Los Angeles Family Law Blog | Claery & Hammond, LLP

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 23-Apr-2018

9 Divorce Mistakes to Avoid Starting Now!

“Divorce is the psychological equivalent of a triple coronary bypass,” said author Mary Kay Blakely. A lot of spouses who’ve been through it would agree, not only because a failed marriage is stressful, but it’s also a ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 16-Apr-2018

FAQs About Child Support in California

If you are new to California’s child support laws, there’s probably a lot that you don’t know and this lack of knowledge gets well-meaning parents, namely non-custodial parents (the ones who pay child support), into trouble. In ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 9-Apr-2018

What Parents Must Know About Moving Out & Away

Divorce is known for being complicated and stressful, even when couples manage to have an amicable divorce. It’s understandable considering the number of financial matters that must be addressed, the change in residential status, and the issues ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 2-Apr-2018

Are You Ready for Divorce?

If you’re asking yourself, “Am I ready to get a divorce ?” you may be under stress right now. Perhaps you just had a big blowout with your spouse. Perhaps doors were slammed, voices were raised, and someone slept on the couch. Or, ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 26-Mar-2018

Why Child Custody Has Changed in California

Growing up, you can probably remember that most children of divorced parents seemed to live primarily with their mothers. Such children would live with their mothers the majority of the time, while they’d see their fathers once a week for ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 19-Mar-2018

Divorce Checklist: What to Discuss with a Lawyer

Unfortunately, divorce is a complicated process. Even when it’s for the best, it can still take quite a bit of emotional energy and effort to complete. For some, the fear of the process and the financial disentanglement is what holds them back ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 12-Mar-2018

5 Things to Do After the Divorce is Final

You’ve been waiting for this moment for months. The second you get word that your divorce is finalized. You’ve been mentally preparing for this and now the moment is finally here – and you react differently than you expected. To ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 5-Mar-2018

Are You Crazy or Emotionally Abused?

In the fields of psychology and family law, emotional abuse has become a hot topic. “There are 3 million cases of domestic violence reported each year. Many more go unreported. Emotional abuse often precedes violence, but is rarely ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 26-Feb-2018

Achieving a Mindful Divorce Despite It All

Enduring a high-conflict marriage day-in-and-day-out can be compared to living with a chronic medical condition. It may be calm for a few months, followed by weeks and weeks of absolute agony. When the flare-ups come – and they always do ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 19-Feb-2018

What Are the Benefits of Divorce?

If marriage didn’t involve so much financial entanglement, we’d probably have a lot more divorces. But – divorce is a complicated process. There are court fees, legal fees, child support, and spousal support to consider. Many would ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 12-Feb-2018

California's Child Support Laws

When a couple has children together and they separate or divorce, both parents continue to be responsible for financially supporting their children. Even if the children live most, if not all of the time with one parent, the other parent is still ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 5-Feb-2018

Can Dads Win Child Custody?

Historically, mothers have received custody of the children in a divorce far more than their husbands. If you’re a child of divorce, or if you’re from Generation X, think back to your personal experiences with divorce throughout your ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 29-Jan-2018

Collecting a Family Law Money Judgement

Were you successful in obtaining a family law judgement against your former spouse or domestic partner? If he or she has failed to pay you what they owe, you’re probably wondering if the court can help you collect the money. After all, the ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 22-Jan-2018

Should I File Bankruptcy Before Divorce?

It’s no secret that a lot of marriages break down because of financial problems. We’ve all heard the sad stories – a spouse has a spending problem and blows all of the couple’s money. A spouse has a gambling problem and they ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 15-Jan-2018

When Your Spouse Says 'No' to Divorce

Surely, you’ve heard people say, “My husband will never give me a divorce,” or “My wife refuses to divorce me.” Perhaps you’ve heard people say such things, or perhaps you’ve seen it on television or in the ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 8-Jan-2018

Tips on Writing a Parenting Plan

When a couple with children divorces in California, they must draft what is called a Parenting Plan, otherwise known as a “ custody and visitation agreement.” The Parenting Plan is a detailed written agreement that outlines how the ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 1-Jan-2018

12 Tips for Winning Child Custody

For many parents, child custody is one of the most difficult aspects of the divorce process. As a general rule, the California Courts encourage both parents to play active roles in the child-rearing process, assuming both parents are kind, loving and ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 25-Dec-2017

Tips for Negotiating a Divorce Settlement

If a couple wants to get a divorce and do so without having a judge intervene, they must agree to a divorce settlement. Ideally, the spouses will remain calm and collected and they’ll treat their divorce like a business transaction – and ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 18-Dec-2017

Am I at Risk for Divorce?

If you’re in a deeply unsatisfying marriage, you may not realize it but there could be various factors that indicate you’re at risk of getting a divorce. For instance, if this is your second marriage, or if you had a “shotgun ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 11-Dec-2017

Delaying the Divorce Until the Kids Are 18

When it comes to unhappy marriages, countless couples have stayed together “for the sake of the kids” and shortly after their youngest celebrated their eighteenth birthday and headed off to college, the parents filed for divorce. While ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 4-Dec-2017

What to Do After the Divorce

Even though the divorce process is filled with what feels like a million steps, often, obtaining the divorce decree doesn’t mean it’s finally over. Usually, all of our clients have a few loose ends to tie up once the divorce is final. ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 27-Nov-2017

Divorcing with College-Aged Children

Have you been unhappily married for some time, but you’ve been secretly putting off your divorce until your youngest child turned 18 or 19 and left the house go to college? If your answer is “yes,” then you have plenty of company. ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 20-Nov-2017

Important Financial Considerations in a Divorce

Are you preparing for divorce ? If so, it is entirely possible to remain financially stable before, during and after the process but it’s going to take some diligence on your part. The best way to begin your divorce is to start preparing today. ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 13-Nov-2017

Grandparents Who Assume the Caregiver Role

There is no doubt that grandparents play a valuable role in the lives of their grandchildren. Before American culture “modernized” and it became normal for adult children to move hundreds, if not thousands of miles from home, it was very ...

Posted By Claery & Hammond, LLP 6-Nov-2017

Tax Effects of Divorce

Are you considering divorce ? If so, there’s a lot on your mind. You’re probably concerned about issues, such as child custody, child support, asset division, marital debt, and what to do with the house. Taxes on the other hand, may not ...