Six Word Story on Divorce in Los Angeles

Interesting blog posting recently asking people to write the future in 6 words or less.  Rather than make this personal we decided to see if we could summarize the future of divorce in 6 words or less.  The tough part of course is accurately guessing what the future will hold.  If we use Google trends as any indication then more divorces will be taking place online.  However online divorces in today’s world still mean that the divorce is uncontested for the most part.  Essentially there isn’t much to fight over so both sides can go online and handle the paperwork.  While it’s a nice idea, we don’t think in the future couples will have less to fight over.  In fact they may have even more.

Now that the real estate market has come back (though that could change in 1, 3, 9 months) couples are seeing their combined net worth back to where it may have been in 2006.  This is assuming they owned and held onto property from that year.  So starting a year ago, and going forward at least until the next real estate crash divorces in California will probably be contested.  If there’s money to be had, there’s a good chance one or both parties will be willing to fight over it.

However we still like the idea of divorces going online.  Like with education people can and will be able to get things done together, but not in the same room.  Driving to a lawyer’s office, and a court-room on a semi-regular basis takes time (especially if on a Friday afternoon in LA).  Therefore perhaps more legal issues will be resolved using an online courtroom.  There would have to be strict online security in place so only the right people can watch what’s happening, and we can ensure the right people are accounted for.  Then we can walk through the issues and in real-time each person can see what is being discussed, which side wants what, and the law in each of the cases.  If it’s a negotiation we could even see what each side is arguing over, and what the computer things an agreeable compromise would look like.  This would be tougher with child custody cases, though a week of summer camp here might equal an additional 2 weekends with the kid over there – you get the idea.

So to summarize this in 6 words the future of Divorce in LA might be this….

Online divorce with computer assisted agreements.

If you agree or disagree with this future feel free to let us know.  With WebEx and Artificial Intelligence becoming more main-stream we might even see this in a Family Court near you.

George Zimmerman Divorce

George Zimmerman is back in the news.  And this time he won’t be able to use the Florida “stand your ground” defense in a family law courtroom.  If you want to hear the latest just turn on the news to learn about the recent divorce filing by his wife, and the recent police reports of him allegedly punching her Dad, smashing an iPad, and brandishing a gun.

It is interesting to speculate what the outcome of the Zimmerman murder trial would have been if the jury knew he was about to go through a divorce.  What the jurors may have seen instead was his wife attending the trial every day, apparently standing by her husband.  That message could very well have swayed at least one of the jurors on the panel if they knew how close she was to filing for divorce.

However, the jurors never had any of that information so we will never know how that could have changed the outcome.  This of course won’t stop media outlets from guessing as to how things could have gone.

What we can look into though is what might happen with George Zimmerman’s divorce.  This is still on-going and may not be decided for quite some time based on the different items in contention.  One item in question is the money George Zimmerman collected in online donations through his web-site.  The donations were for his murder defense fund.  Last reports show they could have raised as much as $550K in donations.  We are unsure however how much of that money was already spent on his defense trial, and therefore how much is remaining.  And its unclear if this money will be considered community property based on Florida divorce laws.  If it is community property she may be entitled to half of whatever is remaining.  And the truth may then come out about what George spent any of it on.  Rest assured if he spent any of the money on things other than his lawyers people may start demanding their money back.

Another item up for contention is their dog.  While web-sits are saying the rottweiler is “his” dog that may be up for question in a Family Law court in Florida.  Perhaps she paid for part of the dog, and spent time caring and feeding it.  Thankfully for them this is not a child and hopefully in Florida family ruling around pets are much simpler.  For example with a dog you normally won’t see couples fight over which summer camp they’ll be attending.  We will not get into the speculation around why George Zimmerman had a rottweiler versus all other available breeds including Maltese, Poodle, and Labrador.  Perhaps it had to do with his sense of self-worth, and his level of self confidence.

We read through more online reports and some of the comments sections of web-sites.  What folks may want to remember is Florida (like California) is a no-fault divorce state. So regardless of George Zimmerman’s recent trial, and how people feel about his money and dogs, a Florida court has specific laws it should take into account when it comes to deciding the outcome.  The presiding judge should not use the recent Zimmerman trial or it’s outcome to impact how things should be divided up among George Zimmerman and his soon to be ex-wife.

So while it is interesting to speculate around this, what people seem to truly enjoy is seeing someone who escaped justice the first time around, now facing it a second time.

