child support Archives - Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

“Always has the best advice for you” -AVVO reviewer

October 24, 2016/in Firm News /by Riley Pennington

Gina Policastri, partner at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri, has gained a reputation for being a compassionate but strong advocate for her clients. She has worked with clients involved in long and difficult divorces. One AVVO reviewer recently noted that after a lengthy divorce of 6 years that seemed to be going nowhere, Gina was able to finalize his divorce in only 8 months! As the reviewer stated, “She is extremely organized, a hard worker and always has the best advice for you and knows what is needed to do to move your case forward!”

Gina Policastri is a Certified Family Law Specialist. She handles all areas of family law including high conflict custody cases, complex business valuation and asset division issues and complicated child and spousal support matters.

For more information or to schedule your free ½ hour consultation, please contact Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri. Please remember that each individual situation is unique, and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/95126-ca-gina-policastri-233500/reviews.html

Smith/Ostler Order: Accounting for Bonus Income’s Impact on Support Payments

October 19, 2016/2 Comments/in Family Law /by Virginia Lively

When calculating spousal or child support, courts look to a wage earner’s monthly income to determine an appropriate support amount. However, what if the wage earner spouse or parent receives bonus income in the years after the initial support order is entered? Support orders can be altered, but the process involves a court room, lawyers, and more legal fees. In re Marriage of Ostler & Smith offers an alternative answer—the Smith/Ostler order.

A Smith/Ostler order takes into account a spouse or parent’s unearned or prospective income, detailing when and how any future, additional earnings should be incorporated into a support order. However, because bonus income is prospective only, it may never be realized. Calculating support based off an unknown and/or unguaranteed dollar amount can underestimate or inflate a support order. Therefore, to account for the speculative nature of bonus payments, courts deal in percentages.

For example, in the seminal In re Marriage of Ostler & Smith case, the court awarded Wife 15 percent of Husband’s future cash bonuses. If Husband received a bonus, he would give 15 percent of whatever amount he earned to Wife, but if Husband did not receive any cash bonuses, he would not pay additional support. Importantly, the original support order would remain intact, and the parties would not need to argue over how much of the bonus income the supported spouse should be paid—the court order took care of those details and created a more easily administered support order.

In addition to cash bonuses, a Smith/Ostler order can account for future stock option income. For example, in In re Marriage of Kerr, Wife and Husband, while married, improved their standard of living by exercising stock options that had increased in value. Subsequently, during divorce proceedings, the court award Wife, through a Smith/Ostler order, a percentage of Husband’s income from any future exercise of those same stock options.

However, In re Marriage of Kerr presented an exceptional case where an additional measure besides a percentage amount was necessary to ensure that Husband’s spousal support order was not inflated. The value of Husband’s stock had increased exponentially after he divorced Wife. A specified percentage of the stock’s value would have increased Husband’s payments to a point that far exceeded the marital standard of living he shared with Wife. Thus, the court concluded that under special circumstances, such as the case at hand, use of a Smith/Ostler order is permissible only if the court caps the amount of future income a spouse can receive at a number proportionate to the martial standard of living.

If you are considering a divorce or legal separation and would like more information about how either action may affect your finances, please contact the experienced family law attorneys at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri. We can help you understand and manage any spousal or child support issues that may arise.

Lastly, please remember that each individual situation is unique, and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Sources:

In re Marriage of Ostler & Smith (1990) 223 Cal.App.3d 33

In re Marriage of Kerr (1999) 77 Cal.App.4th 87

Mediation: Taking control of your divorce

October 10, 2016/in Family Law /by David Patton

The underuse of the mediation process seems to be largely attributable to the fact that many people are unaware of what a mediation session is and how beneficial it can actually be. In family disputes, mediation can be extremely rewarding, saving parties time, money and sanity.

The rules of mediation: you create them

In mediation, parties are not bound by many of the rules that govern judges’ decision making. As a result, parties can reach solutions that might not otherwise be available from a court. For example, if there is a dispute over child support or child custody, rather than having a judge decide the amount of support or amount of visitation based on guidelines and factors required by statute, parties are free to negotiate an amount or time deemed reasonable to both.

The outcomes: you decide them

In mediation, you are free to discuss with your spouse what is important to both of you and try to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. It differs from litigation in that parties avoid the uncertainty, time and stress associated with going to trial. Parties are able to hear and understand the other’s point of view and with the guidance of a mediator, this enables parties to reach a middle ground . Because the mediator does not have the authority to make decisions, it is ultimately the parties making their OWN decisions over their OWN lives.

