawyer.co

Tags celebrity child custody, Child Support, Lamar Sally, Sherri Shepherd

Child Custody Child Support Child Visitation Collaborative Law Divorce Family Law Mediation Modification to Family Court Orders Move Aways (Child Relocation) Paternity

Learning How to Co-Parent

Post author By Scott
Post date December 12, 2016

Children, Sports, and the Increasing Number of Brain Injuries

It’s easy to do. You get a text message from your ex-spouse about not wanting to give up “their time” with the children you share to accommodate for a scheduling issue that you’ve run into. So you fire back a snarky text that sets off World War 3.

And then your son approaches you with: “I saw the texts you sent.”

It’s hard to remember that “parenting” is the main portion of “co-parenting” because it’s so easy to get caught up in the “co” portion.

Divorce

Divorce is not easy, and it often brings out the worst in us. We become the 14 year old girl or boy obsessing about every little thing. This can be especially true if there is any residual hurt due to a person leaving, or cheating, or falling out of love. Yes, it hurts, and it sucks, but whatever the reason for your divorce, it is never a good enough excuse to pull your kids along through the hurtful ride of roller-coaster emotions.

The key to establishing a good co-parenting relationship is to remember that your kids are part you and part your ex-spouse. And hopefully this realization will help you manage those angry, frustrated, and sad emotions.

Managing Emotions

“The biggest obstacles to successful co-parenting are emotions,” says Alisa Peskin-Shepherd, principal of Transitions Legal, a family law practice that specializes in mediative divorce. “Emotional obstacles are usually anger, resentment and jealousy. Often parents have a hard time separating those feelings toward their former spouse from their attempt to focus on their children.”

The idea of focusing on your children might seem obvious, but that can be really difficult when you receive that text from your ex that makes you want to throw your phone directly into their face. There are some tips that can help though! Here are some tips from parents who have actually found the magic combination to a successful (meaning they don’t completely resent each other) co-parenting situation.

Building a Successful Co-Parenting Situation

Give Yourself a ‘Timeout’

“Take time to reflect on how your behavior and your decisions are affecting your child,” says Peskin-Shepherd. “Especially where there is constant disagreement, try to accept that you are not going to change the other person and find a way to make something work without being dependent on the other parent’s response.”

If you are not able to give yourself a timeout, and find that you are still stewing about conversing with your ex, consult a “co-parenting coordinator,” attorney or counselor – with or without your ex-spouse. This objective third party can be a great sounding board for ironing out your co-parenting relationship.

“Our expectations that two people who didn’t get along when they are married will suddenly be able to co-parent without some help is not reasonable,” Peskin-Shepherd says.

According to Alison Willet, a Birmingham resident and psychologist who has worked with high-conflict divorce, it is crucial for ex-spouses to heal fully from the pain that stems from their divorce if they plan to find a way to co-parent effectively.

The mother of three daughters and two step-daughters goes on to say, “People going through divorce need to take the necessary time to grieve the end of this major relationship and remember that at one time, they loved or cared about the other parent. When parents are psychologically intact, it will be easier for them to put the needs of their children first.”

Play to Your Ex’s Strengths (This Might Be Very Difficult)

By now you know what your ex is good and and what they’re not so good at. So play fair when it comes to your kids and your ex’s abilities.

“You probably know your ex-spouse better than anyone else,” says Chris Tucker, father of Finn, 9, and Simon, 7, and step-dad to Lucas, 6. “Play to those strengths – not in a manipulative way, but in a spirit of making the best use of one another’s talents.”

Tucker’s situation is: he has his boys two-thirds of the year; their mother visits monthly from Virginia. She also takes them over school breaks and summer. Tucker, his wife, his ex-wife, and her husband all work as a unit to parent the children.

“We like to think of ourselves – Colleen, her husband, my wife and I – as members of a family ecosystem,” says Tucker. “This means that everyone involved is invested in and accountable for raising our kids, and it goes a long way in building trust and mutual respect.”

Commit to Cooperating

This can be the hardest part of a co-parenting relationship – cooperating.

According to mother Shaindle Braunstein-Cohen, “Effective co-parenting does not require friendship, but it does require cooperation.”

“My ex and I get along when we have contact, but we never have contact outside of our son,” she says. “When my son wanted to show his dad his new room in our new home, he did. Successful co-parenting involves only one thing: loving your child more than you hate your ex.”

When her ex moved out-of-state, Braunstein-Cohen gained full custody of her 14-year-old Seth. When he wants to see his dad or vice versa, both her and Seth’s father to make it happen. “Sure, that meant I had many holidays without him, but it wasn’t about me,” she says.

You can’t keep living in the past either.

“The kids can become an obsession, a club to beat your ex over the head with,” says Braunstein-Cohen. “You can’t live in the past, and you also can’t live in the future. Just live in the now. The moment is here; it’s what you’ve got. Make the best of it.”

Get it in Writing

Peskin-Shepherd advises parents to put everything in writing. That means that all plans and agreements should be kindly communicated to the other parent. This should be part of your working situation. If it’s in writing, it is harder for one person to argue about the agreed arrangement. This should be done for even the smallest things if you know that there is potential for arguments later down the road. This is especially necessary for vacation time and scheduling, agreements regarding financial decisions, and paying for child’s needs. A majority of these things will be part of your child custody agreement, but anything that comes up out side of that should also be agreed to in writing.

Vacation time and money issues are common post-divorce problems, says Peskin-Shepherd. “Parents can agree on how to pay for extracurricular activities, summer camps, boots and winter coats,” she says. “Have a mindset of cooperation to avoid problems. Likely the compromise your ex-spouse is asking of you today will be the one you need tomorrow.”

Set High Intentions

Keely Henry dealt with an ugly divorce. She did not want it to affect her son, Sullivan, 8. “I knew I could not let this ugly experience lead our lives,” she says. “I was going to have to communicate with my ex over the course of our son’s life. The only thing to do was set the ideal on a higher notion, above emotional distress.”

Because of that, Henry and her ex decided to celebrate holidays and birthdays with Sully together, which means including Henry’s new life partner and her ex’s partner, the woman that her husband left her for. “We all collaborate on my son’s parenting, with his dad and I as the final sayers,” she says. “It really is simple. Set the goal for the higher, not the lower.”