Best and Worst States to get a Divorce

Interesting post someone put up last year about the best and worst states to get a divorce.  Not too surprisingly California ranked #47 on the list (as in 3rd from the worst state).

Doing some research on the site it appears they are basing this only on the cost of the divorce filing, the amount of residency required in that State, and the amount of time that must pass by before the divorce can become finalized.  In this case California is expensive, requires a 6 month cooling off period, and the residency requirement is fairly strict.  The good news though is California is a no fault divorce state.  This means when it comes to spousal support or child support the reasons for the divorce should not come into play.  Most family law courts will use a formula for determining these payments.

You can read the posting here.

California Online Divorce

Online divorces are akin to uncontested divorces.  If there is nothing to fight over then people believe there is no reason to hire a lawyer.  A lot of web-sites have popped up over the years to help serve couples who are divorcing and are in agreement on everything.  Some of these sites seem like legitimate businesses here to help.  Others however we are not as sure about.

If you are able to go this route and handle an uncontested divorce then it could save you both time and money.  That would apply only though if it is a simple divorce and you are in COMPLETE agreement on everything.  The minute there is some issue up for contention then lawyers may need to get involved.

When it comes to Divorce in Los Angeles you may want to talk with an attorney even if you are looking for an uncontested divorce.  May be worth your time to discuss the specifics to see if an online divorce would fit your needs.  Then you should be better informed about whether an online divorce will work for you and your partner.

Know that if there are kids involved, questions around finances, if either person owns property, or other items that are not completely resolved then one or both sides may need an attorney to help them through the divorce process.  While a lawyer is not required in a California divorce, based on our own experience it will be worth the investment in terms of meeting the outcomes you are looking for.  This is of course not always the case as each divorce is different, and judges have been known to rule differently depending on multiple factors in family law court.  Either way, we advise people to meet with a few attorneys (at least 3) to see which one will work for you.

If you do find a web-site that claims to provide inexpensive online divorce please read the web-site carefully.  A lot of them may not be as cheap or simple as they claim to be.  Also, there are some that show very impressive logos (CBS, NBC, FOX, etc) which may make you believe they have been seen on or reported on by those TV stations.  However, if you read a bit further you will find that isn’t always the case.  At least one web-site showing all of these logos simply says that they appreciate these TV stations talking about divorce (but not about their site or service in particular).  Again, this all comes back to making sure you understand what you are buying.

We recently ran across a site that lists states based on easiest and most difficult to get divorced in.  While this not very scientific, it does rank California as 47th hardest.  For this reason if you are getting a Divorce in California you may want to talk with an attorney to make sure you are on the right path before deciding to go with an online divorce.

Here is what they say on the site:

California (Ranked 47 out of 50)
Filing fee: $395 Minimum processing time: 360 days Divorce rate: 8.5
Governor Ronald Reagan signed the nation’s very first no-fault divorce law on Jan. 1, 1970. California is the only state with a six-month mandatory cooling-off period after filing. Anyone filing for divorce must have resided in the state for six months. California’s filing fee towers above those of most states, at $395.

Related articles

Divorce Trends

Forbes just published an article highlighting 2 trends in the family law.  These are based on a recent survey performed by AVVO.

The first trend is the area of concern most people now have about divorce.  Based on 900 surveys they are reporting that COST is the biggest concern.  This should not be a surprise.  Unless both sides are cordial and can work things out, then a divorce can get very expensive.  These costs can go even higher if there are children involved.

The report shows that the average cost of a divorce in the US is now at $15,000.  However, this number can be very mis-leading.  We have dealt with divorces that cost a few thousand dollars, and others which have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  So if you are interested in knowing how much a divorce might cost talk with a local attorney directly about your specific situation.  A Beverly Hills Divorce can run the range of costs depending on how well the spouses get along, if there are kids involved, etc.

The second trend revolves around where folks are finding their divorce attorneys.  These are the exact findings “72% of survey respondents who found their divorce attorneys online are women, 49% have children and half are under age 44.  72% also report themselves to be active online shoppers.”  This is good news for lawyers who have a lot of information on the web – and especially if you are looking for women clients.

Based on those numbers it seems women more than men are finding lawyers via the web.  What would be even more interesting is which sites they are using to do their research.  Would be good to know if they are relying solely on google searches, or if they are going to legal research sites to determine who to work with.

 

 

How long does a Divorce take?

