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The Census Bureau’s Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2017 report indicates that only about 69.8% of custodial parents who were due child support in 2017 received at least some payments from non-custodial parents.

Many people believe family law only encompasses issues linked to divorce, such as child custody and alimony. In reality, family law includes many more legal processes than just divorce. It includes any area of the law involving family relationships, such as paternity, emancipation, adoption, foster care, and eldercare.

Families and individuals adopt children for all sorts of reasons. Some are unable to have children of their own. Some are single men and women or same-sex couples. Some want to give a child a good home when biological parents cannot or will not raise their child.

Recent studies have indicated that more than 20% of married men and 13% of married women have committed adultery with at least one other person. While the reality of learning that your spouse has been unfaithful can be devastating, the truth is, committing adultery can also have very real consequences on the divorce process as well.

Hundreds of thousands of Californians are victims of domestic violence every year, enduring physical, sexual, or emotional abuse at the hands of someone close to them. If you or a loved one is in an abusive domestic relationship, we can help, starting with obtaining a domestic violence order or restraining order to force your abuser to stay at a safe distance.

In 2019, more than 161,000 domestic violence-related calls for assistance were made in California by people frightened by the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse inflicted by a family member or loved one. Those who can find the courage to stand up to their abuser can use the law to help protect themselves.

If you or your spouse have filed for divorce in California, you need to prepare for a lengthy process and possible court appearances. It takes at least six months from the date of a petition to complete the divorce proceedings. A contested divorce that involves child custody, spousal support, or division of assets can take more than a year and require you to appear before a judge.

In California, the divorce rate is 60%, making the state 10% higher than the national average. Going through a divorce can be overwhelming and can have consequences on all aspects of your life. Issues of property or asset division often arise during the divorce process.

There is no easy way to prepare for a divorce. A couple that is going through the process can expect to encounter some legal roadblocks, unforeseen financial challenges, and, of course, emotional trauma.

Although the divorce rate in California has declined to 6.7%, according to U.S. News & World Report, this information means little to us when we are counted among that percentage.