Let Go of Wanting Control

Even thirteen years after their divorce, Jodi Rubin and her ex-husband disagree about the same things they did not agree about when they were married. But they’ve been able to reach a place of mutual respect that allows them to co-parent their three children, Jordan, 19, Paige, 15, and Ethan, 13.

“It’s not about you,” says Rubin. “Instead of worrying about each other, worry about the kids. It’s a parent’s job to turn their children into productive and emotionally healthy adults, and you can’t do that if you’re focused on each other.”

Silence your Support System

Your friends and family will want to defend you, but there’s nothing helpful about your mother sending your ex a nasty email. The support system should remain impartial, and if they’re not, you need to intervene.

“There were times I had to check my mom as she ranted and raved about what went down,” Henry says. “Or girlfriends – awesome friends who had not been married or had children – not understanding how I could handle some of the things the way I did. There were moments I could hardly do anything but scream and cry – and I did, but on my own watch. There will be tough times. You can get something positive from them.”

Keep Your Ego in Check

It goes without saying that you’re going to doubt your parenting ability and fear that your children will want to be with the other parent. But you have to resist the urge.

“It’s easy to see your ex-spouse as a threat,” says Tucker. “Remind yourself that your ex is also your children’s parent and would also step in front of a bus for them. Trust that they also have your children’s best interests at heart.”

Says Braunstein-Cohen, “Be totally honest with yourself. Everyone has ego involved; they want their child to know they were not at fault, that they are a better parent. Let it go and really think about what makes your kids happy.

“Obviously you don’t agree or sometimes even like each other very much – that’s why you got divorced,” she adds. “Get over it.”

A Family Law Attorney

But when it comes to the actual legal process of a divorce, you’ll want to work with a skilled family law attorney There are a number of things that need to be considered during a divorce: child support, spousal support, marital property division, and other things. Working with a skilled attorney can help ensure you get a fair case. For advice on divorce, child custody determinations, setting up a co-parenting agreement, dividing marital property, and spousal support you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

https://bestdivorcelawyer.co

Tags child visitation, co-parent, co-parenting, ex spouse

Child Custody Child Support Divorce Family Law High Net-Worth Divorce Marital Property Division Spousal Support

The Financial Side of Divorce

Post author By Scott
Post date December 6, 2016

Divorce is difficult. You are both figuring out what your new lives will be once the divorce agreement is signed. One of the hardest aspects to resolve during divorce is the finances.

The Financial Side of Divorce

Mark Zandi, a chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, who has researched divorce and corresponding demographic trends has found, “Divorce generally results in a significant financial setback for all those involved.”

What used to feel like a joint effort between two people can turn into an all out war. Because of the potential to start World War III, there are things that you can do to prepare yourself for at least the financial aspect of the end of your marriage. Careful planning in advance can help you avoid getting to the battlegrounds unarmed.

Preparing Your Finances for Divorce

The first thing you want to do is create an inventory of all of your assets. This includes your debts too. You need to understand your families assets and liabilities. Have copies or at least access to tax returns, statements from all accounts, household bills and any other important records. Additionally, put together a list of valuable property that includes shared real estate, collectibles, furniture, and antiques or pieces of artwork.

You will want to put everything in writing, in a qualified domestic relations order, or QDRO. This is a legal document that spells out how you and your spouse have decided to divide certain retirement assets such as 401(k) accounts, says Page Harty, a financial planner at wealth-management firm SignatureFD.

It’s crucial that you do not overlook anything valuable. This could cost you significant amounts of money when it comes time to divide marital assets. There are often cases when a spouse will hide an asset from the other in an attempt to get more money or retain ownership of something they hold valuable. Sometimes this cannot be avoided, but sitting down, finding a clear head, and making a list of every asset you are aware of can help prevent this from happening to you (unless of course your spouse has never made you aware of the asset he or she is hiding).

Your shared debts are important too. Just because the marriage is ending, that does not mean that the debt will just go away. Try to pay these debts off before the divorce is finalized. If that’s not possible, make sure you have a clear agreement on which spouse will pay which debt.

The House

It’s tempting to want to keep the house. This is especially true for couples that have school-aged children. It can already feel as if you’re destroying their lives, let alone forcing them to move out of the house they used to feel so safe in. But remember that a house is a big expense, and one that might not be worth fighting for. It’s often advised that splitting couples sell the house and split the proceeds. This way, both parties share in the risk and cost that is associated with a selling a home, says financial planner, Matt Mikula.

Mikula shares this example of a client of his. The mother of four had been awarded custody of the couple’s four children in addition to the family’s $1.5 million home and $500,000 in other assets. Not wanting to disrupt her children’s lifestyle, she wanted to keep the house.

But taxes, utilities, maintenance and other expenses amounted to about $50,000 a year. The client had little other means, in terms of assets and income to cover those costs. As a result, according to Mikula, “she was going to run out of money.”

In the end, the client decided to sell the house. This was six years after the divorce, and due to economic reasons, she received 20% less than what it had been valued at during the time of the divorce.

Additional Expenses

Housing is a huge expense, but it’s not the only one. Other expenses will need to be taken care of, including how much your family spends on food, clothes, and other essentials, like health insurance, which according to financial planners, can be steep.

There are also the unknown expenses. Ms. Church, a financial adviser at Raymond James Financial shared this story. After her divorce, her daughter was invited to play on a volleyball team that traveled extensively. Suddenly she needed to come up with about $400 to $500 a month to cover the hotel rooms, meals and other expenses associated with her daughter playing on this team. Ms. Church says, “there will be unforeseen expenses.” Because of this, she advises her clients to be aggressive when they sit down and figure out their post-divorce cost of living. This is especially true if there are children involved. She also advises to include the impact of inflation.

Stop Seeking Revenge

It’s obvious from almost every tabloid story on divorce that divorce can get ugly when it comes to finances.

One key reminder to keep in mind: The less you spend, the more you keep.

What that translates to is: the more you argue about petty things, the more time you will spend, which automatically translates to the more money you will spend.

Regardless of how terrible the reason is for your divorce, try to remember that the more money that gets put towards the divorce is less money that will be available for the settlement.

