It is not uncommon for couples to amass significant assets over the course of a marriage. Whether it is the creation of a family business, the purchase of several properties, the acquisition of multiple investments or an expanding set of retirement accounts, many...
Will I have to split my separate property in divorce?
During your years of marriage, you and your spouse will acquire assets and property together. Like most couples, you may own a home, bank accounts, retirement accounts and vehicles. You may even have a business started during your marriage. As you go through the...
Property division: Community property vs quasi-community property
For Californians who are in the middle of a divorce, one of the most common topics for intense dispute is property division. There are certain laws that regulate how property will be distributed as part of the divorce. While most will understand the concept of...
What is “community property” in California?
When a California couple decides to end their marriage, they must face the question of how to divide their property. Most states use the "equitable division" method in which the property is divided in a way that is fair to both parties. California recognizes two kinds...
What is the “Brown Rule” in California divorces?
One of the most difficult questions to answer in any California divorce is the treatment of accumulated benefits in retirement plans belonging to one spouse or the other. If the benefits are fully vested, that is, the spouse who earned the benefits owns 100% of all...
What is a QDRO and how does it work?
In most Sacramento divorces, the largest or second largest asset is the retirement plan of one or both spouses, and dividing the assets in a plan can become complicated. All income earned by a retirement plan after the marriage took place is deemed community property,...
Reviewing California’s community property laws
Most residents of Sacramento who are considering ending their marriages are aware that California is a "community property state," but they may not know exactly what the title means. Familiarity with the state's community property laws may assist in resolving disputes...
Guidelines for dividing assets and debt in a California divorce
California courts usually expect divorcing couples to prepare a mutually agreeable plan for splitting their assets and debts. However, some couples cannot reach such an agreement, and the court is required to step in. Couples also misunderstand the effect of the...
Lawyer Avenatti ordered to give luxury assets to wife in divorce
Michael Avenatti is a Los Angeles attorney who has garnered an outsize share of media coverage in the last several months by representing adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her dispute with President Donald Trump about an affair she allegedly had with him several...
Hiding assets in a divorce in California is a bad idea
When a divorce becomes nasty, one or both parties may use tactics that they would never use in their business or social lives. One of the most common tactics is to hide marital assets from the other spouse. This behavior is usually based on three incorrect...
