Aug 2021
25th Aug 2021
Preparing For Life After Divorcing the Breadwinner
Divorcing the primary breadwinner can be a necessary but terrifying step for many, especially in today’s increasingly competitive and expensive economic landscape. While divorce can be financial and emotionally challenging for all involved parties, the primary breadwinner still gets to enjoy significantly more stability than the spouse who earns less or doesn’t work.18th Aug 2021
Does My Boss or Workplace Need to Know About my Divorce?
A divorce is a highly personal and sensitive matter for most people. Likewise, choosing who to share any details about a divorce is a personal decision that people should be able to make for themselves. 12th Aug 2021
Domestic Abuse Can Jeopardize Custody Rights for Victims As Well
We’ve previously discussed how perpetrators of domestic abuse can have their custody/parental rights removed or placed at risk. This is especially true when there is a criminal conviction. However, the risk can extend to even the victims of domestic violence and abuse. 7th Aug 2021
Addressing Custody Issues When a Parent is a Habitual No-Show
Custody orders define when and how each parent spends time with their children after a divorce. Custody orders often define parameters such as visitation schedules, specifics on how far each parent can travel while the child is under their care, how much financial support each parent is entitled to, and more. Jul 2021
26th Jul 2021
Helping Children Stay Safe While on Social Media
These days, everyone seems to be aware of the dangers of social media. Despite this, social media use is increasingly on the rise, with recent estimates placing social media users at around 3.78 billion people.Social media is used by people from all age groups, but these figures can sometimes skew towards younger demographics. For today’s post, we’re discussing ways you can help your children practice good habits and stay safe while using social media, especially if you and your loved ones are currently going through any divorce or family law issues.
13th Jul 2021
Should I Share Details About my Divorce to my Therapist?
Divorce can be difficult on everyone including yourself, your children, and other loved ones. Even if this isn’t your first divorce, the psychological effects of going through the divorce process cannot be understated, and it’s not uncommon for people to experience depression, anger, and in some cases post-traumatic stress disorder.10th Jul 2021
Trusts and Divorce: How do I Protect These Assets During a Divorce?
Trusts are a key way for people to protect their wealth and assets from generation to generation. Whether you’re looking to pass decades of wealth or perhaps a more humble sum to your kids and other relatives, trusts are effective at ensuring the money goes where you want it to go. However, divorce can throw more than a few wrenches into this equation. How can you ensure that someone doesn’t walk off with half of what is rightfully yours and your family’s? The answer isn’t entirely straightforward, and a lot of it depends on your specific circumstances. For example, two major factors are the language and the timing used in your trust.
3rd Jul 2021
Does Assisted Reproduction Impact Parental Rights in CA?
There are times when couples resort to assisted reproduction in order to have a child. Whether they opt for a sperm donor or or an ova donor, there are many key decisions that soon-to-be parents must make as they prepare for this new journey. One question that often pops to mind, at least in relation to family law in CA, is how this might impact or influence parental rights, either at the point of birth or later down the line. Today’s post seeks to answer just that, where we’ll be looking into how parental rights work when assisted reproduction is part of the equation.
Jun 2021
20th Jun 2021
Will My Criminal Case in CA Impact Child Custody or Visitation Rights?
Custody disputes are often tricky because at the end of the day, most people want what’s best for the child. This goes for the family court officials as well - their goal is to ensure that a child is safe, cared for, and able to have a healthy relationship with both parents. 12th Jun 2021
Cryptocurrency Adds Additional Challenges to a California Divorce
Whether you love it, hate it, or simply don’t care either way, cryptocurrency has officially entered the mainstream. With many banks, corporations, and even government agencies trying to get into the crypto game, there’s no denying that these novel approaches to financial assets are more popular than ever. 9th Jun 2021
What Do I Do When My Spouse Tells Me They Want a Divorce?
Whether it catches you entirely by surprise or if was something you knew to expect, being on the receiving end of divorce papers is always stressful and challenging. Many people have no idea what to do or expect from the divorce process. Unfortunately, when it comes to divorce acting fast is key. 3rd Jun 2021
Which Parent is Responsible for Covering a Child’s Health Insurance?
During divorce proceedings, there’s a division of assets and liabilities, as well as financial responsibilities. This can become a truly complicated process, especially when there is a child in the mix. Both parents are responsible for caring and looking after a child, but assessing who pays for what exactly isn’t always clear-cut. For example, who covers health insurance? What about when this involves a child who has a chronic or long-term illness, or suddenly racked up extensive hospital bills after an unexpected accident or injury?May 2021
25th May 2021
Debunking Common Misconceptions about Divorce in California
There’s lots of gossip and rumors floating online these days, and divorce is no exception. Many half-truths and misrepresentations about custody, visitation, alimony, and more are often shared across social media, videos, forums, and more. At the Law Offices of James P. White, we’ve heard them all, and to that end, we want to spend some time dispelling some of the more common misconceptions. 15th May 2021
Are Stepparents Entitled to Visitation Rights in CA?