Financial planner Rose Swanger has this example to share: Her client was married for more than 20 years to a surgeon that earned a seven-figure income. He had cheated on her, and as a result, the two were divorcing. The woman was seeking $300,000 a year in alimony. According to Swanger, the amount she sought was unrealistic due to the fact that the couple owned two heavily mortgaged houses in affluent neighborhoods, and were also paying private-school tuition for their children.

The woman had already worked with two lawyers, running up tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees by the time she consulted Ms. Swanger, who ultimately dropped her as a client. As a result of the ever-increasing legal bills, the woman’s credit score suffered a large hit.

“I don’t blame her for trying to retaliate, but I warned her that a calm divorce is the best divorce,” Ms. Swanger says.

Every dollar spent during the divorce process is a dollar that cannot be split 50-50. It’s advised that you look at your divorce as a way to strike a favorable business deal rather than a chance to seek revenge.

Taxes and Divorce

Before the divorce paperwork is signed you need to make sure you review what your agreement will mean around tax time. There are different tax laws regarding alimony and child support, depending on what side of the agreement you are on. Be sure that your lawyer or financial adviser explains this before you finalize the financial aspects of your divorce. An agreement that looks equal on the surface might be completely unfair when it comes to tax time.

Financial planner Monica Garver, worked on a case where the husband proposed a division of assets that worked out to be roughly an even split at face value. He proposed keeping $2 million from after-tax investment account and giving his soon-to-be ex-wife $2 million in tax-deferred retirement accounts.

“Each and every dollar [in the retirement accounts] had to pass through the hands of the taxman before the spouse could put it in her pocket,” says Ms. Garver. She encouraged that her client seek more of the couple’s assets to compensate for the money lost to the taxman.

Don’t Forget!

Before you can consider yourself free from your spouse there are some other financial matters that might not seem obvious.

Be sure to update your will, says Ms. Vasileff, a financial planner. Not doing this can put your intended heirs in a difficult situation, she says. She advises you will also need to update a health-care proxy or a power of attorney that names your former spouse.

Lastly, transfer any titles for any real estate, cars, investment accounts or other assets that were held jointly into your name, says Harty of SignatureFD. She also advises a big thing: change the passwords on your accounts, too.

Also, if there was something agreed to in your divorce, like a requirement that your former spouse purchase a life-insurance policy and name you as the beneficiary, you should make sure that the premiums are being paid and that you remain the beneficiary, Ms. Harty says. One option to ensure this is being done: Ask for periodic confirmation from the insurance company.

A Family Law Attorney

There are a number of things that need to be considered during a divorce. You and your spouse will need to come to an agreement that settles every aspect of your marriage. Child support, spousal support, marital property division can all be agreed to through the process of mediation. Working with a skilled mediation attorney can help ensure you get a fair case. For advice on divorce, child custody determinations, setting up a co-parenting agreement, dividing marital property, and spousal support you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

https://bestdivorcelawyer.co

Tags Alimony, Divorce, finances, marital property, Spousal Support

Child Custody Child Support Collaborative Law Divorce Family Law High Net-Worth Divorce

Brad and Angelina Settling Behind Closed Doors

Post author By Scott
Post date September 26, 2016

Considering Brad and Angelina have lived much of their private life behind closed doors, it makes sense they would look to settle their divorce in a similar manner.

Brad and Angelina Settling Behind Closed Doors

When Brad and Angelina first started dating 12-years ago it was on the eve of Pitt’s divorce from Jennifer Aniston. While “Brangelina” was “undercover” for a while, the couple allegedly began their relationship while on the set of their movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The couple was wed two years ago in 2014 and have 5 children: 15-year-old Maddox, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

For many couples, a collaborative divorce can make all the difference when it comes to settling a divorce.

Collaborative Divorce

As Family lawyer Nathalie Boutet explained, amicable and collaborative divorces or “conscious uncoupling” allows couples to avoid any unnecessary conflict. This type of conflict prolongs and publicizes negotiations, explained Boutet. According to her, “[Conscious uncoupling] is simply thinking about the consequences of your actions…it’s making plans rather than reacting to emotions like fear, anger or revenge.”

During a collaborative divorce process a team of four people—lawyers for each spouse, a mental health coach and financial professional – sit down and work together to create a solution for each spouse regarding everything that needs to be decided: child support and visitation, spousal support, and marital property division. Collaboration is done face to face so that each spouse is able to voice his or her own opinion. The team allows open communication and negotiation. The process allows people to work together as a team of negotiators to come to an emotional, financial, and legal solution.

Less Expensive and Less Time Spent

According to Jenkins, when a divorce goes to court, you can pay $100,000 just to get to the courthouse steps. An average collaborative can save you a ton of money, as the average one costs about $32,000. “People are raiding their retirement accounts just to pay for divorces,” said Rackham Karlsson, a collaborative attorney. “Going to court can be more expensive, more time intensive and corrosive for children.”

An average collaborative divorce takes three to four months to reach a settlement. When it comes to standard divorce, there really is no timeline. In fact, some divorces, when extremely litigious, have been known to drag on for years as spouses fight over property and spousal support, and who will receive the wedding china. And because a standard divorce decision is left up to a judge to decide, there is very little control you have over timing and outcome with a case that goes to divorce court.

A Good Alternative

There are numerous reasons why people choose the collaborative divorce process over the standard divorce process. The main reasons are that it’s less combative, and the final agreement feels more organic and more of well, an actual agreement than a decree. A couple is able to save time, money, and maybe even some headaches if they are able to work as a member of the collaborative divorce process.

Irreconcilable Differences

Jolie cited “irreconcilable differences” as their reason for the end of their marriage.

“Irreconcilable differences” is often the cited reason for a divorce filing. Filing “irreconcilable differences” means there is no hope that the couple will be able to resolve the problems they have with each other to be able to save the marriage. Some states use the term ” irretrievable breakdown of the marriage” instead of “irreconcilable differences.” You will need to check with your state’s terminology and grounds for divorces as each state has different requirements regarding what can be cited as the reason. A divorce attorney will be able to advise you on your state’s specific laws regarding grounds for divorce.

California is a no-fault state. “No-fault” means just that – neither party is at fault for the end of the marriage. So neither spouse is able to be found “guilty” for committing any sort of extenuating act, such as adultery, abandonment, or extreme cruelty.

