You can get a court order establishing child support in one of two ways. One: You can file a petition with the juvenile court for custody, visitation, and/or child support, go to court, and ask the court to establish child support (as well as, potentially, custody and visitation). This can be either an initial...
Nonpayment of Child Support
It didn’t work out with your child’s father but you’ve found love – and stability – and you’re hoping this means that things will change for your child(ren), too. You wonder, “Can my new partner adopt my child? What would that look like?” Assuming, of course, that your new partner is on board with this...
No matter how long you were married, the assets you generated in your marriage matter. Not only will you never be younger, but – if you waive too much – you’ll never have the chance to take advantage of compounding interest. That can be the difference between being able to retire and … not. Sure,...
It’s always hard to navigate the transition from married couple to separate households, especially when you and your soon-to-be ex share children in common. For stay at home moms, the transition is often even more pronounced because most of their lives, up until this point, has been spent caring for the kids. After separation...
It’s okay. You can be honest. I know there are a million things you can think of that you would rather do than hire – and pay for – a family law attorney. You are likely desperate to discover that you do not, in fact, need one at all and that, on balance, handling your...
Men delay the inevitable – divorce – for a million different reasons, but one of the most classic reasons is the most obvious one. As long as he’s delaying, he’s not paying. It’s kind of kin to the old adage “it’s cheaper to keep her,” which I admit – I loathe. He’s not paying in...
There are only two ways to resolve a divorce or custody case: either the parties negotiate an agreement, or they go to court and litigate. This is true no matter what the issues are, but there is a sort of third, hybrid option, which includes the possibility of a “reservation” with respect to a certain...
I’ve heard so many different versions of the same story – a deadbeat dad, an abusive dad, a homeless dad, a narcissistic dad, an addicted dad – and desperate, terrified moms wanting to know what their options are. For one reason or another, many have asked me whether they’d get sole custody, whether they could...