Understanding your family law matter.

Six months is the legal minimum. An uncontested case with full agreement can finalize right at that mark; contested custody or complex assets can take a year or more. Preparation and reasonableness shorten timelines more than anything else.

Not necessarily. Many cases settle through negotiation or mediation. But when court is needed, you want an attorney who is already trial-ready — settlements are better when the other side knows you can win at trial.

Move-away cases are among the hardest in family law. The answer depends on your custody orders, the reason for the move, and its impact on the other parent's relationship. Talk to an attorney before you make plans — not after.

Mostly, yes. Posts, photos, and even "private" messages are discoverable and routinely become evidence in custody and support disputes. When in doubt: don't post it.

California uses a statewide guideline formula based primarily on each parent's income and how much time the child spends with each of you. Add-ons like childcare, health insurance, and uninsured medical costs are shared on top. Support can be modified whenever income or timeshare meaningfully changes.

Temporary support keeps the household stable while the case is pending. Long-term support depends on factors like the length of the marriage, each spouse's earning capacity, and the marital standard of living. For marriages under ten years, support generally lasts about half the length of the marriage; longer marriages have no automatic end date.

Legal custody is the right to make major decisions about your child's schooling, health care, and welfare — often shared jointly. Physical custody is where your child actually lives day to day. You can share one without sharing the other, and the parenting schedule matters more in practice than the labels.

It's an uphill fight. When there's a finding of domestic violence against you — including a DVRO — California law creates a presumption against awarding you spousal support. A criminal conviction for domestic violence against your spouse within five years makes that presumption very hard to overcome, and for certain violent felonies the bar is absolute. In some cases it can be rebutted with compelling evidence, so the facts matter — talk to an attorney before assuming the answer either way.

Any court papers you've received, a rough list of assets and debts, recent pay stubs or tax returns, and your questions. Don't worry about having everything — the first conversation is about your goals, not your paperwork.