High Net-Worth Divorces

It’s been estimated that Pitt has a net worth of $240 million and Jolie’s is estimated at around $160 million. Combined, the couple’s net worth is estimated to be $400 million.

Defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission, a “High Net-Worth Divorce” is “One in which a natural person who has individual net worth, or joint worth with the person’s spouse, that exceeds $1 million dollars at the time of purchase, excluding the value of the primary residence of such person; or a natural person with an income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 for those years and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year.” If you find yourself in this financial situation, having a skilled Pasadena High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer on your side to maneuver this unique set of divorce circumstances is essential.

For individuals who carry a significant net worth, protecting themselves in the case of divorce is essential in order to properly secure their assets. Statistically speaking, individuals across a wide spectrum can find themselves facing the reality of divorce, no matter their socioeconomic status, ethnicity or religion, but the more assets involved and the higher the net worth, the greater the stakes when it comes to separation of finances and property.

Regardless of a person’s net worth, all divorce proceedings should follow a similar protocol awarding equal treatment and regard for the allocation of property, finances and matters relating to children and a High Net Worth Divorce attorney is extremely beneficial for wealthy individuals with much to lose from a divorce.

In general, most divorces follow a series of events that are relatively standard in their unfolding and pertain largely to individuals of a low to medium socioeconomic bracket. This demographic of couples comprise the bulk of divorces in the United States. Many individuals, however, require the expertise of a skilled High Net Worth Divorce Attorney who can assist them through the more complicated process of their divorce based on their higher level of income and High Net-Worth. Knowledge of such specific legal situations as creating and enforcing prenuptial agreements, estates, international property holdings, various investments, high incomes and/or professional licenses is essential, and a skilled High Net Worth Divorce Attorney at the Southern California Law Offices of Divorce Law LA can provide just such assistance.

Co-Parenting

Co-parenting is a crucial part of your child’s life. You will not be able to raise a child successfully if you do not get a handle on this. No child wants to see their parents fighting, or feel as if they are being tugged between two sides of a war.

You might need to consult a therapist or lawyer to get some groundwork laid for this new relationship. Bottom line: just try to be adults. You might have to dig deep to find that “adult” in there, and you might not want to, but you have to, for your child’s sake. Find an approach that will work for you (for the both of you) and then start from that point.

Kids Interests First

Putting your child’s best interests above your own are the only way to build a successful co-parenting situation while creating an amicable relationship with your ex. You two don’t need to be best friends that talk a million times a day. You just need to find a way to make this work, kind of like being assigned to a lab partner in high school that you just couldn’t stand. You had to work together to get through the assignment and to get the A+ grade that you wanted. If you could make that work in high school, you can make this relationship work as an adult.

This can be done in a number of ways:

Work out a method of communication. This can be done through email or text. Being able to write it down helps to create a “paper trail” should there be disputes. But this is also a great way to just remove the emotions and stick to the fact.
Remove the emotion during interaction – either in person or via communication
Schedule it out. This means weekly routines as well as vacation and other important events.
Be flexible
Commit to being cooperative. This might be a stretch, but you will need to cooperate.

This is not always an easy process, but once you have these basic things under your belt, it will be easier.

A Family Law Attorney

But when it comes to the actual legal process of a divorce, you’ll want to work with a skilled family law attorney. There are a number of things that need to be considered during a divorce: child support, spousal support, marital property division, and other things. Working with a skilled attorney can help ensure you get a fair case. For advice on divorce, child custody determinations, setting up a co-parenting agreement, dividing marital property, and spousal support you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

https://bestdivorcelawyer.co

Tags Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, celebrity divorce

Child Custody Child Support Child Visitation Collaborative Law Divorce Family Law High Net-Worth Divorce

What The Pitt-Jolie Divorce Might Mean For Their Children

Post author By Scott
Post date September 21, 2016

According to court documents released this week, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s marriage is coming to an end. The couple listed their separation date as September 15, just two years and one month after they married in August 2014. Jolie is seeking physical custody with visitation and legal custody rights for Pitt. Below we discuss just what Pitt and Jolie might be facing as they determine their divorce agreement.

Forms of Child Custody

There are different forms of child custody: legal custody, physical custody, sole custody, and joint custody.

Physical Custody

Physical custody means a parent has gained the legal right (typically through a court ruling) to have a child live with him or her. Usually if a parent has physical custody they also have sole custody of the child, which means the other parent has visitation rights.

Sole Custody

There are two forms of sole custody a parent can have: sole legal custody or sole physical custody. Courts seem to be moving away from awarding sole custody to one parent as more information is coming out about the importance of having both parents in a child’s life. In cases where a parent has been deemed unfit due to a history of neglect or abuse, a known dependency on drugs or alcohol, or a new parent that has been deemed unfit, a court will usually award sole physical custody to one parent. It’s advised that unless a parent has demonstrated the above issues, that you do not seek sole custody, due to the importance of having both parents in a child’s life.

While the trend is to award joint custody, in cases where courts do award sole physical custody the parents still usually share joint legal custody (which means both parents are able to make legal decisions regarding the child), unless a parent has been deemed unfit to make those legal decisions.

Legal Custody

Legal custody allows a parent to make decisions regarding various aspects of a child’s life, including education, religion, and medical care or legal issues.

Joint Custody

Joint custody is able to be awarded to the parents if they are divorced, separated, no longer living together, or if they never lived together but still shared a child. The awarding of joint custody to both parents means each parent is able to make decisions regarding the child. Joint custody also comes in various forms, including joint legal custody, joint physical custody, or joint legal and physical custody. Usually, if a couple shares joint physical custody they also share joint legal custody. But if a couple shares joint legal custody they do not always also share joint physical custody.

Preparing for Your Child Custody Case Hearing

One you have filed your petition to be granted sole child custody you will receive a date for either a mediation session or a court hearing. You’ll want to be prepared going into this meeting. Here are some steps to prepare.

Work with Your Family Law Attorney

Your family law attorney will help you prepare for the mediation or court hearing. If you have been working with a family law attorney up to this point, chances are you have already built your case for why the other parent is unfit to raise the child or children you share. If you have not been working with a family law attorney, you will need to gather evidence of this on your own. We’ll discuss this more in depth further below.