By watching Divorce Court you may think a divorce takes 5-7 minutes.  Reality of course is much different.  Some of the divorces we have been involved took 2-3 years from start to finish.  And the word “finish” can be deceiving.  Sometimes years after a divorce ends one side may think they are entitled to more spousal support (also known as alimony).  When this happens it could re-start discussions around salaries, bonuses, monthly spousal payments.  So even when someone is officially divorced, the legal work may continue on for some time.

And if there are kids involved then the ramifications of a divorce can go on for much longer.  Things like Child Support and Child Custody can constantly be modified and changed.  We have seen a lot of clients very happy with their child custody one day, only to decide the next that they want to see their kids more often.  This is understandable though does require quite  bit of legal work to get changes made.

In a Los Angeles Divorce there really isn’t an easy way to gauge how long a divorce will last.  Part of the duration is based on whether there are things for the couple to fight over.  When there is money and / or kids involved things can drag on for a long time.  A good example of this is a recent divorce that is now going on 10 years.  We are not involved in this case so can only speculate based on the news reports.  This particular divorce is happening in Connecticut and appears to be dragged out due to the child support and child custody issues.

While this is a VERY extreme example of a long-term divorce, it shows how easy it can be for divorces to spin out of control.

If you are facing a Los Angeles Divorce you may want to talk with an attorney about your case and how long things could take.  And know that divorces are like a lot of things in life – things change.  One day you and your ex-spouse may decide that you both are okay with 50-50 child custody.  However you may then decide a year later to move to Arizona.  This could open a can of worms in terms of child custody and visitation.  Therefore even after your divorce keep your attorney’s business card handy and ask their opinion BEFORE making any major life changes.

Celebrity Divorce

In just a few years watching and reading about Celebrity Divorces has become a full-time hobby for some people.  With sites like TMZ and RadarOnline it is becoming easier to learn everything about celebrities including their home lives, their careers, and yes even their divorces.

Seems there is nearly no aspect of a celeb’s life that is now out-of-bounds for the paparazzi or any online news & blog sites.  The interesting part is how many people speak about these divorces that have no experience with this very specific topic.  While the information is out there (who is getting divorced, how much money they are making, # of kids) there are a lot of factors that go into the decisions around a divorce.  Even in California it’s not as simple as some people may believe.

Divorces on TV of course is not new.  The show Divorce Court has been on TV in some form or another since the mid 1950’s.  That though is based on people who have signed up to appear on the show.  They have signed a form saying they are okay with the information being made public, and being reviewed by anyone with a TV.

Perhaps in the future there will be a back-lash where people will start treating private lives as private.  Until then it seems divorces and famiy law will continue to be big busines for news sites, TV shows, and advertisers.

 

Los Angeles Divorce Attorney Referral

Los Angeles Divorce Attorney Referral

There are a lot of ways to search for and find a Divorce Attorney in Los Angeles.  One way is to reach out to family, friends, and co-workers to see who they have worked with before.  Hopefully some of them have had a good experience with their own lawyers and can give you a recommendation.  And that lawyer should abide by the lawyer confidentiality agreement and not share any of your case information with anyone.
Another option is to search the web and see what people say about lawyers and attorneys on sites like yelp, superlawyers, etc.  However, be careful about trusting too much in online reviews.  Some of these sites don’t require commenters to prove they have actually used that lawyer before.  And other sites actually charge lawyers money to show up on their site.  We have nothing against any of these web-sites.  We would just like you to know that some of these are here to help you, while others are businesses whose main purpose is to make money.

yelp  citysearch

A third way of finding an attorney is by watching TV commercials or hearing ads on the radio.  This is an interesting twist because many of these ads may not be done by the lawyers themselves.  They could have hired a marketing agency to use creative words to get you interested in hiring them to represent you.  And in a lot of cases some of the radio shows refer attorneys on their web-site who pay them a monthly fee.  We have nothing against any of this.  And in fact some good attorneys may use these approaches to get their name out to the public.  We are letting you know this to make sure you are educated on these matters and make an educated decision.

Beverly Hills Divorce Consultation

Regardless of how you find a lawyer, we recommend you meet with them in person to discuss your case.  You want to see if the lawyer understands what you are going through, and can help you with your case’s needs.  If you are facing a divorce then find a lawyer who has done plenty of divorces before.  If you are dealing with Los Angeles child custody find a lawyer who knows child custody law and can provide you with advice.
If you found this site you either heard about us through a referral or the web.  Either way Contact Us to set-up an appointment and meet with Attorney Beatrice K. Fung when it’s convenient for you.  Once you are ready to visit our office you can go to our Maps & Directions page to get our address.