Friday 26 September 2014

Do You Need Legal Coaching From Your Los Angeles Divorce Attorney?

Your divorce is a sensitive matter, and everyone recognizes that – you, your family and the legal system. So if you decide to take matters into your own hand and represent yourself in the courts, it is not a completely outrageous idea. Some people do it because they cannot afford the legal fee, others do it because it is personal and they do not want to get someone else involved. Everyone who does it, has their own reasons. The simple fact is, taking up your own legal case has become very popular amongst people.

A lot of people, however, do need legal coaching. Law is not something that's easy to grasp. While you can research the internet, and read law books to deal with basic legal issues, sometimes you need professional help for guidance through some of the more complicated legal issues. Everyone has questions going into a legal case. When it is your divorce, you want to make sure that everything you do is right, especially if there are children and combined assets involved. When a divorce is complicated, or has too many legal aspects to it, most couples would like to use divorce lawyers. However, there are also those, who still want to go it alone. Such people often look for legal coaching.

Any Los Angeles Divorce Attorney can be a legal coach. However, you should approach one you are comfortable with and who's opinion you actually trust. As a legal coach, your lawyer will answer all legal questions you may have. These questions do not have to fall in any particular category. In fact, they could be about anything, right from the simple question of – am I entitled to spousal support. Ordinarily, most people as questions that they would ask in any consultation. However, if the case is already in the court, people may come to their legal coach to ask more about the proceedings, and have more specific questions in mind.

What Kind of Questions Can You Ask?

Once again, there are no set questions to ask your legal coach. As any Los Angeles Divorce Attorney would advise you, it is best to ask anything that is bothering you. The type of questions you can ask are practically unlimited. They include:

·         Am I entitled to spousal support?

·         My spouse is hiding money, what can I do?

·         What to do if my spouse receives only cash payments from the business and is cooking the books?

·         My spouse refuses to work to get spousal support, what to do?

·         My spouse is not disclosing their true income to the court and is asking me for spousal support. What to do?

·         What documentation is needed? Which forms do I have to fill out? How can I file documents in the court?

·         What is the meaning of these legal terms? (there can be any number of terms that you need to know about in the legal context).


·         My spouse is refusing to provide any pay slips for the case, what to do?

Wednesday 24 September 2014

How to Get Affordable Family Lawyers in Los Angeles

If you live in Los Angeles, you already know how the prices of almost everything in under the sun are sky high. Throw in a divorce, and you are looking at bleeding pockets. A divorce is almost always an expensive affair. However, it does not have to be. For residents of California, affordable lawyers in Los Angeles are no longer a distant dream. The legal system has been created in such a manner that even those, who do not have the money to hire swanky lawyers, can get decent representation. Additionally, if you are in California, especially in Los Angeles, there are plenty of lawyers who will offer you very competitive rates. So how do you find someone who is affordable?

Do Some Research

The best place to start is the internet. You can look at the websites of various divorce lawyers and firms in your region. You can also consult a yellow pages and call at offices to get a general idea of how much each lawyer or firm charges. This preliminary research will give a general idea of the asking rates, and you can then form an idea of how much you are willing to pay for representation. A lot of lawyers advertise their fees on their websites, so make a note of that. However, do understand that the invoices you get from your lawyers are usually higher than the asking rates, because they contain all the incidentals, fees and other expenses that are incurred during the course of the trial or mediation.

Talk to Family Law Facilitators

When it comes to family law matters, every superior court has family law facilitators that are available through appointment within the court premises. These facilitators either do not levy a fee, or have a charge a very small one. You can call the court offices to schedule an appointment, or just walk in for one. These facilitators are usually very busy, but they will give you basic legal guidance. If you do opt for this course though, you will have to be ready to do a lot of the legwork yourself. Family law is usually simple, and if you read up on the internet, you will be able to find a lot of information. However, it is best to hire a lawyer if you are looking for custody battles or alimony and settlement issues.

