Source: http://www.bickfordlaw.com/frequently-asked-questions-san-diego-divorce.html
Timestamp: 2016-12-06 12:07:25
Document Index: 786800092

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 71']

Frequently Asked Questions - San Diego Divorce :: Carmel Valley Family Law Attorney Nancy J. Bickford Contact Us Now: 858-793-8884 Tap Here To Call Us Carmel Valley Family Law Attorney Nancy J. Bickford Home Contact Solana Beach Child Support Lawyer Nancy J. Bickford About Us Attorneys Practice Areas Testimonials Videos Blog FAQS Contact Us Home > Frequently Asked Questions - San Diego Divorce Frequently Asked Questions - San Diego Divorce Below are some frequently asked questions and answers about divorce law in San Diego, click on the following areas for more information:Understanding Family Law - Procedure - Support - Child Custody & VisitationProperty Issues - Discovery - Mediation Financial Disclosures - Domestic Violence - Benefits of Retaining Nancy J. Bickford - JudgmentBenefits of Retaining Nancy J. BickfordQ: What makes the Law Offices of Nancy J. Bickford different from other family law firms?Q: How often will I get updates on my case?Q: How will Nancy’s CPA background be an asset in my case?Back to TopUnderstanding Family LawQ: What is a Certified Family Law Specialist? Q: What are pendente lite orders? Q: Can my spouse and I mediate our divorce? Q: What are the advantages of mediation over litigation? Q: What is collaborative law? Q: When is litigation preferred over mediation? Q: What is a Marital Settlement Agreement? Back to TopProcedureQ: I have handled the family finances throughout our marriage. Now that we are seeking to divorce each other, why do I need to disclose every single aspect of the financials to my spouse? Q: When is the earliest date I can return to the status of a single person in San Diego? Q: Can I retain a lawyer to fight for me and still mediate? Q: What is an Ex Parte proceeding?Back to TopSupportQ:I am currently paying alimony to my ex. Is spousal support tax deductible? Q: I am not married to the father of my child. Am I entitled to receive child support? Q: Do I have to pay taxes on the child support that I receive? Q: How much child support will I have to pay? Q: Do I have to pay taxes on the spousal support that I receive? Q: How is spousal support calculated? Back to TopChild Custody & VisitationQ: When might supervised visitation be appropriate, and if it is, who provides the supervision?Back to TopProperty IssuesQ: What is community property? Q: What are community debts? Q: What if I brought my own assets into my marriage? Q: How do I trace the separate property debts or obligations that I brought into the marriage? Q: I had an IRA account before marriage with a balance of $10,000. During marriage no monies were ever contributed to this account. Will this be confirmed as my separate asset? Q: If my spouse received stock option grants during marriage but they have not vested yet, and if they vest in the future with significant value, is that community property? Q: What if I had significant assets at the time of marriage, and my spouse and I used those assets to support our lifestyle during marriage?Back to TopDiscovery Q: My wife refuses to provide me with information regarding her bank account. To avoid going back and forth on this issue, can I get copies of her bank statements directly from the bank? Q: Can I get access to my former spouse's financial information after our divorce is final? Back to TopMediationQ: What are the benefits of Mediation? Q: What issues will be discussed or resolved? Q: What does the mediation process entail?Back to TopFinancial DisclosuresQ: Do I have ongoing fiduciary obligations to my former spouse after our divorce is over?Q: What type of financial information will I have to disclosure during my divorce?Q: How can I find out if my spouse is hiding money or assets during our divorce?Back to TopDomestic ViolenceQ: What do San Diego courts consider domestic violence?Q: How can I get a domestic violence restraining order?Q: What can I ask for in my request for a temporary restraining order?Back to TopJudgment FAQ'sQ: What is a judgment in family law cases?Q: How can I enforce my divorce judgment? Q: How can I set aside my judgment?Back to Top Q: What is a Certified Family Law Specialist? A: A Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) is an attorney certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in family law. A California attorney, who is certified by the State Bar as a Family Law Specialist must have:Taken and passed a written examination in family lawDemonstrated a high level of experience in family lawFulfilled ongoing education requirements, including specific education requirements in family lawBeen favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with her or his work in the family law area Back to top Q: I have handled the family finances throughout our marriage. Now that we are seeking to divorce each other, why do I need to disclose every single aspect of the financials to my spouse? A: In California, both parties are held to a very high standard of full disclosure. For example, Family Code section 2100 provides:It is the policy of the State of California (1) to marshal, preserve, and protect community and quasi-community assets and liabilities that exist at the date of separation so as to avoid dissipation of the community estate before distribution, (2) to ensure fair and sufficient child and spousal support awards, and (3) to achieve a division of community and quasi-community assets and liabilities on the dissolution or nullity of marriage or legal separation of the parties as provided under California law. Back to top Q: When is the earliest date