However, a good mediator should have some family law experience and be able to offer practical guidance to the parties. A mediator with family law experience can offer parties insight as to what might and might not be granted in court, ensuring that no request is unreasonable or disadvantageous to the other spouse. This can make the mediation session much more productive.

Progress: in the mediation room and beyond

Lastly, even if you don’t settle all your divorce issues, chances are you did resolve some. Even having resolved one issue is progress. Further, the tenants of mediation promote cooperation and communication. Thus because parties are provided the opportunity to resolve their own case, mediation tends to reduce hostility and preserve ongoing relationships.

While divorce mediation works in many situations, it is not always appropriate. Litigation is often the best option in situations where there is domestic violence, one party refuses to cooperate in making required disclosures, or communication between the parties is impossible. If you have any questions about divorce mediation and would like to speak to an attorney, please contact Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri for further information. Keep in mind that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

How to Establish a Child’s Parentage

June 17, 2016/1 Comment/in Family Law /by Gina Policastri

When a child is born to a married couple, California law automatically establishes both spouses as the child’s parents. However, while nonmarital births peaked in the late 2000s, four out of every ten children are still born to unmarried women.* Additionally, nonmarital births are increasingly likely to occur in cohabiting unions. Yet, even when born to a cohabiting (but unmarried) couple, a child’s parentage is not automatically presumed—he or she will not automatically receive the same benefits that a married couple’s child will receive. As a result, it is very important that unwed parents legally establish their child’s parentage.

Establishing parentage is important for the parents and the child because it entitles all parties to a host of legal rights and privileges: child support, legal identification documents, both parents’ names on the child’s birth certificate, access to family medical records and history, health and life insurance coverage, the right to inherit, and the right to receive social security and veteran’s benefits. Additionally, once parentage is established, a court can make orders concerning the above listed rights and privileges and concerning child custody, visitation, name changes, and expense reimbursement.

The parentage of a child born to an unmarried couple can be established by either 1) a voluntary signing of a Declaration of Paternity, or 2) a court order. First, a Declaration of Paternity can be signed by both parents once the child is born. The form can be signed at the hospital or at a later date, but to become effective, it must be filed with the California Department of Child Support Services Paternity Opportunity Program. If signed and filed properly, a declaration form has the same effect as a court order.

Second, if a parent refuses to sign the declaration, an individual, with the help of a family law attorney or through a local child support agency, can go to court to establish parentage. In California, section 7611 of the Family Code provides several rebuttable presumptions of natural parent status: 1) the presumed parent and the child’s natural mother are married when the child is born, or the child is born within 300 days after the termination of a marriage, 2) before the child’s birth, the presumed parent and the child’s natural mother attempted to marry each other, 3) after the child’s birth, the presumed parent and the child’s natural mother have married or attempted to marry each other, and with consent, the presumed parent is named as the child’s parent on the birth certificate or is obligated to support the child under a written promise or court order, and 4) the presumed parent receives the child into his or her home and openly holds the child out as his or her natural child. If a court finds that one these presumptions applies, it will issue an order establishing parentage.

Additionally, section 7551 of the California Family Code provides that in civil proceedings where paternity is relevant, the court may order (of its own initiative or upon suggestion by an involved party) that the mother, child, and alleged father submit to genetic tests. As provided by section 7555 of the California Family Code, if the court finds that the ordered genetic testing establishes paternity to a certain degree verified by experts, there is rebuttable presumption of paternity, and the court may proceed with support and custody orders.

For more information about establishing a child’s parentage in California, especially if you are interested in pursuing child support and/or custody of your child, please contact the experienced family law attorneys at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri.

Lastly, please remember that each individual situation is unique, and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Sources:

*http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db162.htm

http://www.courts.ca.gov/1201.htm

Alternative Dispute Resolution in Marital Cases

October 27, 2015/in Family Law /by Gina Policastri

No one marries with the intent that they will divorce someday. However, there may be a point in a relationship when it is clear that marital dissolution (i.e., a divorce) is inevitable. How the parties proceed after this point can make the difference between an amicable, peaceful conscious uncoupling and a nasty, drawn-out battle.