Serve the Other Parent

After the petition has been filed, you’ll need to let the other parent know that you have done so and that you are requesting that a change be made to the current custody agreement. You can either work with your family law attorney to have the notification served, or work with a service company or the courthouse to have this done. Once the notification is served, the person who served the papers will need to provide you with proof that the other parent has been made aware. This is called “Proof of Service.” You’ll need to provide this to the court.

Preparing Evidence

Family law courts prefer to award joint custody to both parents. Because of this, you will need to prove that the other parent is unfit and unable to handle custody of your child. This may be proven a number of ways. Here are a few examples:

A history of abuse or neglect. Are there any police reports that have been filed against the other parent? Are there other pieces of evidence? Are there witnesses that can corroborate your story?
Lifestyle. Does the other parent have a job? Is it a steady job that can ensure the other parent is able to financially take care of the child? Where does the other parent live? Is it a safe environment?
Emotional and physical health. Is the other parent physically and mentally able to care for the child?

Once you have prepared all your evidence, either on your own or with the help of a family law attorney, you will be ready for the mediation or court hearing. If during the mediation session you are unable to come to an agreement, then the case will need to go before a judge. Hopefully, either through mediation or the court hearing, you will then be granted with sole child custody.

It should be noted that if a parent strongly disagrees with how the court has decided on the custody case, there is always an option to appeal.

Appealing Child Custody Decisions

Child custody cases are difficult due to the nature of the subject. A family law court will always rule in the best interest of the child. It’s important to note that an appeals court will not review a case just because one party disagrees with what the judge decided. If you feel your child custody agreement was arrived at because the court made a substantive error (either procedural or legal) you are able to appeal the court’s decision. Here’s how to appeal a child custody ruling.

Work with a Family Law Attorney

Working with a family law attorney will help you prove your case. In the case of appealing an already decided agreement, the family law attorney will need to prove that the previous decision was arrived at inaccurately due to a legal error or a procedural error.

Rules of Your Jurisdiction

Every state has different rules that given child custody cases and appeals. A family law attorney will be familiar with the rules of your specific jurisdiction and will be able to help guide you through the process. If you are not working with a family law attorney, you will need to research the rules on your own. These jurisdiction rules govern what your timeline is for filing an appeal to your child custody case, as well as exact guidelines for what should be contained in the petition to appeal. You can find these rules online or at your local courthouse.

Prepare an Appellate Petition

Next, you will need to prepare an appellate petition. This petition outlines why you are appealing the current child custody decision, as well as lists the errors that the lower court made when deciding on your child custody decision. If you are not working with a family law attorney, you might want to have the petition you fill out reviewed by one, just to ensure it has been done correctly. Next, you will file this petition with the court, as well as have a notification of the filing served to your opposing party.

Review of Appellate Petition

The court will then review the appellate petition and decide whether or not to hear your child custody appeal. If the court decides to hear your case, you will need to prepare a brief that explains your reasons for appealing the initial child custody agreement. This brief should include the lower court’s rules, case law, and all the facts that were presented in the initial custody hearing. A judge will review this and offer a final decision.

When parents live in different locations, either different states, countries, or even towns, the issue of child custody can become very difficult. It’s not uncommon for parents to request move away court orders.

Move Away Court Orders

If you are facing a case such as this one, the first thing you need to identify is if you are able to move away and relocate your child. Most courts will not allow a parent to relocate the child unless he or she has received written consent from the other parent or a court.

During a question of relocating a child the court takes the “best interest of the child” into account, considering these factors:

Is the current child custody arrangement stable?
Where is the new location? How far away is it from the household of the remaining parent?
What will be the financial impact (for both parents)?
Age of the child
What is the current relationship between the parents and the child?
Are the parents able to co-parent?
What are the child’s wishes (this is often dependent on the child’s age)?
Does the child require special accommodations? If so, are these accommodations available in the new location?
Reason for the move
Any additional factors

Working with A Family Law Attorney

When it comes to child custody decisions, you’ll want to work with a skilled family law attorney. There are a number of things that need to be considered, namely the best interests of the child, but also what type of custody you are hoping to acheive. Working with a skilled attorney can help ensure you get a fair case. For advice on divorce, child custody determinations, setting up a co-parenting agreement, dividing marital property, and spousal support you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

https://bestdivorcelawyer.co

Tags Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, legal custody, physical custody, sole custody

Child Custody Child Support Child Visitation Divorce Family Law Paternity

Hartwell Suggests Paternity Test

Post author By Scott
Post date July 25, 2016

Ed Hartwell and Keshia Knight Pulliam got married 7 months ago and just recently announced they are expecting a child together. Which is why it came as such a shock that Hartwell just filed for divorce, and now appears to be questioning the paternity of the child.

Hartwell Suggests Paternity Test

As Pulliam, 37, explained during her Kandidly Keshia podcast, the two were married in a secret ceremony on New Year’s Eve. “It was my dream,” Pulliam said. “We did it literally in our living room in our home. We invited people. They had no clue they were coming to a wedding.”

Seven months later, it looks like former NFL player Hartwell, 38, has filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. But there’s one more thing Hartwell is questioning – the paternity of the baby.

“Right now, the only thing I want is a paternity test for the baby,” he told TheYBF.com via his rep.

Determining Paternity

There are numerous reasons for why you would seek to prove the paternity of your child‘s father. These reasons are not just for being able to receive child support. Being able to legally prove paternity also opens the door to the ability of your child receiving legal rights to social security or Veteran’s benefits, or possible inheritance – in the event that the birth father passes away.

What is Paternity?

Paternity is “the state or condition of being a father.” It’s important to establish this for numerous reasons – we will go into this further below – but either the mother or the father of the child may file the Petition to Establish Parental Relationship of a child. When paternity is established (should it not be evident) through a paternity test, a court will make decisions on the issues of child custody, child support, and child visitation.

Reasons for a Paternity Test

Financial

It can be hard to raise a child on one income. A mother seeking child support compensation will need to prove that the man she is seeking child support payments from is actually the father.

