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For many people, their pet is a member of the family on par with a child. This is why it is fairly common for spouses to engage in heated disagreements when attempting to negotiate “pet custody.” In California, the landscape for these discussions was changed dramatically in 2019 when the state legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a new law directly impacting pet custody.

When parents decide to get divorced, the process can be stressful and emotionally charged, especially when it comes to the issue of child custody. This sensitive matter becomes even more complicated when you, or your spouse, has a substance abuse issue. If you are struggling with an addiction to opioids, alcohol, or any other substance, it is important to understand the uphill battle you are likely to encounter when seeking custody over your child, or children, during a divorce.

Here is a true story highlighting the risks associated with failing to plan your estate. A happily married couple with two teenage children worked diligently and saved their earnings to the point that they had an estate worth roughly $4 million. They resided in San Rafael, California (an affluent area in Marin County). Despite having a fairly large estate, the married couple opted to procrastinate and failed to invest the time and resources in creating an estate plan. Like many couples, they thought to themselves, “We'll get around to planning our estate another time.” Unfortunately, that time never arrived.  

A divorce case involving a parent with a mental illness or psychological condition is inherently complex and will prove challenging. Why? Because the terms “mental illness” and “psychological condition” are quite broad and may include a parent who is depressed, a parent with anxiety, and/or a parent struggling with dissociative personality disorder, bipolar disorder, or another serious condition. As you can tell, the nature of each disorder is different, which typically means how a particular mental illness or condition will impact a particular child custody case varies and is unpredictable.

When someone neglects to draft a will, trust or any type of estate plan before they die, then the laws of intestate succession come into play and govern how the decedent's assets would be distributed to any relatives. Basically, intestate succession means the government gets to control how the fruits of your labor are distributed to any surviving spouse, children, and other relatives.

When someone decides to take action and plan their estate, a common question arises: "should I create revocable living trust or draft a will?" This question is often followed by asking, "What are the differences between a trust and a will?" This article is intended to help address these important questions.

If you have been threatened by another individual or been subjected to physical violence, you may be able to obtain a restraining order that legally prohibits the individual from coming in contact with you or even being within a certain distance of your residence. If you are looking to get a restraining order, but are unsure about the legal process necessary to get one, this article is for you.

If you want to draft a Last Will and Testament (also simply referred to as a “will”), it probably means you want to take steps to protect your hard-earned assets and protect your loved ones. A will is a legal document that formally sets forth your wishes and preferences for how your property should be distributed and what should be done with any minor children (if applicable). A will is the document where you name a personal representative who will be responsible for settling your affairs.

When a married couple decides to part ways and file for divorce in California, a critically important issue that must be addressed before the divorce is finalized is financial support. In most divorce cases, the issue of financial support revolves around two different forms of financial aid – (i) child support and (ii) spousal support.

Pop star Britney Spears is doing more than making large sums of money singing and dancing in Las Vegas.  She is shedding light on a legal mechanism that can have a significant impact on an individual's life - conservatorship. If you are familiar with the concept of conservatorship, I apologize in advance, but I must hit you one more time with some facts.

Experts describe “coercive control” as a pattern of abusive behavior inflicted upon someone by their partner (typically a spouse or similar significant other). Coercive control typically involves a spouse employing a combination of violence, intimidation, humiliation, isolation, and control to subordinate the will of their significant other.