Even though a trial, complete with a judge and court-room setting is glorified on television, most cases do not make it to trial and are more commonly resolved with a settlement. Contrary to what some believe, a divorce does not have to go to court. Parties looking to divorce may resolve their dispute through informal negotiations by using out-of-court alternative dispute resolution (commonly referred to as ADR). These proceedings between you and your spouse along with your attorneys promote voluntary settlement though they can also include traditional court proceedings.

Several ADR processes that family law attorneys use are mediation and arbitration in lieu of proceeding to trial. These forms of dispute resolution are gaining in popularity and are shifting the role divorce attorneys play from representing their clients in a legal battle to acting as divorce mediators who help their clients achieve their goals. In order to determine which approach might be right for you, it’s helpful to understand the process each one entails.

Mediation

The goal of mediation is for a neutral third party to help disputants come to a consensus on their own. In mediation, a professional mediator works with the conflicting sides to explore the interests underlying their positions. Parties in mediation find it effective at allowing them to vent their feelings and to fully explore their grievances.

Mediation sometimes requires the parties to sit in a room together, while other times the parties are in separate rooms and the mediator goes back and forth. This is typically referred to as Kissinger style shuttle diplomacy after it was used to describe the efforts of the United States Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.

Mediation may be particularly helpful when parties have a relationship they want to preserve (e.g., family members, neighbors or business partners have a dispute) or when emotions are getting in the way of finding a resolution. An effective mediator can hear the parties out and help them discuss issues with each other in an effective and nondestructive manner.

Arbitration

Another form of alternative dispute resolution in family law cases is arbitration where a neutral third party serves as a judge who is responsible for resolving the dispute. The arbitrator listens as each side argues their case and presents relevant evidence, and then renders a binding or non-binding decision, depending on the type of arbitration entered into. Arbitration is less formal than a trial, and the rules of evidence are often relaxed.

Although used more often in civil litigation, arbitration is less often used in divorce cases. In marital dissolution cases, an arbitrator’s decision is not necessarily final, and the parties may still be able to resolve key issues before a court at a later date. It is important to keep in mind that most out-of-court alternatives for resolving a divorce will still require some level of court approval.

Litigation

Perhaps the most recognizable form of dispute resolution, litigation involves two parties facing off before a judge or judge and jury (Currently, Texas and Georgia are the only states that offer spouses the opportunity to litigate their divorce before a jury). During the trial of a divorce case, the attorney’s for each party present evidence on contested issues while the judge (or jury) is responsible for weighing that evidence and making a ruling.

Typical issues that arise in litigation are the determination of the separate property of a party, how to divide community property and liabilities as well as determination of the validity of a pre- or post-nuptial agreement. If children are present the custody arrangement, child and spousal support as well as the time sharing schedule of the children are often areas prone to increased litigation.

It is important to keep in mind that all of the alternative dispute resolution processes are available in settling any ongoing dispute such as property division, child custody or support. However, the effectiveness of these alternatives in contrast to a full trial depend on factors such as how willing the parties are to work on resolving these issues and the general degree of animosity between them.

These choices can make the decision to divorce a complex field. If you are considering filing for divorce, the Certified Family Law Specialists at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri have decades of experience handling complex family law matters. Please contact the Certified Family Law Specialists at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri for further information. Also, please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Source: http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/dispute-resolution/what-are-the-three-basic-types-of-dispute-resolution-what-to-know-about-mediation-arbitration-and-litigation/?mqsc=W3814478&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=PON%20Harvard+Neg%20Insider%20(Tuesday/Thursday)%20Standard%20Rule+Neg%20Insider%20(Tuesday/Thursday)%20Standard%20Rule&utm_campaign=Neg_WIR_10242015

August: The Month of Child Support Awareness

August 7, 2015/in Family Law /by Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

“Children are the best part of ourselves-the sum of our past and the promise of our future, the guarantee that our lives and values and dreams will flourish long after we are gone,” said then President Bill Clinton when he made an official declaration in 1995 that recognized the month of August as Child Support Awareness Month.

Child Support Awareness Month is a time to highlight the vital role child support plays in the well-being and lives of millions of families in the United States. “Child Support Awareness Month is a time to salute parents who work hard to ensure their children grow up in stables homes and look forward to a bright future,” stated Yolo County Public Information Officer Beth Garbor. “It is also a time to help remind parents who are not always present that they are an important part of their children’s lives.”

Child support has become a widespread problem in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2009 report: among the 6.9 million custodial single parents who were awarded child support in 2009, only 41.2% received all of the child support that was due- a 46.8% decrease from 2007.

