The legal requirements to obtain a marriage license in California are fairly basic. Generally, each party to the marriage must be unmarried and at least 18 years of age, the marriage ceremony must be performed by a person authorized to…

Deciding to file for divorce is a monumental decision and not one to be taken lightly. Divorce can result in radical life changes and represents a significant departure from the status quo — especially if your marriage was lengthy, you…

Child custody and visitation are some of the most sensitive issues in the divorce context. Divorce is the most traumatic event many children will ever experience and bitterly fought custody battles only add to the pain. California family law courts…

Divorce traditionally has been understood primarily as a phenomenon among the young and middle-aged. After all, most married couples figure out within a few years whether their marriage will work long-term. Estimates place the average length of marriage before divorce…

California is a community property state. While most other states divide marital property fairly (but not necessarily equally) upon divorce, California courts divide marital property 50/50, absent an agreement to the contrary. One agreement that is capable of changing the…

The thought of hiring a private investigator during a divorce is distasteful for many people. Yet for others, private investigators can provide a valuable service in times of need. For example, a father in a child custody battle might hire…

A general rule of child visitation in California is that the agreement established by the parents should have the child’s best interest in mind. Children have the right to frequent and continuing contact with both parents after a divorce. But…