Fraud Blocker

Why The Date Of Separation Is Important

The date of separation is the marker of the end of the marriage. Why is this important? California is a community property state. When two people marry, they have equal ownership of all property, assets, and debts.  Everything before the date of separation is community property subject to equal division.  Secondly, the date of separation is also used to determine spousal support. If your spouse files for Read More

Tips on Being a Good Co-Parent Around the Holidays

The stress of the holidays. The stress of being newly divorced and a co-parent. What will happen when they collide? It’ll be manageable, we promise. You may experience varying degrees of stress, but you will make it through with these tips from Ahluwalia Law.  Review your parenting plan. Your parenting plan may be fresh in your mind or relegated to the recesses of your brain. Regardless, the colder weather Read More

5 Situations Where You Need a Post-Judgment Modification

Most ex-couples assume that once their Final Judgment of the Dissolution of Marriage is filed, the terms of the divorce are permanent. That’s partly true, as California courts frown on arbitrarily changing one’s divorce decree. However, the law also recognizes that life is not static and will support a modification if you can demonstrate a significant change in circumstances since the divorce. Below is an overview Read More

5 Ways to Effectively Co-Parent After a Divorce

Jason and Kira knew that divorce did not end their relationship with each other. They had two beautiful girls, which meant that they would be attending graduations, weddings, and possibly the births of future grandchildren together. Although their marriage had not been a happy one towards the end, they committed to letting things go and working together calmly and productively as co-parents. This is a huge and Read More

What to Do When Your Ex Stops Paying Child Support

“Mommy?” It’s your four-year-old daughter, Ada, and she’s using that voice. The one that is usually followed by “I spilled juice on the rug” or “Spot ate a crayon.” You look up from the computer. Ada is standing in the doorway to your home office, one foot extended to show you the hole in the sole of her sneaker. “I need new shoes,” she says. You nearly exclaim, “Already?” But you don’t. It’s not her Read More

Understanding Parental Alienation

Jeff is concerned about his nine-year-old son, Ethan. The boy has been behaving strangely, and he suspects that his former wife, Tanya, is to blame. It began when Jeff started seeing his new girlfriend, Rosa. Although Jeff introduced Ethan and Rosa and the two seemed to hit it off, during the next weekend visit Ethan seemed unusually quiet and sullen. He never admitted that anything was wrong, but his tone and Read More

What Do California Courts Consider When Determining Child Custody?

Albert and Shannon have decided to get a divorce. Their friends and family are not surprised, as both parties have been unhappy for a while now. Unfortunately, their attitude towards each other during the divorce is equally predictable. Shannon is determined to have both legal and physical custody of their two young boys and give Albert as little visitation as possible. Albert concedes that seeking primary Read More

How Debts Are Divided in a California Divorce

You and your spouse have decided to divorce, so you know that all the cars, real estate, and other assets you acquired or received during the five years you were married are subject to division. But what about your credit card balances? Your spouse’s student loans? The money that your business owes to vendors and suppliers? California is a community property state, meaning that property acquired by a spouse during Read More

Why Mediate Your Divorce? 5 Key Benefits Compared to Litigation

Although divorce has the potential to be a long, bitter, and costly undertaking, litigation is no longer the default method of settling matters like property division, child custody and support, and spousal support. Mediation allows you and your spouse to work with a professional mediator to come to a mutually acceptable agreement on these important issues. What is Mediation? How does it work? Mediated divorces Read More

7 Scenarios California Recognizes as Grounds for Annulment

There are two ways to legally dissolve a marriage in California: divorce and annulment. Although they achieve similar outcomes, divorce is the legal termination of a valid marriage while annulment is a confirmation that the marriage technically never existed. That is, once a union is annulled, it’s as if the couple was never married in the first place. Annulments are harder to obtain than divorces because Read More