Un-Located Fathers

Often times a woman seeking child support will have to deal with a father that cannot be located. Most states have measures in place to track down these fathers that claim they are not the father. Once a man is located, a court will issue a paternity test to determine if the man is the father. This will then determine if the man needs to provide child support.

Helpful for Fathers

Paternity tests determine if a child is yours or not. If you are unsure of your paternity, a paternity test is the only way you will be able to legally say you do not need to make child support payments.

A Note About At-Home Paternity Tests

While many “at-home” paternity tests exist, only tests taken in court-approved locations can be deemed as legally official. These paternity tests require an approved official, such as a laboratory employee, to collect DNA. The test cannot be handled by either parent in order to prevent possible tampering.

Establishing Paternity

To establish paternity, you will need to do the following:

If you were married to your husband when your child was born, it is legally assumed that you are the legal father.
If you were not married when your child was born, you must legally determine the father of the child through a court-approved paternity test. This test will be the definitive answer on paternity.

Prove Paternity Cases

When parents are unmarried at the time of conception or birth of a child it can be difficult to establish paternal rights through a paternity case. Because these types of cases can be complex, it helps to consult an experienced family law attorney. Below are some legal guidelines for paternity cases.

California Family Code section 7570

California Family Code section 7570 states “there is a compelling state interest in establishing paternity for all children.” This is because “establishing paternity is the first step toward a child support award.” Paternity is used as basis for child custody and visitation orders. A father’s paternity must be determined in order for the child to receive the following: health insurance, social security, military benefits, and inheritance rights. The code states, “knowing one’s father is important to a child’s development.”

California’s Procedure For Voluntary Paternity

California has an established procedure for establishing voluntary paternity. When a child is born and the parents are unmarried, the parents are able to sign a Declaration of Paternity that establishes they are the legal parents of the child. Signing this form is completely voluntary for both parents.

This declaration can be signed at the hospital when the child is born. If signed at the hospital, the father’s name will go on the child’s birth certificate. This means that the mother does not need to go to court to prove who the father of the child is.

You are not obligated to sign the letter at the hospital. But, if the parents decide to sign this form after the child’s birth certificate has been issued, a new birth certificate will need to be issued with the father’s name.

Signing this form when you are unmarried parents saves both parties, as well as the court, time and money when it comes to determining paternity.

Child Custody

There are different forms of child custody: legal custody, physical custody, sole custody, and joint custody.

1. Physical Custody

2. Legal Custody

Legal custody allows a parent to make decisions regarding various aspects of a child’s life, including: education, religion, and medical care or legal issues.

3. Joint Custody

Joint custody is able to be awarded to the parents if they are divorced, separated, no longer living together, or if they never lived together but still shared a child. The awarding of joint custody to both parents means each parent is able to make decisions regarding the child. Joint custody also comes in various forms, including: joint legal custody, joint physical custody, or joint legal and physical custody. Usually if a couple shares joint physical custody they also share joint legal custody. But if a couple shares joint legal custody they do not always also share joint physical custody.

Joint Child Custody Arrangements

Joint Child Custody can take various forms, such as:

joint legal custody – where the parents share the decision-making responsibilities.

joint physical custody – where children spend time with each parent separately.

joint legal and physical custody – a combination of the above.

Joint Child Custody – Advantages and Disadvantages

There are advantages and disadvantages to joint child custody. While it ensures children continue contact with both parents, children still need to be shuttled from one parent to the other. This can be a difficult situation for non-cooperative parents, and thus can be a hard situation for children stuck in the middle. Regardless of if parents are cooperative or non-cooperative, it’s crucial that all financial records of groceries, finances associated with a child’s after school activities, medical care, and clothing are kept. In cases where parents argue about these things, a judge will appreciate finely detailed records. If parents can maintain a positive parenting schedule and approach, and keep the child’s best interests in mind, joint custody can be a positive and comforting experience for a child.

4. Sole Custody

There are two forms of sole custody a parent can have: sole legal custody or sole physical custody. Courts seem to be moving away from awarding sole custody to one parent as more information is coming out about the importance of having both parents in a child’s life. In cases where a parent has been deemed unfit due to a history of neglect or abuse, a known dependency on drugs or alcohol, or a new parented that has been deemed unfit, a court will usually award sole physical custody to one parent. It’s advised that unless a parent has demonstrated the above issues, that you do not seek sole custody, due to the importance of having both parents in a child’s life.

While the trend is to award joint custody, in cases where courts do award sole physical custody the parents still usually share joint legal custody (which means both parents are able to make legal decisions regarding the child), unless a parents has been deemed unfit to make those legal decisions.

Filing For Sole Custody

While most courts favor joint custody, if you feel the parent you share a child with is unfit you can file for sole child custody of your child. Here are the steps to do so.

File Correct Forms

You’ll want to either work with a court clerk or your family law attorney to determine which forms you’ll want to use when petitioning for sole child custody. The type of petition you file is dependent on your specific circumstances. Here are some examples of petitions to file:

petition to update existing child custody orders
petition to establish custody
petition to establish paternity and install custody

Make sure your family law attorney reviews all forms prior to your submission. This will ensure everything is filed correctly and in the way that will ensure the outcome you want. Make a copy for yourself and for the other parent. The court will keep the original.

Get a Mediation or Hearing Date

Once your sole child custody petition is filed, you will get a date for either a mediation session or court date. Both you and the other parent need to be present at this date in order to meet a final agreement regarding the child’s custody.

Work with a Family Law Attorney

The first thing you should do if you are seeking paternity or having to deal with custody disputes is hire a family law lawyer that works with child custody cases. A lawyer will be able to help you decide your best course of action based on your situation. Additionally, it’s important to remember that filing for child custody does not necessarily mean you get child support. But a child custody order does not automatically give you child support.

For advice on child custody or child support, you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

https://bestdivorcelawyer.co

Tags Ed Hartwell, Keshia Knight Pulliam, paternity

Child Custody Child Support Divorce Family Law High Net-Worth Divorce

Drew Barrymore Talks Divorce and Children

Post author By Scott
Post date May 3, 2016

While Drew Barrymore filed for divorce from husband Will Kopelman on April 1, she’s doing her best to put one foot in front of the other and move forward.