Free Consultations

Most family lawyers in Los Angeles offer a free initial consultation. Different lawyers have different criteria for such consultations. Some would entertain you only for 30 minutes, and others would answer only very specific questions during this consultation. So make most of this time and ensure you ask everything you need to know – right from how the lawyer can help you, to what kind of invoices you can expect and how frequently. Learn if mediation is a possible way out, because this is usually the easiest and most cost effective way of approaching a divorce. In a mediation, all complex issues involved in a divorce are approached amicably, and agreements are reached on them. Check if the lawyer is willing to enter into mediations and settlements.





Tuesday 23 September 2014

Five Ways Divorce Lawyers in Los Angeles Can Coach and Help You

Divorce lawyers in Los Angeles, who act as coaches, have a very important role to play, and can help you a lot. Here is how they help.

Evaluate Your Claim or Defense

Divorce lawyers in Los Angeles can give realistic feedback on how good your claim or defense is. Not every wrong can hold as a valid legal claim, so if you are taking your divorce to court on the basis of assumed wrongs, which cannot be presented well in the court, the lawyer coach can help you with it. This will prevent you from weakening your case, wasting the time of the court, or incurring unnecessary court expenses.

Find Laws for Your Case

All the laws in our country are set on precedents, and sometimes citing a precedent can help your case manifold. Finding the applicable laws and legal precedents for your case can help you determine what evidence to look for and how to present it in the court. Though you can do a lot of this research on your own, the legal world is vast and the literature cannot be skimmed so easily. You will eventually need the help of a lawyer who knows what they are talking about.

Documentation

This is one area, where the help of a lawyer can be really helpful. Legal coaches can help you determine what documents to collect, forms to fill and dockets to file. The coach may work for you as an editor, going through all your documents, helping you catalogue and file them and ensuring that all documents you submit are legal, persuasive and build your case strongly. Sometimes, you may need a paralegal for this, and a lawyer may not even be necessary, however, if you already have a legal coach, it is best to approach them with this request instead of seeking a paralegal.

Answer Important Questions

No matter how much research you have done, a good lawyer on the other side can wrangle you to a corner. If you find yourself out of your comfort zone, you can reach out to your legal coach and ask for advice on your case. Sometimes, legal maneuvering is necessary and as a novice, you may simply not be cut out for it. Your legal coach will answer all your questions along the way because they not only understand all the laws and rules, but also know the legal maneuvering required to make a case solid. If you already have a strategy, you may need to fine tune it according to your actions. Timely legal advice  can help you a lot and save you a lot of frustration as well as time. Your legal coach can help you create a winning strategy by fine tuning it.

Be On Call


During the trial, having a lawyer on call, can be really helpful. Your attorney is knowledgable, and as your coach, will be familiar with your case. So if you need any last minute consultation, you can always count on them to provide you the best advise. Just in case, something throws you off the balance, you know there is a professional right there to help you with it. 


Monday 22 September 2014

Tips For Child Custody Cases Your Los Angeles Family Lawyer Should Give You

No matter how long or short your marriage was, if you have children, there will be custody issues upon your divorce. It is important, therefore, to consider your custoday case very carefully and plan your divorce accordingly. A lot of people end up feeling very uncomfortable because of various custody issues. Here are some tips regarding custody and related issues, that your Los Angeles family lawyer should ideally ahre with you.

Be a Sharer

One of the key considerations in determining custody is the ability of the parent to share the kids with the other. So, if you want custody of the child, you should be willing to share them with your ex partner on scheduled orders of th court. Be sure to follow the court order completely, and keep all the scheduled appointments of your children, or your custody may be challenged.

Be Prompt and Dependable

The courts are not interested in taking sies with you or your spouse. However, they are interested in ensuring the best interest for the children. Therefore, you have to make sure that the courts see you as prompt and dependable. Whether your children are living with you or not, it is important to be dependable about picking up your children, spending time with them and taking care of their basic needs. If your children desire to participate in some other activity on the day of your scheduled visit, you should give their request some consideration and try to rearrange. Remember, this is all about the children and they should not have to sacrifice their interests because of your scheduling problems.

