Whether you can reach a marital settlement agreement or your case goes to litigation, property division can be one of the most significant, thorniest parts of your divorce process—and very emotionally taxing. California is a community property state, which means that in a straightforward divorce, all assets acquired during the marriage are considered shared…
“Polyamorous marriage is having a moment,” reported Brides Magazine in 2021. Aside from how you may feel about the concept or its impact on a marriage, many people aren’t even sure what polyamory means. If you look around the Internet, you’ll find many shades of meaning and nuances of the lifestyle, as well as…
Even for those parting on amicable terms, divorce can be a complex and emotional process. One of the most significant decisions you will face is figuring out what will happen with the marital home. Perhaps you and your spouse have lived in your family home for many years, but your post-separation finances make it…
When you’ve come to the difficult decision that it’s time to end your marriage, you may find yourself wishing it could just be over as fast as possible. Whether the split is amicable or acrimonious, once you’ve accepted this fate, it’s common to feel like it can’t happen soon enough. When it comes to…
This month marks five years since a flood of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, igniting a movement begun a decade earlier—Me Too. The scandal shined a much-needed spotlight on the age-old and ongoing problem of sexual harassment, impropriety, and abuse, particularly in the workplace. Since the #MeToo movement empowered more…
When going through a divorce, you might anticipate that the end will feel like a relief after all the pain and turmoil. The intensity and complexity of the divorce process can obscure the depth of your grief for a while. It’s easy to be blindsided by grief at unexpected times—even with your final decree…
When you get divorced, your marital settlement agreement (MSA), also called a divorce settlement agreement, is attached to, and incorporated into, your final judgment of dissolution. It becomes a court order and is legally binding. The terms of your MSA are critical. They will determine a lot about your post-divorce future (division of property,…
Many couples go into a marriage with the expectation of starting a family in the future, but unfortunately, a medical diagnosis such as infertility can pause those plans. Because of the issue’s complexity, infertility can be hard on couples and can impact many aspects of a relationship, and in some cases, it could lead…
Custody decisions are among the most difficult, delicate, frightening, and painful parts of a divorce process. Even the legal language surrounding it is incredibly fraught—after the agonizing decision that you’ll no longer live together, the idea that one parent would have only” visitation” can feel heartbreaking. When you get divorced, your relationship as a…
If you have a pet, you’ve likely formed deep emotional bonds with that animal. It’s not uncommon to hear Americans use terms like pet parent and fur baby. The 2021-22 National Pet Owners survey by the American Pet Products Association found that nearly seventy percent of U.S. households (90.5 million families) have pets. And…