Drew Barrymore Talks Divorce and Children

Barrymore, 41, and art consultant Kopelman, 37, began dating in February 2011 and were wed in a lavish ceremony at the actresses house in Montecito, California in June 2012.

Last November she spoke openly about her and her husband’s relationship, saying, “My husband and I compromise on a lot of things … It’s the little things that you can change that can make a relationship stronger. Compromise is about changing yourself for the better. It’s an opportunity for you to become a more functional, better person.”

But it seems that compromising might have taken it’s toll. The two announced their separation on April 1, saying “Sadly our family is separating legally, although we do not feel this takes away from us being a family.”

This is Barrymore’s third divorce. She was previously married to Jeremy Thomas for just a few weeks in March 1994, and was also married to comedian Tom Green in July 2001. Green followed for divorce that December.

While divorce can be a tough time, it seems that Barrymore is moving forward, as is evidenced by the fact that the April 1 statement on divorce also included this: “Divorce might make one feel like a failure, but eventually you start to find grace in the idea that life goes on.”

While a source close to the couple revealed, “She’s disappointed this didn’t work. They both expected to be together forever. Things began crumbling shortly after they were married and the relationship unraveled over time,” it seems that the actress is moving forward.

As she told Pop Sugar, “I had a really hard time a couple of months ago and kind of knew life was heading in a new direction.” She went on to say, “I called someone that I really trust, respect, and believe in, because he has always been the conductor of grace. I said, ‘What’s your advice?’ And he said, ‘You put one foot in front of the other.’ I hung up the phone and I thought, ‘That is why I call this person.’”

Recently Barrymore opened up further about where she is now in terms of dealing with her divorce. “I think nothing is earned easily, but it doesn’t have to be heavy… It’s like, life is heavy enough — lighten up,” she explained. “I just love, like, how happiness seems like this lofty, hippie-dippie kind of notion and it’s not. It’s a really hard-earned thing, and to bestow it on others and to maintain it as a mentality, it takes work and it pays off.”

Focusing on Children

One reason that Barrymore has been able to move forward is because she is focusing on her kids. In their divorce statement, the parents of daughters Olive, 3, and Frankie, 23 stated, “Our children are our universe and we look forward to living the rest of our lives with them as the first priority.”

In fact, she credits her two daughters with completely changing her life. “My daughters have made me behave as the person I always dreamed to be,” she said. “It’s like, I would always climb that mountain and I would fail time and time again have a reaction that didn’t make me feel proud of myself or, you know, you’re just growing, trying to be the best person you can be but God, somehow my daughters have just pushed me over and I still fail all the time and I just get home at night and I’m like, ‘I didn’t lose it, I somehow took the high road cause you forced me to.’”

As she explained, she spends a lot of quality time with her girls. “When I’m with them by myself, which is all the time, they’re like, ‘We want to paint.’ I’m like, ‘I have to cook breakfast, you alone with the paints is going to be such a mess’… we’ll do palettes so they can only get so much paint everywhere.”

And while she’s all about the quality time, she’s also not afraid of letting her kids watch TV. As she shared, “You know what? It’s a good thing to occupy their time. I still love TV, too… but those mothers who are like, ‘I never let my kids watch TV.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I totally let my kids watch TV!’ Am I a bad mother?’”

Friends as Support

While it’s important to put your children first, it’s also important that you surround yourself with a strong support group if you are going through divorce. That’s exactly why Barrymore insists on her strong group of friends, including Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow. “I think good women change your life. Girls were my original family. I didn’t grow up traditionally with, like, that dining room table sort of setting, my girls were my family and I love my journey and my destiny is to raise two daughters.”

She went on to say, “I think that the girls that I know, we work hard on our friendships, we’re not, like, fair-weather friends. We have growing pains. We have moments where for many years we’ve earned our friendship… girlfriends are not just a lightweight thing, it’s pretty deep.”

Moving Forward After Divorce

In addition to having great friends as a support system, there are some other tips you can follow in your moving forward process.

Perspective
Yup, it’s true, hindsight is 20/20. You have to walk through something, get a far way ahead of it, and only then can you look back and see just how important that process was. At that point you can see the beginning, the middle, and the end, and how that end is so clear and empty of emotional and clutter. Take this new clarity and run with it. That perspective can give you amazing information you need to change your own behaviors and to improve your future relationships.

Gratitude After Divorce

After you lose everything, you take nothing for granted. Divorce can be like losing everything: past memories, your present marriage, and future dreams. Let that be your determination to survive. But this is also a time to lean on friends and family that stepped up and stood by. They will lift you up, even when you can’t lift yourself. Be grateful for them, and try to show them that you are. If not now, then try to later.

Empathy
When you have felt pain, you honor and respect that pain in others. Divorce can make you more empathetic towards people facing any form of loss. You will move towards acceptance and forgiveness of your situation and your ex. And with this movement will come the ability to see things from other people’s viewpoints, making you a better friend, and a better person to be in a relationship with (down the line, when you are ready for one).

Divorce wipes away the ego that believes it’s shameful to ask for help. After you admonish this, you will be able to accept help for yourself, and then be able to offer help to others who are in need.

Responsibility
It’s easy to blame your ex, to place the responsibility for the divorce in his or her hands. We also might realize that all too often we have looked to them to provide happiness, or support for making decisions. This interdependency ends with divorce. It’s good to be interdependent, but divorce requires that you learn to be independent. You’re going to be steering this ship on your own. You’re going to have to be responsible for your own things now: happiness, support, etc. Let this empower you though, rather than make you feel lost or scared. You’re completely in control now. You can change. It’s your life now.

Humility

Divorce teaches us that no matter how much we want something to be true, we can’t force it into being. All those choice you made have consequences. And maybe now you are being forced to see them. Sure, you might have said “divorce will never happen to me,” but now it has. You’re going to have to admit that it can happen to anyone. Let this “slap” of reality force you to embrace acceptance while also redefining expectations. You’re not immune to anything.

Awareness
Divorce can be a wake-up call. Often times people realize they were living in a kind of “auto-pilot” mode when they said their “I dos.” The clarity and awareness you have after saying your “I Un-dos” might provide you with a sense of awareness that wasn’t there before. A lot of people turn to meditation and yoga during divorce because it settles the mind to allow for awareness. This mindfulness and consciousness will be helpful moving forward in your new life.