When a non-custodial parent does not pay the child support order, it likely means that his or her children are missing out on income that they count on and will have to sacrifice accordingly. For many children, these monthly payments are all that stands between them and poverty.

“Children who receive support from both parents tend to do better in school and tend to have fewer behavioral problems through their lives,” said Yolo County Department of Child Support Services Director Natalie Dillon. “This support comes in many forms; emotional, mental, and financial.”

If you have any questions about child support or any other issue, the Certified Family Law Specialists at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri have decades of experience handling complex family law matters. Please contact the Certified Family Law Specialists at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri for further information. Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

“No good marriage ever ended in divorce” – Louis C.K.

July 30, 2014/in Family Law /by Gina Policastri

“Divorce is always good news. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true because no good marriage has ever ended in divorce. That would be sad. If two people were married and they just had a great thing … and then they got divorced, that would be really sad. But that has happened zero times.”

-Louis C.K.

This inevitably leads to the question: what is a “good” marriage? Likely, the answer is there are no good or bad marriages. Instead there are a range of risk factors associated with divorce. When two people get married, they usually aren’t thinking that the marriage will end in divorce. But then hard times arise and sometimes they find themselves thinking either casually or seriously about divorce. Is there a way to know if your marriage is statistically likely to end in divorce? Below, we will take a look at some of the most common risk factors in the United States.

Current state of divorce

In the United States, researchers estimate that 40 to 50 percent of all first marriages will end in divorce or permanent separation. The risk of divorce is even higher for second marriages at about 60 percent. Divorce has always been present in American society although it has become more common in the last 50 years. Surprisingly, the highest divorce rates ever recorded were in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Since then the divorce rate has actually decreased a little but still remains at a historically high rate.

Researchers have found that individuals considering divorce make their decision to stay or leave based on the rewards they gain from the marriage, the barriers against leaving the marriage, their perceptions about finding a better relationship, and the amount of investment they have made in their marriage.

Barriers to leaving a marriage, such as concerns about money and the effects of family breakup on their children, can keep marriages together in the short term. However, unless there is improvement in the relationship, eventually the barriers are usually not enough to keep a marriage together in the long run.

What factors are associated with a higher risk for divorce?

The statistics which show that almost half of all marriages end in divorce might make it seem like staying married has the same odds as roulette – namely 50/50. However, research has identified various factors that are associated with a higher risk for divorce. Some couples may have a low risk and others might have a higher risk of divorcing. Understanding these factors may not directly help improve your marriage or make a decision about getting divorced, but they may help couples understand why they’re facing challenges. Researchers have identified the most common factors as:

Young Age. Marrying at a young age increases your likelihood of divorce, especially in the early years of marriage. People who married in their teens are at dramatically higher risk for divorce than those who married as early as age 21 or 22.
Less education. Researchers estimate that individuals who have some college education as opposed to not finishing high school have a lower chance of divorce. Investing in an education is a good way to build a foundation for a better marriage, not just a better job.
Less income. Tied to education is income. Research has estimated that individuals with incomes exceeding $50,000 have a lower chance of divorce. Finances can be stressful and having at least a modest income can help couples avoid stresses that can lead to divorce. If you argue with your spouse about finances once a week, your marriage is 30 percent more likely to end in divorce than if you argue less frequently about finances.
Premarital childbearing and pregnancy. In America, more than one-third (37%) of children are born to parents who are not married, and few of these parents eventually marry. Most of those parents will separate before the child begins school, some will never really get together.
If you have a daughter, you’re 5% more likely to divorce. This figure multiplies with the number of daughters. Researchers believe that this happens because fathers are more invested in family life when they have boys.
If you or your partner have had a previous marriage. Data shows that second (or third or fourth) marriages should be more successful than first marriages. However, this statistic is skewed by serial marriages and researchers have been unable to take the Elizabeth Taylors out of the equation.
Parents’ divorce. Of course, some risk factors for divorce you can’t control. If you experienced the divorce of your parents, unfortunately, that doubles your risk for divorce. If your spouse witnessed their parents’ divorce, then your risk more than triples. This does not doom your marriage to failure but rather suggests that individuals who experienced the divorce of their parents need to work harder to make good marriage choices and to keep their marriage strong and happy.
Same-sex marriages are more likely to end in divorce. Although the LGBT community is just starting to have legally recognized marriages in the United States, a research team led by Stockholm University on legal partnerships in Norway and Sweden found that male same-sex marriages are 50 percent more likely to end in divorce than a heterosexual marriage. If you’re a female in a same-sex marriage, this figure soars to 167 percent.