I can return to the status of a single person? A: In San Diego, your divorce is finalized six months from the date of personal service of the Petition, but you will have to seek this relief request from the court by either filing a motion or a stipulation. Back to top Q: What are pendente lite orders? A: Pendente lite orders are temporary orders on an issue pending resolution of a divorce case. Pendente lite orders may remain in effect until the time of trial, written settlement by the parties, or further court order. Back to top Q: I am currently paying alimony to my ex. Is spousal support tax deductible? A: Although spousal support is typically tax deductible to the payor, there are eight elements that must be met to insure that the payments are in fact tax deductible:The payments must be made under a divorce or separation agreement (26 USC § 71 (b)(1)(A)).The payment must be received by, or on behalf of, a spouse or former spouse (26 USC § 71 (b)(1)(A));The payments must be made in cash. Checks are treated as cash but a transfer of services, property or executing a debt instrument does not qualify as “cash”. (26 USC § 71 (b)(1));The divorce or separation instrument does not have a clause by which the spousal support payment is specifically designated as non-taxable to the recipient or not allowable as a deduction to the payor (26 USC § 71 (b)(1)(B));The parties must not be members of the same household when the payment is made; unless the spousal support payment is pursuant to a temporary order (26 USC § 71 (b)(1)(C));There can’t be any associated liability to make any payment after the death of the recipient spouse or to make any payments as a substitute for such payments after the death of the recipient spouse (26 USC § 71 (b)(1)(D));The payment is not treated as child support or subject to a contingency related to a minor child (26 USC § 71 (c)); andThe former spouse does not file a joint tax return (26 USC § 71 (e)); Back to top Q: I am not married to the father of my child. Am I entitled to receive child support? A: Whether parents are married or not, the amount of child support that is due from one parent to the other is mandated by the State of California. Divorce laws in San Diego dictate that the guideline amount will be calculated by a computer using key factors such as the income of each parent, ability to earn, the percentage of time each parent has with the child or children, and other guideline deductions such as income taxes paid, health insurance, mandatory retirement, etc. Back to top Q: Do I have to pay taxes on the child support that I receive? A: Child support is not taxable to the recipient, nor is it tax deductible for the payor. Back to top Q: How much child support will I have to pay? A: In California, the amount of child support due from one parent to the other is a guideline amount calculated by a specialized computer program. This program considers many factors including the income of each party, the percentage of time each parent has with the child, the ability of each party to pay, health insurance, and other tax considerations. Back to top Q: Do I have to pay taxes on the spousal support that I receive? A: Without an agreement to the contrary, spousal support is taxable to the recipient and tax deductible for the payor. Back to top Q: How is spousal support calculated? A: Judges have broad discretion in their ordering spousal support. San Diego divorce law determines that the amount awarded to the supported spouse is a complex determination based on a variety of factors including the income of each party, the length of the marriage, the age and health of each party, the marketable skills of each party, the marital standard of living, the respective education of each party and more. Back to top Q: What is community property? A: Community property is generally presumed to be all property acquired during marriage unless the property was acquired by gift or inheritance. There are, however, exceptions. You should consult with a Certified Family Law Specialist, particularly one familiar with financial matters, to discuss this complex area of law. Nancy J. Bickford is a Del Mar area Certified Family Law Specialist. Back to top Q: What are community debts? A: Debts acquired during marriage are generally presumed to be community debts. There are, however, exceptions such as debts acquired as an encumbrance on separate property that are separately titled. You should consider meeting with a Certified Family Law Specialist, who is well versed in finance, to discuss this complex area of law. Nancy J. Bickford is one such lawyer in San Diego who is able to understand and explain these matters. Back to top Q: What if I brought my own assets into my marriage? A: If you brought separate property, assets, or debts into your marriage, and if those assets or debts exist at the date of separation and can be traced to the separate property that you brought into the marriage, then those assets or debts remain your separate property. Many San Diego divorces are complex in nature, and require a great deal of experience to navigate. Back to top Q: How do I trace the separate property debts or obligations that I brought into the marriage? A: The process of tracing is extremely complex. We, at the Law Offices of Nancy J. Bickford, APC, have superior knowledge and an understanding of the tracing process and can empower you with an in-depth understanding of the process. Nonetheless, in San Diego County a court would usually expect a neutral accountant to serve as the court expert and to perform this tracing. Back to top Q: I had an IRA account before marriage with a balance of $10,000. During marriage no monies were ever contributed to this account. Will