Stepparents often play an important role in a child’s life. As the spouse of their biological parent, stepparents may fulfill an important parental role and they play a hand in raising and providing support for the child. Children and stepparents can form strong bonds and become as attached as any other family members. 10th May 2021
How CA Determines if a Parent is Unfit
When a parent is unable to provide proper care, guidance, support, or ensure the safety of a child, the state of California may determine that the parent is unfit. This can lead to additional actions such as a formal investigation, loss of custody or visitation, and loss of parental rights. 5th May 2021
Defining the Grounds for Divorce in California
People usually get married with the intention of staying together for the rest of their lives. However life doesn’t always play out how we expect and marriages don’t always work out for a variety of reasons. Perhaps financial strain pushed the two apart, maybe one decided to step out of the marriage with infidelity, or sometimes people just realize they aren’t truly as compatible as they thought they were. Does the reason behind the divorce matter? Today, we’re taking a look at how California determines grounds for divorce. In other words, what are the valid reasons someone can get divorced in CA?
Apr 2021
21st Apr 2021
Unmarried California Couples: What Legal Rights Do They Have?
In CA, unmarried couples who live together are defined under the category of cohabitation. There’s no common law marriage in the state, which means that the legal rights of co-habitating couples vary significantly from those of married couples.Today, we want to talk about the legal specifics of how unmarried cohabitating couples operate under family law in CA. Note that this differs from a domestic partnership, where a couple formally applies and are awarded similar benefits to those enjoyed by married couples.
17th Apr 2021
Calling an Expert Witness During Your California Divorce
When people think of having an expert witness called during testimony, their mind gravitates to criminal cases and possibly civil cases such as those that involve personal injury. Few people associate expert witnesses with divorce proceedings, but did you know that their expertise can be just as valuable in the family law courts? 12th Apr 2021
Divorce and Finances: What If You Aren’t the Primary Breadwinner?
The end of a marriage signifies drastic changes to many facets of your life, including your home life, your relationship with many family members, and your finances. For the latter, this is especially harrowing when you relied on the other person to act as the primary breadwinner. 7th Apr 2021
A Review of Visitation Orders in CA
While divorce can bring relief and a sense of turning over a new leaf, things aren’t as streamlined when there are children involved. As the divorce process moves to its conclusion, parents have to determine who the child is going to live with, as well as hammer out a visitation schedule that works for both parents. Mar 2021
24th Mar 2021
Emotional Abuse in a Custody Case
Custody cases in CA often center on one aspect: the well-being and safety of the child. This means that the family law courts will always make decisions that protect or preserve the well-being, happiness, and basic needs of the child. This means that any signs of emotional abuse can and often will impact the outcome of a family law case. While the courts won’t take any claims at face value, this will spur an investigation and deeper prodding into the issue.
15th Mar 2021
Should I Represent Myself During My CA Divorce? Risks to Consider
These days DIY is all the rage. With so much information at our fingertips it can be tempting to try and strike out on your own, whether you’re trying to remodel the home, are looking to be a better cook at home, have old electronics to repair, and more. So why not divorce as well?Family law in California is one area that does not lend itself to a DIY approach. For today’s blog post, we want to talk about the risks that come with representing yourself in court. The short version is: never proceed with any family law matter in California without first retaining the aid of a qualified divorce / family law attorney.
9th Mar 2021
What Can I Do When My Spouse Says “No” to Divorce?
When someone inevitably broaches the topic of divorce, it can be surprising (but not uncommon) for the other person to flat out refuse or say no. In these cases, many people can be stumped. After all, what can you do when the other person simply shuts down the conversation?It’s true, in CA you don’t need to get a “yes” from the spouse in order to get a divorce. However, having them on the same page as you can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to the more contentious parts of divorce such as custody disputes and division of assets. For today’s post, we’re discussing different approaches and strategies when the soon-to-be-ex says “nope” to divorce.
3rd Mar 2021
What Happens When a Parent Can’t Care for a Child in CA?
In some circumstances, it can be difficult for a parent to provide or care for their children. This can be due to financial reasons, health hardship, and other complications. In these cases, sometimes the best decision is for the parent to let someone else take the reins and care for the child, whether this is on a temporary or permanent basis.