These are only a few risk factors that researchers have identified and none of them represent automatic doom for a marriage. However, if a number of these and other risk factors are present, seeking pre-marital or other counseling may be recommended, even if nothing seems wrong at the moment. Much like roulette, one can increase the odds in their favor by learning more about marriage, themselves and their partners.

If divorce seems inevitable, it is also recommended that couples take time to try to fix the relationship through counseling or some other professional service before making the decision to call it quits. However, we understand that sometimes there are no alternatives besides divorce.

If you are considering divorce or have questions about divorce planning, please contact our California Certified Family Law Specialists (as certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Our attorneys have decades of experience handling complex family law proceedings and offer a free consultation.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Halle Berry Owes $16,000 a Month in Child Support: How Much is Too Much?

July 10, 2014/in Family Law /by Mitchell Ehrlich

Halle Berry’s last breakup came with a price tag: $16,000 a month for the next 13 years.

On May 30, a Los Angeles court ordered that the Academy Award-winning actress must pay $16,000 a month in child support to her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry, to support their 6-year-old daughter, Nahla, until she turns 19 or graduates from high school. This amounts to $192,000 a year and almost $2.5 million of nontaxable income over Nahla’s childhood (not including another $115,000 Halle must pay retroactively, plus $300,000 to cover Aubry’s legal fees).

The pricey child support settlement raises the question: Does a 6-year-old really require $16,000 a month?

In California, child support is calculated using a uniform statewide guideline formula that considers both parents’ income, if one parent makes more money than the other, the amount of time each parent spends with the child, and a variety of other related factors. The guideline formula is presumed to be correct and courts should only depart from the guideline in rare circumstances. Under Family Code section 4057(b)(3), one of these circumstances is when “the parent being ordered to pay child support has an extraordinarily high income and the amount determined under the formula would exceed the needs of the children.”

Determining what exceeds a child’s needs is subjective, can be tricky, and involves somewhat circular reasoning. The ability of support must be suitable to the child’s circumstances and can depend on whether the parent is merely wealthy, such as a senior engineer at Google making $300,000 per year, or extremely wealthy, such as Halle Berry, who has a net worth of $70 million and earns approximately $16 million per year. For example, in Marriage of Chandler, based on the Husband’s monthly income of $117,000, the trial court reduced the guideline amount of $9,000 to $3,000 to reflect the child’s reasonable needs. The appellate court then reversed, finding that reducing support to one-third of the guideline was erroneous, and that $3,000 would not come close to providing the child with the lifestyle she was used to.

In Marriage of Bonds, which involved the baseball player Barry Bonds, the trial court awarded his ex-wife $20,000 per month in child support. Bond’s pre-tax salary was $8 million per year and the guideline child support would have been $67,000 per month. His ex-wife appealed, claiming that $20,000 only covered “bare necessities.” The appellate court dismissed ex-wife’s argument, stating that the trial court has discretion to order whatever amount it decides will meet the reasonable needs of the children, consistent with the basic principles behind child support.

The court in Marriage of Catalano noted that a child is an innocent victim of a divorce, with no choice in the breakup, but with reason to expect that both parents will continue to provide for him or her in whatever manner they can. Indeed, the Legislature has expressly provided that children should share the same standard of living as both parents, and child support may be used “appropriately” to improve the standard of living in the custodial household to “improve the lives of the children.” Thus, the parent receiving child support from a high-income earner may derive some personal benefit from the extra cash. With Halle forking out $16,000 a month, Nahla will likely continue to live a comfortable life while Gabriel benefits personally from some extra cash, as well.

If you are a high-income earner and are concerned about making excessive child support payments, please contact our California Certified Family Law Specialists. Our attorneys have decades of experience handling complex family law matters and offer a free consultation.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Can Your Child Sue You For Child Support?

March 12, 2014/in Family Law, In the Community /by Mitchell Ehrlich

No, your child cannot sue you for child support – not yet, anyway. Recently, 18-year-old Rachel Canning caused a national stir when she sued her parents in a potentially precedent-setting lawsuit: the New Jersey teenager filed a lawsuit against her parents requesting $654 in child support per week, thousands of dollars in attorney fees, and immediate reimbursement of her high school tuition.