Ingenuity
Divorce is also a way to test your abilities… all of them. Your negotiating skills, your financial skills, your balanced budgeting skills, co-parenting abilities. You are the only problem solver now. You will need to work out how to afford your rent on a portion of the budget you once had. You will also need to learn how to co-parent, potentially with an ex you hate (for now). But the more you are placed in these new positions, the better you will become at those tasks.

Wisdom from Divorce
Divorce can be an opportunity for reflection and analysis. You are now raw and ready to learn new ways of doing things, in addition to just learning new ways to move on and cope.

Working with A Family Law Attorney

When it comes to the actual legal process of a divorce, you’ll want to work with a skilled family law attorney There are a number of things that need to be considered during a divorce: child support, spousal support, marital property division, and other things. Working with a skilled attorney can help ensure you get a fair case. For advice on divorce, child custody determinations, setting up a co-parenting agreement, dividing marital property, and spousal support you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

https://bestdivorcelawyer.co

Tags celebrity divorce, Child Support, children divorce, co-parenting, Drew Barrymore

Child Support Family Law

Tomlinson from One Direction Paying $600K in Child Support

Post author By Scott
Post date April 11, 2016

Louis Tomlinson, one of the members of boy band One Direction welcomed baby boy Freddie into the world this past January. It looks like Freddie’s mom, Briana Jungwirth, is asking for $600K a year in child support.

Tomlinson from One Direction Paying $600K in Child Support

Louis Tomlinson, 24, became a father in January. It now looks like the mother of the baby, Briana Jungwirth, 23, is requesting £450,000 (roughly $641,954 in US dollars) per year in child support until 2034 when the couple’s son Freddie turns 18. That comes out to $11.5 million over 18 years.

Though Tomlinson and Jungwirth remain friends and are committed to a co-parenting situation, Tomlinson is now dating Danielle Campbell.

Additionally, according to a source close to the singer’s legal team said “there will be little maneuvering over final figures,” adding, “negotiations on both sides are cordial and should be wrapped soon.”

Tomlinson has already been paying a monthly allowance of $1,500 to Jungwirth, and in February purchased a home in Calabasas, CA for her and his son. Tomlinson is currently renting a house in the Hollywood Hills to be closer to Freddie.

Child Support

Child support is a monthly payment that parents pay to help cover the costs associated with raising a child, such as education, health care, and after-school activity costs. Just as every child is different, the amount that needs to be paid is different, and will be based on the child’s needs, in addition to the ability of the parent to pay, in addition to some set legal guidelines.

In cases where one parent makes more money than the other, such as in the case of Tomlinson and Jungwirth, it makes sense that Tomlinson will need to pay child support – his net worth is estimated to be $23 million.

Child Support Guidelines in California

While each case will be considered separately and individually, the payment amount a parent must pay is based on California’s child support guidelines.

Calculating Child Support Payments

You’ll also need to know the following:

number of children who need support
custody (time-share) arrangement
both parents’ tax liabilities
whether a parent is already supporting children from another relationship
child’s health insurance expenses
both parents’ mandatory retirement contributions and other job-related expenses, and
all other relevant costs (health care, day care, travel, etc)

You Must Pay Child Support

Modifications to the Amount of Child Support

Even if a child support payment has been agreed to, it can be modified. This is usually only granted if there has been a significant change in financial or time-share circumstances.

A Family Law Attorney

But when it comes to the actual legal process of determining child support and payment, you’ll want to work with a skilled family law attorney. There are a number of things that a family law attorney will be able to advise you on, including: child support, spousal support, marital property division, and other things. Working with a skilled attorney can help ensure you get a fair case. For advice on divorce, child custody determinations, setting up a co-parenting agreement, dividing marital property, and spousal support you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.

Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202

Pasadena, Ca. 91106

(626) 478-3550

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Chris Martin Talks About Divorce

Post author By Scott
Post date March 28, 2016

It’s been almost two years since Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Gwenyth Paltrow announced that they would be “consciously uncoupling.” While Gwenyth may have previously discussed the couple’s divorce, Chris has only recently opened up about it.

Chris Martin Talks About Divorce

As Martin, 39, recently told the Sunday Times, he struggled with depression following the divorce announcement. It’s depression he deals with now. “I still wake up down a lot of days,” he said. “But now I feel like I’ve been given the tools to turn it around.”

“It’s always out there in the media, but I have a very wonderful separation-divorce. It’s a divorce but it’s a weird one,” he said. “It’s funny. I don’t think about that word very often — divorce. I don’t see it that way. I see it more like you meet someone, you have some time together and things just move through … I’ve lived a lot of life since then.”

“You can come at it very aggressively and blame and blame,” he told the paper. “Or you can put yourself in the garage, so to speak. Take yourself apart and clean off the bits. Reassemble.”

One key thing that Martin and Paltrow have kept in mind is their two children – Apple, 11, and Moses, 9. In being able to put their children first, they have been able to remain amicable. This is often the hardest part of divorce – learning how to co-parent.

Learning to Co-Parent

Managing Emotions

Building a Successful Co-Parenting Situation

Give Yourself a ‘Timeout’

“Our expectations that two people who didn’t get along when they are married will suddenly be able to co-parent without some help is not reasonable,” Peskin-Shepherd says.

Play to Your Ex’s Strengths (This Might Be Very Difficult)

By now you know what your ex is good and and what they’re not so good at. So play fair when it comes to your kids and your ex’s abilities.

Commit to Cooperating

This can be the hardest part of a co-parenting relationship – cooperating.

According to mother Shaindle Braunstein-Cohen, “Effective co-parenting does not require friendship, but it does require cooperation.”

You can’t keep living in the past either.

Get it in Writing

Set High Intentions

Let Go of Wanting Control

Silence your Support System

Keep Your Ego in Check

It goes without saying that you’re going to doubt your parenting ability and fear that your children will want to be with the other parent. But you have to resist the urge.

“Obviously you don’t agree or sometimes even like each other very much – that’s why you got divorced,” she adds. “Get over it.”

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Divorce Law LA, Esq.

Divorce Law LA

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Pasadena, Ca. 91106

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Tags Chris Martin, co-parenting, conscious uncoupling, Gwenyth Paltrow