Family Law Questions About Divorce
The decision to end a marriage or domestic partnership is fraught with emotion and stress. It’s rare that people rush into this decision, but it is often difficult to find guidance on dissolving a relationship and how to deal with the changes that result. The information below provides an overview of the issues you will encounter as well as links to documents and other web pages you may find helpful.
Stay Or Go?
Deciding to file for divorce often comes only after years of weighing the future against the past, concern for your family versus what your heart tells you. Only you know if the time is right.
What About The kids?
We know your children are a primary concern in divorce. You wonder how the divorce will affect them. A divorce may be better than an angry and abusive home life.
What About Money?
We understand the urge to just walk away from arguments about money and property. But you must consider your future and your children. We will help you every step of the way.
Before Filing For Divorce…
Take immediate action and call your local police or 911 if there is a threat or actual abuse occurring to you or your children. If so, call your local police or dial 911.
Otherwise, you may want to consider options for preserving the marriage …
Counseling
Professional counseling for a possible reconciliation might be helpful. For example, depending on the circumstances, you and your spouse may want to consider the services of a religious adviser, psychologist, licensed marriage counselor or another counselor specializing in a particular area – e.g., financial adviser, child therapist.
Trial separation
In many cases, a “cooling off” period might lead to a reconciliation. This is usually called a “trial separation.”
If you are considering ending a long marriage, but have not yet parted, a separation period will show you and your spouse what life will be like after dissolution (e.g. separation from the children, reduced income and cost of two households).
Children And Divorce
California’s Families Change website offers age-appropriate information to help kids, teens and parents deal with family break-ups. It also has information to help parents make financial decisions as part of separation or divorce
Every county has a local child support agency that helps with starting a child support case. The agency also helps with changing or enforcing child support orders. Sometimes you will hear this agency called the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS), which is a state agency.
Local Family Court Services
In addition, every superior court in California has legal help available in family law cases. The Help From Your Court section provides information on the types of problems court-based services can help you with and how to find out what services are available at your court. Some counties have divorce workshops.
Help Yourself To Self-Help
The California courts have put together a Self-Help section on their website for families and children dealing with divorce and separation. This page includes both practical guides on finances and child support as well as sections about emotions and staying involved in your children’s lives.
This web page focuses on how to parent and deal with change after a break-up. There is also content written specifically for teenagers as well as a section written for younger kids. It is a great resource for anyone dealing with separation or divorce.
Family Law Facilitator
The Family Law Facilitator’s offices in your county offer assistance with the completion of legal forms and provide procedural guidance in most areas of family law, including child support, spousal support, child custody, visitation, dissolution, legal separation, nullity and establishment of paternity.
Click for an interactive Google map Family Law Facilitator locations.
Contact The Family Law Attorneys At Rita Holder Law
If you are going through a separation or divorce and need legal guidance, contact Rita Holder Law by calling 925-401-7885 or completing our online contact form. We have helped hundreds of people going through divorce and separation, and we understand how stressful and emotionally draining it can be. Our legal team is always there to help.