this be confirmed as my separate asset? A: If you can prove that account was yours before marriage and that no deposits were made during marriage, then the IRA will be confirmed as your separate property. Back to top Q: If my spouse received stock option grants during marriage but they have not vested yet, and if they vest in the future with significant value, is that community property? A: The analysis of this situation is somewhat complicated. Essentially, a portion of the gains upon the exercise of stock options will be community property and a portion will be separate property, based upon various formulas. We at the Law Offices of Nancy J. Bickford, APC, are well-versed in these formulas and divorce laws in San Diego and can advise you of your rights. However, a court is likely to request that a neutral accountant serve as the court expert to make this allocation Back to top Q: What if I had significant assets at the time of marriage, and my spouse and I used those assets to support our lifestyle during marriage? A: In San Diego, if you brought assets into the marriage and used those assets to support your standard of living or to pay community expense, they will usually be presumed to have been a gift to the community. Only separate property assets and debts that remain at separation can be confirmed to one party or the other as separate property. There are some exceptions, however, regarding claims for credits or reimbursements to either separate property or to the community. One exception would be if you used your separate property to pay down the debt on your community home. This would be reimbursable to you provided you can "trace" the payments from your separate property to the community property debt. Back to top Q: Can my spouse and I mediate our divorce? A: Yes. In fact, we at the Law Offices of Nancy J. Bickford, APC encourage all of our clients to mediate as many issues as possible. The purpose of mediation is to assist you and your spouse in making your own decisions about your divorce because you know better than any judge how to evaluate your situation. Many divorce complexities are handled in San Diego through mediation. Back to top Q: What are the advantages of mediation over litigation? A: In mediation, two parties can work together to identify the best solutions to their problems, whereas litigation can result in decisions that neither party wanted. For example, if the most important thing you want in your divorce is "A" and your spouse primarily wants "B" a San Diego judge could award "B" to you and "A" to your spouse. One major advantage of mediation and negotiation over litigation is that in mediation you can bargain for "A" while your spouse may offer you more if he can achieve "B". Result? Both parties avoid the extraordinary expense of litigation and also can achieve a more mutually satisfying result. Back to top Q: What is collaborative law? A: San Diego collaborative family law describes the legal component of collaborative practice in which the spouses and their attorneys engage in four-way settlement meetings striving to comprehensively settle all divorce-related issues outside of court and litigation. With the sole goal of negotiating reasonable resolutions to divorce disputes, a participation agreement is a vital element of San Diego collaborative law and lays out the terms of the approach, disqualifying the attorneys from further participation in the case should the collaborative efforts fail and should the spouses require litigation. Back to top Q: When is litigation preferred over mediation? A: Often in mediation one party can overwhelm the other. If there is not a balance of power within the mediation process, it can result in an unfair decision. In addition, if one party is fighting for an unfair result that favors that party, and tries to bully or intimidate through the mediation process, then a judge in a litigated setting may order a more fair result. Back to top Q: Can I retain a lawyer to fight for me and still mediate? A: Yes. In fact, a great deal of our practice at the Law Offices of Nancy J. Bickford, APC is to work with both parties who are mediating. When needed, we can advocate strongly for our client, especially if a client is fearful of opposing his or her spouse alone in mediation. Back to top Q: My wife refuses to provide me with information regarding her bank account. To avoid going back and forth on this issue, can I get copies of her bank statements directly from the bank? A: Yes. In San Diego family courts, you may subpoena third parties, such as financial institutions, to obtain bank records. This is called discovery. There are certain requirements that must be complied with to obtain discovery through third parties. Back to top Q: What is a Marital Settlement Agreement? A: A Marital Settlement Agreement (“MSA”) is a final agreement entered into by parties in a divorce proceeding. An MSA is the alternative to a trial on all disputed issues in which a judge makes an order that binds both parties. If they decide to negotiate an agreement outside of court, the parties and their attorneys can craft an MSA which divides all marital property, contains custody and visitation provisions, awards child and spousal support, an contains many other creative and unique solutions. The advantage of reaching a divorce settlement in San Diego and entering into an MSA is that the parties are able to control the outcome of the case. In court, the judge makes decisions that the parties must abide by indefinitely.Additionally, the rate of compliance with an MSA is higher than that of a judge-created court order. Drafting an enforceable, competent, and clear MSA is a complex procedure. It is important to meet with a Certified