Divorce

California has a mandatory six-month waiting period before the court can end a marriage. A 1948 court decision explains that the purpose of this waiting period is to “give the parties an opportunity to compose their difficulties and effect a reconciliation.” (Angell v. Angell (1948) 84 Cal.App.2d 339). In other […]

Fiduciary Duties Owed Between California Spouses Under California law, spouses owe each other certain duties, known as “fiduciary duties.”  These duties begin at the date of the marriage and continue after separation, all the way through completion of the dissolution and the distribution of community property.  This includes the following […]

Please note: This information is accurate as of April 28, 2020.  If you have legal questions, it is always best to get specific legal advice from a lawyer. Co-parenting can be difficult even in the best of times.  Many separated or divorced parents now face the added challenge of navigating […]

One of the primary considerations for any couple contemplating a divorce is how their property will be divided. While the question seems rather simple on its surface, it can become fiendishly complicated, as most couples own some property as individuals and other property jointly as a couple. Before negotiations on […]

A prenup — or, more formally, a prenuptial agreement — is an agreement entered into prior to marriage that lists the property each party owns and specifies what each party’s property rights will be upon the dissolution of the marriage. They can be an effective tool for couples looking to […]

The term “no fault divorce” is often used when discussing divorce, without further reference to its meaning. Before 1970, California had a fault-based divorce system, which required one spouse to prove that the other had engaged in wrongdoing before obtaining a divorce. California was the first state in the nation […]