Be a Caring Parent

This one goes without saying. Whether you are divorce or not, it is important for you to be a caring parent. Demonstrate responsibility, patience and flexibility when it comes to parenting. If you are the custodial parent, and the other parent needs some flexibility, be willing to work out changes. Being stubborn will only make you the bad parent, while allowing your children to glorify the other one.

Be Meticulous

If the courts are still doing a trial custody, or if you want to challenge custody, make sure you are meticulous in keeping a record of everything relating to the custody and the visits. Note the schedule, the time of pick up and drop, make a note of any discrepencies in the schedule, especially if your other partner denied you visitation, or asked you to skip on it for some reason or the other, all too often. If you are the custodial parent, and fear a challenge on your custody, you should keep a note of these things too. In addition to everything else, make sure you discuss who came to pick up and drop the children, and at what time, with your Los Angeles family lawyer.

Show Some Courtesy


Always try to personally pic up and drop your children. If you have recently separated, try not to show up at your ex partner's house with your new boyfriend or girlfriend. Except in cases when you really cannot make it yourself, should you ask your friends or relatives to pick and drop the children. 


Los Angeles Divorce Lawyers and The Social Effects of Divorce in America

There was a time when divorce was a thought to be shuddered at, in any society. Today, it is an acceptable phenomena, and an easily absolvable way out of a bad marriage. Though some people still maintain that the much prevalent use of divorce to end a marriage, has taken awya from the sanctity of this relationship, the society has become much more accepting of it.

Unlike the Asian countries, where much social stigma is still attached with divorce, the western world is not only accepting of divorces, but also second and subsequent marriages. It is not uncommon for people to have several divorces before being bale to settle down into matrimonial life. The effects of this, on the culture of America, have been slightly worrying though.

Today, studies have shown that there are generations, where divorce has become a norm, and how that has hurt the children and the overall culture. It is true, that the sudden increase in the spate if divorces over the turn of the century, has hurt the American culture and is leading to a tragic breakdown of the American society. However, a divorce does not always have to be a bad thing.

Psychologists believe that subjecting a child to a loveless, bad and sometimes even a violent marriage among parents, is far worse than a divorce. When parents have decided to part ways amicably, and have decided to be civil to each other despite the end of their marriage, the children have been able to return to their normal lives.

The way a divorce occurs, and the maturity with which the two partners deal with it, is very important in determining the effect it has on children. The divorce lawyers have a huge role to play in it too. Take for instance, Los Angeles. This is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, and also one of the regions, where the divorce rates are among the highest. How Los Angeles Divorce Lawyers approach a divorce case, is of the optimum important in how the divorce affects the people involved in it. A divorce, where litigation can be avoided and agreements can be reached amicably, usually leaves the least number of scars.


It is true that the effects of a divorce are immense, and social research shows that it can have far reaching consequences for the partners and the children. However, it is also true that not ending a bad marriage can save social grace (only in some cases), but end up hurting everyone involved, many more times. Authorities and legal advisors are together trying to change the culture of divorce, to move it in the direction of amicable settlements instead of litigation. However, this is not easily achieved, and may take years and a few generations before any changes may be seen. As for the lawyers, though they are often mistaken to only think of their own financial interests, they too are more often advising their clients to come to mutually agreed upon settlements in both property and custody, for minimum post divorce damage. 


Friday 19 September 2014

Discuss the Social Effects of Divorce with Your Los Angeles Divorce Attorney

If you live in Los Angeles, people all around you must be gettin divoced. Los Angeles, being one of the largest metropolitans in the world, has a very high rate of divorce – one of the highest in the United States of America. If you too are considering divorce, make sure you talk to your Los Angeles divorce attorney about all the potential problems you may have to face. Apart from the social effects, your Los Angeles divorce lawyer should also help you understand the personal and financial setbacks this could lead to.

