Vista Family Law Blog
Modifying a child support order
Once a child support order is finalized in the state of California, both parents are required to follow the provisions regardless of changes in how the parents feel about each other. However, if a parent's financial circumstances have changed, they can potentially...
The fate of IVF embryos after divorce
While California has clear laws and other general guidelines regarding child custody and parental responsibilities, there are far fewer ones concerning offspring that aren't born yet. Should they divorce, couples with frozen embryos in storage may have to deal with...
Cuba Gooding Jr. files for divorce from wife of 20 years
California residents may have heard that Cuba Gooding Jr. has finally filed for divorce from his wife. The couple had been married since March 1994, and had been together for seven years prior to that. Gooding's wife had filed for separation in April 2014 citing...
Co-parenting can make divorce easier on young children
Divorce negotiations in states with community property laws like California can get highly antagonistic. In many cases, disputes over alimony or asset division have to be settled in court. However, bitter child custody battles have become less frequent as an...
Don’t let emotion dictate divorce proceedings
California residents who are thinking about filing for divorce in January are encouraged to do so in a calm and rational manner. The holiday time is when divorce attorneys see an increase in consultation and retention rates as it can be a stressful period for most...
Sherri Shepherd’s ex-husband seeks increase in child support
California residents who have been following Sherri Shepherd's custody case may be interested to learn that her former husband, Lamar Sally, is fighting for more child support. The former couple has a son, now 2 years old, who was born via surrogacy after they...
Child support and single parents in California
Studies have shown that children are increasingly being born into single parent homes, and other research also indicates that a lack of resources may lead to significant problems for them. About 40 percent of children around the country are born to parents who are not...
Dividing student loans and other marital debt in California
When family law judges are called upon to make property division decisions in divorce cases, they follow either equitable distribution or community property rules. In community property states like California, marital assets must be divided equally no matter how long...
How child support may impact a parent’s budget
Child support payments are designed to help custodial parents in California meet the needs of their children. However, there are many costs that child support payments are not meant to cover. For example, they are not meant to cover the cost of a school yearbook to...
Possible change in child support obligations for prisoners
While California already allows modification of child support payments if necessary for people who are incarcerated, the Obama administration is moving to make it possible for prisoners in all states to change their child support obligations when they are behind bars....