Divorce and Pets — Who gets Fido?
In California, pets acquired during marriage are presumed to be community property. What does that mean? In a divorce or domestic partnership dissolution, the family court assign the…
Kids & Pets
Get the tools you need to understand legal and physical custody (of kids and pets), develop an effective parenting plan, understand child support and add-ons (like childcare and medical expenses) and prepare for child custody mediation.
We are all amateurs at parenting which is a good reminder that nothing we do is going to be perfect (especially when there’s so many needs and interests that have to be balanced). Kids are resilient and we’ve seen loads of them survive (and thrive) post-divorce.
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Tips for Court Ordered Child Custody Mediation
What is child custody mediation? If you and your former partner are unable to agree on child custody and/or visitation issues, you both will be required to participate…
10 Tips for the Self Represented in Family Court
Are you representing yourself? Are you scheduled to go in front of a judge? Follow these 10 tips before your court date: Be Prepared; Understand your judge (consider…
What is a Legal Coach and should I get one?
Depending on the complexity of your case and your financial circumstances, a legal coach (aka consulting lawyer) may be a great way to obtain assistance with your Divorce…
How will my bonus income affect child or spousal support?
Many employers give an annual or quarterly bonus to their employees when certain company or individual goals are met. Payers and payees of support want certainty but sometimes…
Can a Special Master help in my child custody matter?
WHAT IS A SPECIAL MASTER? Special masters are often used in divorce and paternity actions when parents are having serious child custody issues related to custodial exchange disputes,…
Recommended Books for Contested Child Custody Issues
You’ve separated from your child’s other parent. Life is tough and litigation is messy. You are looking for good resources any where you can find it. Do try…
Child Custody Recommending Counseling and Mediation: What’s the Difference?
In a case involving children where the parties have not agreed on a parenting plan, the Family Law Court mandates that parents “mediate” prior to a hearing on…
Parenting Resource for Divorcing Parents
I stumbled upon the “Parenting Plan Handbook” today from the San Diego Superior Court. I strongly encourage separating parents to take a look, particularly parents with small children.…
Is a donor agreement enough to protect my same-sex partner from a challenge to her parental rights?
Usually not. In California, maybe. In short, we recommend a second parent adoption or a ‘Paternity’ action to terminate the parental rights of the (known) donor ‘father’ and…
My kid is 18 years old, why am I still paying child support?
You’ve been paying child support for years and years. You’re child has now turned 18 and you run down to the courthouse to request a termination of support…
Will child support change when I get remarried?
‘Is my new spouse’s income taken into account for purposes of calculating child support?’ While we find that many of California’s family laws are common sensical, this issue…
10 Facts You Should Know About CA Child Support Modification
Parents are not allowed to ‘agree’ to a non-modifiable child support order. Even when the initial family law petition does not request child support, or a judgment does…
Counting the Dollars and Cents: Keys to Child Support Add-Ons
If you are a single parent you are probably familiar with the concept of child support. Child support is calculated using statewide guidelines and while the court has…
Vacation Planning With Your Ex Driving You Crazy? Co Parenting Tips That Get The Job Done
Scheduling vacations, holidays and special days are time-consuming and exhausting. Who’s hosting Thanksgiving? Do you need to make travel arrangements? Do you really have to invite that pesky…
Are Three Parents a Crowd? Understanding California’s 3rd Parent Law
California’s Three Parent Law: How might it affect you? Most children have two parents, a mother and a father, two moms or two dads. But what about a…
Nesting: It’s Not Just for Birds
What is nesting? “Nesting” is a non-traditional custody arrangement where the children stay in the family home and the parents trade off living in the house with the…
You, Your Spouse, and…. (3rd Parties Joined to Divorce Actions)
Most people are aware that in Divorce or Domestic Partnership Dissolution, certain employee benefit plans can be joined to the action to ensure that retirement accounts are divided…
Will Spousal Support Increase When Child Support Terminates?
Child support ordinarily terminates when a child turns 18 years old unless the child remains a full time high student, in which case, support continues until the child…
Divorce Court 101
Most people who end up in a family law courtroom have never been to court before. Perhaps they’ve served on a jury or appeared for a traffic infraction…
How Social Media Can Undermine your Divorce Action
More than ever, litigants and lawyers are using social media to collect information that they can use as ‘evidence’ in a Family Law Case. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram…
How Can I Enforce a Court Order?
My ex and I are divorced with two children. We have a visitation schedule in place, but the kids are always picked-up late, or not at all, and…
What’s the Difference between “Legal” and “Physical” Custody?
