If you live in Los Angeles and you want to get a divorce, choosing the right family law attorney for your case can make your divorce easier and less complicated. Here are some important aspects of your divorce that your family law attorney must be able to address.

Divorce or Dissolution of Marriage

Decisions you make during this process can have a great impact on your family, assets and finances.  A qualified family law attorney must be flexible enough to handle everything from simple uncontested divorce to debatable divorce litigation matters that involves large assets and complex child custody issues.  No matter how extensive the scope of your case, your attorney should be able to safeguard your rights and make sure that all agreements are fair to you and your children.

Property Distribution

California is a community property state. This means all property acquired by a married person during the marriage is considered the property of both spouses and is divided equally. Issues such as financial need, ability to earn income or fault are not taken into consideration when dividing property during a divorce settlement.

Your attorney must have extensive experience in handling property distribution matters, especially if you have large assets and investments involved.

Spousal and Child Support

Your attorney must be experienced in handling a wide range of spousal and child support arrangements.  Support may be ordered to be paid by either or both spouses and is decided by comparing their net income.  Child support is determined based on the best interests of the child and is calculated based on the earning capacity of each parent, the number of children, the amount of time the children spend with each parent, and medical and education expenses.

Of course, if your case is not in Los Angeles you will want to locate a good lawyer in the proper jurisdiction.  For example, you might need a Philadelphia divorce law firm if you lived in Philadelphia or if your case was there.

Child Custody

When you have children, determining custody arrangements can be one of the most emotionally difficult phases in a divorce. It usually involves conflicts and disputes that make it difficult to arrive at a solution.  Your attorney must able to assist you with both simple and complex custody and visitation matters, including cases where one parent wants to relocate outside of California or even outside the country.

When you cannot avoid undergoing litigation, a Los Angeles divorce lawyer must not hesitate to go to court to defend your best interests.  On the other hand, your attorney must also consider the use of mediation and arbitration in order to resolve family law disputes as amicably as possible.  He or she must have adequate knowledge about how these alternative methods of dispute resolution work in order to help both parties achieve common ground.

Some of the negative sides of collaborative law that rarely are talked about include its cost, its slow moving process, and the fact that either side can opt out of the process at any point prior to a settlement and can proceed with traditional litigation.

A very good post on this topic was done on the Get Real Zone blog.  Check out their post on collaborative divorce.

Different states have different rules of procedure and other applicable rules of appeal and laws but there are many commonalities between the various jurisdiction.  One post to check out is the “Writing an Appeal for Family Law Cases” post on the Bakersfield Divorce Blog.

Here is one good resource that gives an excellent overview of how you can better control your the costs in your divorce case and thus, reduce the overall cost of the litigation. If you have been through a divorce and have any personal experience on how to avoid your divorce turning into a financial quagmire, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Every state and jurisdiction have varying divorce laws that is why it is essential for individuals residing in Los Angeles to have sufficient knowledge about specific divorce laws in Los Angeles.

Primarily, divorce is termed as a marital dissolution in California, which is a no fault state. This means that the court will not need to probe which party is at fault prior to making decisions on issues such as the division of community property and support. However, there are residency requirements that need to be met. Either you or your spouse must have resided in California for the last six months and in Los Angeles for the last three months. If you and your spouse have lived in California for a minimum of six months but in different counties for at least 3 months, you can file in either county.

If you meet the residency requirements, you must file the divorce petition and summons with the Court. After filing these papers with the court, your spouse must be served with the dissolution papers. You now become the petitioner and your spouse, the respondent.

A respondent has thirty days to file and serve a response. If the respondent fails to do this, the petitioner may file for a default judgment.

Frequently, the parties will try to settle on issues such as temporary provisions for custody, visitation and child and spousal support. Agreements regarding these issues are included in a written stipulation and order and filed with the court. If the parties cannot reach a mutual agreement on these issues, they may file an Order to Show Cause and request the court to make decisions for them.

If custody and visitation issues are being disputed, the court will initially send both parties to conciliation court where a qualified mediator helps them to agree on a parenting plan. Conciliation services are free in Los Angeles.

If the parties still cannot negotiate a mutual decision, the court will make an order for temporary custody and visitation that takes into consideration the best interests of the children. Until the parties can reach an agreement or until custody and visitation is resolved after a trial, the temporary order will continue.

Marriage dissolution can be finalized without a court trial if both parties amicably agree to property division, child custody, and other related issues. Otherwise, a trial is needed.  This is one of the most difficult phases of a divorce and the assistance of an experienced divorce lawyer will help you as you go through the process.

Having a Los Angeles divorce lawyer can guide divorcing couples to make appropriate decisions regarding these legal matters. A Los Angeles lawyer can ensure that you are provided with the best information about divorce in your specific geographical location so that you have a greater chance of attaining positive outcomes.

• How to minimize conflict with your ex in order to better communicate for the sake of the children.
• Don’t put your children in the awkward position of having to take sides between you and your ex.
• Approach the blended family situation carefully and listen to your children about how they feel about the new circumstances.

Take a look at the post and let us know if you have any suggestions of your own from personal experience in the comment section below.

Here is a excellent post that gives some excellent tips on how to select the right attorney for your case.  Please let me know below if you find it helpful.

A Los Angeles divorce lawyer should be able to assist you on family issues related to divorce or dissolution of marriage, spousal support or alimony, division of property, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, domestic violence, restraining orders, child custody and visitation, paternity, child support, and other family law related matters. A divorce lawyer in Los Angeles must be able to inform you of your legal rights and options regarding family law matters. In addition, he or she must be able to represent you in court as well as to file and respond to court documents.

You can find the right Los Angeles divorce lawyer by getting referrals from family members and friends. However, keep in mind that just because a lawyer is reputable does not mean that he or she can assist you with your specific legal needs. The right lawyer for someone else may not be the right lawyer for you.

With regard to legal advertising, several Los Angeles family law attorneys are advertising in the yellow pages, Los Angeles directories, online advertisements etc. This makes it a challenging task to differentiate between them.

The important factors to consider in choosing a Los Angeles divorce attorney is his or her reputation, education, experience, expertise, rate and personality. You can be able to assess this by taking advantage of the initial consultation that most lawyers offer. Some charge a fee whereas other lawyers provide it with no charge. The initial consultation provides you the opportunity to interview and ask questions before deciding to hire the attorney. It is crucial for you to find out what your legal standing is and understand the strategic plans and roles of your prospective lawyer.

The best divorce lawyers in Los Angeles have broad experience, knowledge, and training in the field of family law. Some divorce lawyers specialize on specific areas such as post-nuptial or prenuptial agreements, child custody or domestic violence and restraining orders. Some family law attorneys make a distinction in the field of family law by getting a certification by the state of California as a certified family law specialist. However, this certification is not required for a lawyer to practice family law.

If you have a divorce or child custody case in Los Angeles, you may want to look for an experienced Los Angeles lawyer who is familiar with the judges, commissioners, child custody evaluators, guardian ad litems, and children’s attorneys within the court system. If you hire a lawyer outside of Los Angeles, he or she may not be familiar with the judges and custody evaluators as well as the specific procedures as to how the court treats particular cases in your area.

Always bear in mind that choosing a Los Angeles divorce lawyer may be a challenging task, but investing time and effort to find the one that is best for you is indeed valuable.