Any marriage can be challenging, but military marriages are especially complicated due to the stress that military service often places on service members and their families. Unfortunately, many military marriages break down, similar to the way civilian marriages deteriorate. However, resolving a military divorce can be more complicated than a civilian divorce due to the nature of military benefits and federal government policies regarding those benefits in divorce. If you are a service member or the spouse of a service member and expect to divorce in the near future, it’s essential to understand the unique factors you must account for in your dissolution proceedings. While a military divorce will cover …
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What Is the Legal Significance of Paternity?
Paternity law covers all aspects of the law regarding being a father. Many factors complicate paternity issues, so it is vital to seek the counsel of a trusted paternity attorney to navigate the process. Many times, families facing questions about child paternity assume that a simple DNA test will solve all their problems, but that is not always the case. Anyone facing difficult circumstances that involve a child’s paternity should understand a few basic facets of paternity law. This will help clarify the legal process and allow you to address issues such as child custody and support. The Basics of California Paternity Law The first thing an individual needs to …
Read MoreWhat Does Division of Assets Mean?
When a couple decides that divorce or legal separation is the appropriate decision, their assets need to be distributed between them. The assets they may have could include various types of wealth, including possessions, vehicles, stocks, pensions, retirement funds, bank accounts, and real property, among others. What Is “Equitable” Distribution? When a couple’s assets are divided during the divorce, the distribution must be “equitable.” Equitable distribution can be confusing for anyone in the middle of a divorce. Legally, “equitable” isn’t the same as equal. One or both parties may expect their assets and debts to be split evenly in half, but this is not always the case and may not …
Read MoreWhat Decides Who Gets Custody of a Child in California?
Child custody encompasses the primary parental rights and responsibilities necessary to care for a child. As such, custody can either be granted to one parent or shared between them. It is possible for parents to develop a parenting and custody plan on their own, but any child custody arrangement must be approved by a family law judge before it can become an enforceable court order. If the parents cannot agree, the judge will hold a court hearing to hear statements from both and make a final decision. What Is the Difference Between Legal and Physical Custody? A child custody order addresses two types of custody—legal and physical. Legal custody grants …
Read MoreWhat Is the Minimum Child Support in California?
One of the biggest issues couples who are divorced or facing divorce must contend with is determining the amount of child support that one of them will pay. In the state of California, this figure is based on the amount of time each parent will be with the children, how many children the parents have, how much each parent earns, and whether they are eligible for certain tax deductions. Child support will be calculated in various scenarios, including some domestic partnership situations, paternity cases, separations, and divorces or dissolutions. The courts use a very specific calculation throughout the state, so that child support requirements are uniform and provide a minimum …
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