San Diego Family Law Blog

Perhaps when you decided to divorce, you were fairly confident that you'd have a network of friends available who could help you navigate your emotions and other issues throughout the process. After all, most people know anywhere from three to 10 (or more) people who are divorced, right? The problem is that while close friends can indeed be sources of moral support and encouragement, there is also a lot of misinformation circulating in California and elsewhere that could complicate your situation.

It's crucial that you be able to identify a myth when you hear it regarding various aspects of divorce. For instance, you may have heard it said that those who divorce simply did not try hard enough to save their marriages. That's a myth that can do a lot of emotional harm if you buy into it. Getting your facts straight ahead of time and lining up other sources of support in addition to your friends may be a key to a swift and successful outcome.

When a couple experiences significant problems in their marriage, they might start to think seriously about filing for divorce. One or both of the spouses may begin taking active steps toward bringing the marriage to an end.

Unfortunately, many who find themselves in this situation often fail to focus on some important issues that may arise during the divorce process. In this post, we discuss three of the biggest money mistakes that couples make during and after a divorce, and provide you with some practical information that you can use to avoid a similar fate.

Do stepparents who have been a positive and lasting influence on their stepchildren's lives and helped to raise them have any custody rights in the event of a divorce?

California is a community property state. What this means is that (generally) all property acquired by either spouse during the marriage is deemed to be jointly owned by both. Generally, if a life insurance policy has been purchased by one party using "community funds" (i.e., joint funds) during a marriage, it will be considered to be a community asset or community property in the case of divorce. Similarly, the surrender value of a life insurance policy purchased with community funds may be considered community property in California. If a life insurance policy is purchased prior to marriage using separate funds, the policy will generally be considered an individual asset and not community property.