This case began with mother accusing father of domestic violence. The police showed up; my client, dad, was arrested. By the time I was hired, Dad hadn’t been able to see the children for two months. ...We undertook deposing mom, which helped get his criminal case dismissed, and also proved she had falsely accused him. It’s taken three years, but we had trial and, today, our client, Dad, has the children with him most of the time, and Mom has only one overnight and one three-hour dinner visit each week.
Divorce and separation
High Asset Divorce with No Children
Jan 05, 2019
OUTCOME: The transmutations were valid. My client received half the community interest in many businesses owned by opposing party prior to marriage, and half of many others acquired during marriage.
This case involved multiple business spread over multiple states, in a variety of different legal entities: corporations, LLCs, general partnerships, limited partnerships - the works.
The case hing...ed on whether a transmutation of both my client’s premarital separate property, and husband’s premarital separate property, was valid. My client stood to gain a tremendous amount if so; opposing party stood to lose just as much.
Divorce and separation
High Asset Divorce Proceeding with Fraudulent Concealment of Assets
Dec 30, 2018
OUTCOME: Mom and the kids are together, and safe. Mom got a very high support award, half those “nonexistent” assets, and a huge attorney fee order in her favor.
This case involved a stay-at-home mom with an abusive husband who made lots of money but kept her completely isolated from family and friends, limiting her household budget for three children to a pitt...ance. Mom and the kids were subject to intimidation and abuse. Dad decided he wanted a new lease on life and began hiding assets, tried to move with the children to another state without Mom’s consent. We secured the safety of mom and the kids first, then set about proving up on all those hidden assets and Dad’s high income. This went all the way through a multi-day trial.
Family
Another Successful Challenge to California's Jurisdiction in Military-Related Case
Dec 01, 2018
OUTCOME: Mother is not challenging jurisdiction in Father's home state. The matter is being dismissed in California and will proceed in Father's home state.
In this case we represented a non-military dependent spouse. With the consent of the military member, our client, with the parties' minor child, returned to his home state from an overseas duty statio...n, and resided in that state for over five months with the minor child. Mother (the military member in this case) brought an action in California, on an ex parte (emergency) basis, seeking return of the child to her at the overseas duty station. Neither she, our client, nor the child had been in California for well over six months.
Our office filed a REQUEST FOR ORDERS QUASHING THE SUMMONS and challenging the Court's jurisdiction to make orders regarding the child. The Court denied Mother's request for custodial orders at the emergency hearing, but stayed matters pending discussion with the Court in our client's home state, where he had filed for dissolution of marriage, for custody/visitation orders, and for child support.
Adoption
Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption
Oct 05, 2018
OUTCOME: Father's rights terminated - adoption successful
We recently concluded a case in which the Court found that the child's legal/biological Father had abandoned the child pursuant to Family Code Section 7820 et seq. Upon making that finding, the Court ...ordered that Father's parental rights were terminated, and the child was freed for adoption. The adoption by the child's step-parent was successful, and a happy occasion indeed.
Family
Another Successful Grandparent Joinder
Oct 03, 2018
OUTCOME: Over biological mom’s objection, grandparents’ request that they be joined to the action was granted.
In a post-judgment parental relationship case, maternal grandparents came to our office seeking to protect the relationship they had built with the child over the past several years.
The Court foun...d that the circumstances of the case, as we piled them, required the Court to join the grandparents to ensure their pre-existing relationship with the minor children, would be considered and protected by the Court in a looming custody and visitation dispute between the minor children’s adjudicated parents. The Court further ordered the grandparents shall participate in the child-custody mediation process, from which they would normally have been excluded.
Family
Military Member - Fought California Jurisdiction
Mar 04, 2018
OUTCOME: The Court found California could make no orders binding upon our client's pay, pension, or property. Our client has since filed for dissolution in that East Coast state, where he is formally stationed.
In this case, the parties both resided in a state on the East Coast. Wife travelled to California and filed to seek legal separation in this state, as she had not reestablished residency for the six m...onths required to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in California. She effected personal service of the documents on my client, the military servicemember, as he was on the tarmac being deployed out of the country.
The servicemember contacted my office from his overseas location. We coordinated with our client, and filed a MOTION TO QUASH SERVICE OF SUMMONS AND DISMISS CASE FOR LACK OF IN PERSONAM JURISDICTION in California.
The Superior Court of California, County of Ventura heard our motion and, over opposition of wife's attorney, found that California had no personal jurisdiction over the servicemember. While the Court could grant Wife a "status only" divorce, to make her single (and by extension, to make him single) the Court could not make any orders affecting the servicemember's pay, pension, or property. This meant that spousal support would not be based on California law, but on the law of that East Coast state, thus saving my client over $1,000 per month at a minimum in support payments alone.
Divorce and separation
Multi Jurisdiction Divorce
Nov 18, 2013
OUTCOME: Out of state case was dismissed. Case in California stayed alive.Client received joint legal, sole physical custody, visitation to opposing party was limited, and support was based on California law.
Client returned to California from military post in another state, with children. Opposing party filed for dissolution in the other state; our client filed for dissolution with children here in Califo...rnia. Opposing party tried to evade service but with assistance of JAG, we were able to accomplish service and show opposing party had been transferred to California.
Family
Hague Convention Case
Oct 09, 2013
OUTCOME: Service accomplished according to Hague requirements. Opposing party was charged with the value of the assets taken. My client received the former family residence as her sole and separate property.
Opposing party skipped the Country with all assets except the paid off former family residence.
Divorce and separation
Spousal Support
Jun 05, 2013
OUTCOME: After the video was shown, the parties reached a settlement very favorable to my client. He received a date certain for termination of spousal support.
Opposing party alleged that she was unable to work, based on various medical diagnoses she claimed to have had. My client was the high wage earner. She wanted very high spousal support until my clien...t retired, as this was a marriage of long duration.Opposing party came to court each day with a walker, and had convinced a vocational evaluator and her own doctor she could not work - could not stand, sit, walk, climb stairs, do fine manipulations, lift anything and so forth. On the fifth day of trial, we presented video gathered over the course of several months showing her exercising vigorously, shopping for extended periods, climbing stairs, etc. After the video was shown to the Court, she never brought her walker back into the Courthouse.