Unless you live in a bunker, you have probably heard that Hollywood’s most powerful ‘It’ couple has recently separated – Brangelina is no more. You might also have…
Can I Compel Payment of Child Support if Years Have Passed? FAQ
How Can I Get Parentage Rights if We’re Not Married?
My ex-girlfriend is pregnant with our child, but she refuses to speak to me right now, and I’m worried I won’t be able to see our child when…
Who Gets Custody of the Children?
How do courts decide who gets physical and legal custody of the children? What if my child has already told me who she wants to live it? “Best…
Complete List of CA Divorce Forms, with Links
Petition (FL-100): This is the document that initializes your divorce with the Court. It is the first thing you file and requires a $435 filing fee. Download Petition…
Glossary of Terms
Legalese made easy. This document has all of the terms you’re likely to hear and their definitions in plain English. Download Now
Ten Important Laws You Need to Know About (if You’re Getting a Divorce)
Spousal Support (Family Code Section 4320): While pre judgment spousal support is generally calculated using a formula, long term spousal support is determined by review of various factors.…
Calculating Timeshare Kids Spend with Each Parent
When: You’ve determined the schedule your kids will spend with each parent. You want to calculate child support but can’t do so without determining the percentage timeshare your…
Child Support Calculator
Calculate an estimate of California child support by entering in all of the requested information below. The results will help inform your position for mediation and/or negotiation with…
The Hello Divorce Worksheet
This worksheet breaks down all of the things you need to think through and resolve before you can finalize your divorce. Download Now
Best Practices for Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities in a Split Household
Even ‘happily’ married couples have difficulty effectively supporting their children. In some cases, especially when the parents have a child(ren) with a disability, the parents need to be…
Changing a Child’s Last Name
What’s in a name? Well, for some people, a lot. At divorce, one parent may want to change their child’s last name. Usually this involves creating a hyphenated…
10 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Family Law Declaration (to Attach to Your Request for Orders)
A declaration is a written statement made under the penalty of perjury. If you are filing a “Request for Order” (or responding to a “Request for Order”) asking…
10+ (non legal) Essential Apps to Rely on While Uncoupling
Getting unmarried can sometimes be as expensive, insanely time consuming and detail driven as planning your wedding. When we tie the knot in the first place, we use…
Your Hello Divorce “Cheat Sheet” to Self Representation
If you’re navigating divorce without legal representation, we’ve got your back! Review this outline to understand what will happen throughout the divorce and what you need to do.…
About Child Custody Evaluations
As Explained by an Experienced Evaluator: When parents cannot come to agreements about their children and/or a parenting schedule, one or both may file a “Request for Order”…
Family Court & Child Custody 101
From the Perspective of an Experienced Co-Parenting Therapist: When parents with children get divorced or separated and they are unable to agree on a parenting schedule and/or other…
How to Keep Your Divorce Conversations Productive
First things first. If you want to negotiate an agreement with your spouse, you have to remember (and accept) the following principles: Be mindful that your purpose is…
Presenting Evidence in Family Court
Most people (even some lawyers) don’t expect the Evidence Code to apply in family law — in the same way that we see it used in Criminal or…
Tips for Getting Your Spouse On Board with Mediation
Mediation, whether through Hello Divorce, with a trained mediation counselor or a divorce financial planner, can be a great option for resolving the issues pertaining to your divorce.…
My spouse can earn more but refuses to. How is this handled for purposes of Child Support?
When we calculate child support, we generally use the actual incomes of both spouses. But what happens when your spouse is under earning? That is, s/he is working…
What to Wear to Court
Ok, we know our readers are smart and understand that appropriate attire is necessary for court. We’ve listed some suggested (and mandatory) guidelines below. Our readers also know…
What Are the Different Types of Court Hearings I Might Have to Attend?
The most common type of hearings in Family Court are related to child support, spousal support and/or child custody. These hearings are scheduled after one spouse files a…
What is Contempt?
In the course of your divorce, the family court may issue a range of orders, including visitation and custody determinations, orders to pay attorney’s fees, and divisions of…
Family Court Custody Mediation vs. Private Mediation: Which Should I Choose?
When a Request for Order (RFO) for child custody or visitation is filed with Family Court the parties are required to attend mediation or child custody recommending counseling…
Special Considerations for Your Same Sex Divorce
We have all heard the good news. California no longer recognizes a distinction between same-sex and opposite-sex marriages. Any couple can now obtain a marriage license and wed,…