San Diego Family Law Blog

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.

Sometimes couples who divorce find their love rekindles later in life at a time when they are in different places in their lives than they were during their marriage and they decide to give their relationship a second chance. Although it is not especially common, it is also not unheard of for former spouses to discover the things that initially drew them together in the first place still exist, drawing them together once again. Some experts estimate that about 10% of all married couples who separate will eventually reconcile at some point in their lives. If you have rekindled a relationship with your former spouse and are contemplating a remarriage, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you say "I do", again.