Family Law Specialist to discuss this complex and highly important area of family law. Back to top Q: What is an Ex Parte proceeding? A: An ex parte proceeding is an emergency hearing requested by one party. In San Diego County, notice must be given to the opposing party of an ex parte hearing by 10:00 a.m. the court day before the hearing. Notice is not required in only a limited number of circumstances. In order to be successful, the requesting party must show that he or she will suffer irreparable harm if he or she is not permitted to bring the motion without a regularly scheduled hearing. In family court, both sides must meet and discuss the dispute before appearing in court. Failure to do so may result in sanctions, including denial of the ex parte request. Back to top Q: Can I get access to my former spouse's financial information after our divorce is final? A: Yes. According to California case law, parties are not required to provide updates to their former spouses if there is a change in their finances. However, the financial situation of a former spouse may be crucial if ongoing San Diego child support and spousal support orders are still in place. A change in a party’s ability to pay support may warrant a modification of a support order. Under the California Family Code, parties may request a financial update from their former spouses once every twelve months. Once the request has been properly made, the former spouse is required to complete an updated Income & Expense Declaration outlining all of their most recent income and expenses and provide his or her most recent tax returns. Back to top Q: When might supervised visitation be appropriate, and if it is, who provides the supervision? A: Supervised visitation may be appropriate in cases where there are issues of substance abuse or domestic violence, or when it would not otherwise be appropriate for a parent to be alone with their child or children. Supervision of visitation may be done by either a professional or non-professional provider. Both are subject to various qualifications set forth in California Rule of Court Standard 5.20 Uniform standards of practice for providers of supervised visitation. Non-professional providers cannot charge for their services and are typically family members or friends.Back to top Q: What are the benefits of Mediation? A:Children don't have to take sides and can avoid getting "caught in the middle".Parents may learn how to improve communication and negotiation skills, making it easier to settle future disputes.A mediated agreement takes into account the family's special needs.Divorcing couples are often better able to accept and respect a mediated agreement that they have worked out together.Mediation is quick and can save substantial time and money compared to cases that proceed through the Family Court system until Final Hearing by the judge.Mediation is confidential, unlike most court proceedings which are of public record.Back to top Q: What issues will be discussed or resolved? A:Time-sharing, Co-parenting and Child supportPaternity issuesChild Custody - who will make the day-to-day decisions about the children's livesHow the marital property, assets and debts will be divided between the partiesIssues regarding spousal support (alimony)Any other family law issues unique to the partiesBack to top Q: What does the mediation process entail? A: Each party will be allowed to explain their side of the case and their views on how they would like the issues resolved. Through the negotiation process, the mediator works with the parties to find common ground and suggest possible solutions to their differences. The mediator may also meet with each party separately and confidentially in what is known as a “caucus”.The issues agreed upon are produced in writing, reviewed, signed by the parties and submitted to the judge for approval. Discussions during mediation are considered confidential and cannot be used against you in court.Back to topIf you wish to schedule a consultation with Nancy J. Bickford, contact us at (858) 793-8884.Read client reviews & testimonials here Next Page Contact Us Name (Required) Email (Required) Phone (Required) Message Enter text from the image above. Please enter the text from the image on the left. Submit Practice Areas Family Law Mediation Mediation vs. Litigation Spousal Support Division of Property Premarital Agreements Annulment Child Custody Child Support General Information - San Diego Family Law Reviews & Testimonials Child and Spousal Support San Diego Divorce Attorneys Blog Changing your child’s school enrollment Change is a big part of any divorce. When you have children, dealing with change can be one of the most difficult parts of the divorce.�No matter how ....
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Nancy J. Bickford, APC 12348 High Bluff Dr #220 San Diego, CA 92130 Phone: 858-793-8884 Fax: 858-793-8874 We serve the following localities: San Diego County including Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Imperial Beach, Jamul, La Jolla, La Mesa, La Presa, Lakeside, Lemon Grove, National City, Oceanside, Poway, Ramona, Rancho San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego, San Marcos, San Ysidro, Santee, Solana Beach, Spring Valley, Valley Center, and Vista.The Law Offices of Nancy J. Bickford does not send unsolicited emails. If you have received an unsolicited email from someone claiming to be a representative of our firm, please contact us directly at (858) 793-8884. Home Privacy Policy Disclaimer Site Map Contact Us Frequently Asked Questions - San Diego Divorce :: Carmel Valley Family Law Attorney Nancy J. Bickford Copyright © 2016, Nancy J. Bickford, APC Justia Law Firm Website Design