You Remain Half a Couple

We all create our liufe around us and the people we love. If you have been in a marriage, even if only for a few years, your social life, financial matters and a lot of other things involve your partner too. After your marriage ends, you may have to consider doing all these things alone, or skip on some of them altogether if it is too pressuring. Friendships with other couples and activities that involve your partner may change forever. The divorce will also have an effect on how you view yourself, no longer as a married person, but as a single one.

Income

Financial matters are often the most pressing and awkward after a divorce. If both the partners earned, they would have taken care of all the expenses of the family and the household together. After a divorce, each partner has to approach the finances individually, and this could be very stressful for both. Both partners may end up having less disposable income, which may often mean a drastic change in lifestyle for both of them.

Social Awkwardness

While divorces are a lot more acceptable today than they were a few decades back, they still present some kind of social challenge. A lot of your friendships may change forever. The social activities which seemed interesting to you, may no longer hold any charm. If you had common friends, there could be awkwardness there too. Often, your divorce or your ex partner may be discussed during social situations, causing you discomfort.

Children

While you are struggling with the difficulties you experience after your divorce, your children are also struggling to accept this new way of life. Research shows that divorces are the hardest on children, who may sometimes have to choose who they want to live with, and often may not have this choice at all. They may end up feeling isolated, unloved and sometimes even the cause of the breakup. If there are custody battles and bitterness between the spouses, which leaves scheduling issues between the partners, things can become even more difficult for the children.

What Your Lawyer Can Do?

Your Los Angeles divorce attorney should explain all these effects of divorce in detail and give you time to sort things out with your partner amicably. If you and your partner still feel that you have irreconciliable differences, then there is no other way than to proceed with the divorce and end the marriage.



Thursday 18 September 2014

Divorce Lawyers in Los Angeles - Custody Issues

Finding yourself heading towards a divorce is very unpleasant and upsetting. Knowing that a custody battle is soon to ensue, only adds to your woes. Dealing with issues of custody and visitation can be really vexing for any parent. However, if you live in Los Angeles, the process of filing for custory and establishing a custody arrangement is rather straightforward, as most divorce lawyers in Los Angeles will tell you. Here are some things you should know about child custody issues in California.

The Basics

The primary custodian of a child is responsible for the care and support of the child. Legal custody in California, entitles the custodial parent to take all major decisions regarding the child's upbringing. The Los Angeles Superior Court is where applications for custody are made. There are 45 of such courts in LA, of which 19 deal with Family Law. Though you can file your custody petition in any one of these 19 courts, parents typically approach the court which is nearest to their place of residence.

Family Law Facilitators

If you have not yet hired any one of the divorce lawyers in Los Angeles, you have the option of getting in touch with a Family Law Facilitator. This is a paralegal or an attorney who specializes in family law issues and can assist you. They are well versed in child custody, support and visitation issues. In addition to assisting you with your petition, these facilitators also oversee any mediation ordered by the court. They assist people only with appointment and are available duing the business hours of the courts. Parents may visit a facilitator directly in the nearby court and take an appointment for a consultation.

Preparing for Custody

If you want to file for custody, you should have a parenting plan. This is a custody and visitation plan which is reached by both parents through mutual consent. If you have such a plan, you do not have to file a custody petition. You can simply dile this plan with a order of custory or child visitation, and submit it to the court clerk, along with other divorce documents. Once the judge goes through the plan, approves it and signs it, it becomes your official custody order and no further petitions or court dates are required for it. If you do not have an open case, you can submit the parenting plan after opening one. If the parenting plan wasn't a part of your original divorce or custody hearings, the court would usually order a few rounds of mediation before setting a date for custody hearing, or reviewing the parenting plan. The procedure for filing for custody and support plans for minor children are usually slightly complicated, and any divorce lawyer in Los Angeles should be able to help you with it. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer for filing of your papers, you can approach a family law facilitator to advise and help you with it.