San Diego Family Law Blog

Although those who are not "pet lovers" may scoff at the idea, many divorces involve the heartbreaking reality of deciding who gets the family dog, cat, or other pet. It is frequently just as painful as dealing with child custody issues but, until now, the Family Court system in California has treated pets as "property". Consequently, if the parties cannot reach an agreement the Judge could only award the pet to one party or the other, without any consideration of the devastating impact it may have on the other person.

For most couples, the nature of their marriages is the joining of their lives. Tangibly, this often means commingling their property and finances and providing mutual support for each other's success. You and your spouse may have enjoyed this for at least part of your marriage. Whether you made your fortune together or brought your money into the marriage, you are now left with the unenviable task of dividing it through divorce.

If you and your spouse have substantial assets, you probably already understand how complicated your divorce can get, especially if you have been married long enough for your assets to become intertwined. While you will certainly want the assistance of a skilled attorney who has experience in handling the divorces of wealthy spouses, there are some things you may be able to resolve with your spouse before beginning divorce proceedings.

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.