Ms. Canning claimed her parents threw her out of their Lincoln Park home two days before her 18^th birthday, whereas her parents insisted the teenager moved out voluntarily. Her father, Sean Canning, explained that his daughter left the family home because she didn’t want to do reasonable household chores, be respectful, or abide by their curfew. Mr. Canning stated that “the whole thing is just destroying our family. We love our daughter. She’s our pride and joy.” A retired Police Chief, Mr. Canning explained that he’s “a liberal, liberal parent… I was tougher on my cops at work than I’ve ever been at my home, that’s for sure.”

Last week, Morris County Court Judge Peter Bogaard ruled in favor of the Canning’s, reasoning that any other decision would set a bad precedent by setting limits on parenting. The court expressed concern that Ms. Canning’s rare case, if successful, could inspire similar suits in the future. Brian Schwartz, chairman of the New Jersey Bar Association’s Family Law Section states that “in my 20 years of practicing family law in New Jersey, I’ve never seen anything like this.” Adds Jeralyn Lawrence, the incoming Family Law Section chair: “This could open the floodgates of recalcitrant kids fighting with their parents, moving out, and then suing them to keep paying.”

To the relief (presumably) of all parties involved, Ms. Canning returned home to her parents and siblings this morning. During this afternoon’s press conference, Ms. Canning’s lawyer said the suit brought against her parents had been settled “amicably,” and that her return home was not contingent upon any financial or other considerations.

Notably, Ms. Canning was not seeking to be emancipated from her parents – her lawsuit was primarily financially driven. With emancipation, minors essentially function as adults in society. Generally, they can attend the schools of their choice, enter into legally binding contracts, purchase a home, keep any income earned from a job, and so on. In court filings, Ms. Canning insisted she was “old enough to do what she wanted” – but perhaps she realized that without anyone bankrolling her endeavors, her options to do whatever she wants at this stage in her life are fairly limited.

If you have any questions about your family law issues, please contact our California Certified Family Law Specialists (as certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Having a knowledgeable, experienced family law attorney by your side can prove to be invaluable for your situation. Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri’s attorneys have decades of experience handling complex family law proceedings and offer a free half-hour consultation.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Sources: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/05/new-jersey-teen-sues-parents-for-support-claiming-was-kicked-out-home/; http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-rachel-canning-goes-back-to-family-20140312,0,1541517.story#axzz2vmlZmHUm

If You Think a Child Can Have Only Two Parents, Think Again.

January 31, 2014/in Family Law /by David Patton

As of the first of this year, some new and exciting changes have occurred in California family law. Last fall, Governor Brown signed bill SB 274* which allows children to have more than one parent. The court will grant parentage to multiple parents where it is determined that having only two parents will be detrimental to the child.

The law, now part of the California Family Code, directs the family court to consider all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the harm of removing a child from a stable home with a parent who has fulfilled the child’s physical needs and the child’s psychological needs for care and affection, and who has assumed that role for a substantial period of time. For example, this would allow a child to remain legally connected to both of his natural parents while creating a new legal connection between him and his aunt who has cared for him for a significant amount of time.

With this law, the court can allocate time and custody of the child among all of the legal parents. As always, what is in the best interests of the child is what controls the court’s decisions. This is the same for child support. In the end, Governor Brown acknowledged that in some situations, a child can benefit from having the care and support of three or even four parents. This is a major departure from previous laws which only allowed each child to have two legal parents. Now, there are more people who will have standing in family law proceedings in regards to certain children.

If you are interested in petitioning for parentage of a child, or are dealing with other family law issues, having a knowledgeable, experienced family law attorney by your side can prove to be invaluable. If you have any questions about your divorce or custody issues, please contact our California Certified Family Law Specialists (as certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri’s attorneys have decades of experience handling complex family law proceedings and are happy to offer you a free half-hour consultation.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/04/local/la-me-brown-bills-parents-20131005

*SB 274 is now operative as of 1/1/14.

Posts

“Always has the best advice for you” -AVVO reviewer

Smith/Ostler Order: Accounting for Bonus Income’s Impact on Support Payments

Mediation: Taking control of your divorce

How to Establish a Child’s Parentage

Alternative Dispute Resolution in Marital Cases

August: The Month of Child Support Awareness

“No good marriage ever ended in divorce” – Louis C.K.

Halle Berry Owes $16,000 a Month in Child Support: How Much is Too Much?

Can Your Child Sue You For Child Support?

If You Think a Child Can Have Only Two Parents, Think Again.

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