- Dissolution of Marriage
- also referred to as "divorce," a dissolution action may also include custody, visitation, child support, spousal support and/or property issues.
- Legal Separation
- is the course of action that may be taken to obtain orders for custody, visitation, child support, spousal support and/or property issues without dissolving the marriage. A legal separation action is the exact same procedure as a dissolution, however, at the end of the process, the parties are still married.
- Annulment of Marriage
- may be obtained under very specific circumstances set forth in the California Family Code. When an annulment process is concluded, legally, the parties where never married to one another.
- Paternity and Non-Paternity
- actions concern parties who have a child together but were never married to one another. A Paternity action is an action to have a child's parentage legally determined and ordered and will also include custody, visitation and child support orders. A Non-Paternity action is an action to prove and have the Court order that a party is not the parent of a child.
- Domestic Violence
- proceedings are commenced for the protection of the victim of abuse by another party. When appropriate the Court may order restraining orders and stay away orders and, sometimes, custody, visitation and support orders.
- Appellate Actions
- An appeal is a request for a higher Court to review the decision or decisions of a lower Court.
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- Modification Proceedings concerning:
- Child Custody
Move Away actions see "Anticipating Relocation"
Child Visitation
Child Support
Spousal Support
Modification proceedings involving the above issues require prior existing orders in either a dissolution of marriage, legal separation, paternity or domestic violence action.
- Stepparent Adoption
- Under very specific circumstances of non-support or abandonment by the absent parent, the Court may allow a natural custodial parent's current spouse to adopt that parent's child or children. In order for the matter to even be considered, the natural parent and spouse must have been married for a period of one year. The Court will perform an investigation regarding the absent spouse.
- Agency Adoption
- is when a child has been placed with adoptive parents via a public agency such a social services. Most time the natural parents' parental rights have already been terminated and it is only a matter of having the Adoption Decree entered.
- Guardianship Proceedings
- requesting guardianship of the person and/or estate involving children is sometimes necessary when the natural parent or parents of a child are deceased or when they cannot or will not provide properly for their child or children.
- Probate and Estate Planning
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Areas of Practice