Rizio and Nelson California Law Blog

Child Custody Laws

One of the things that makes divorce so very difficult is when there are children who will be affected by it for the rest of their lives. Deciding who has custody of the children is up to the judge if the parents cannot agree or are unable to make the decision. If the parents are able to agree on scheduled visitations and who has custody, then the judge will abide by their decision, but not until...

Process of Divorce

The process of Divorce or Dissolution of Marriage California’s “no fault divorce” policy basically means that a person can be granted a divorce by the state if one of the spouses finds that the marriage has broken down due to “irreconcilable differences”. Only one spouse has to initiate the process, even if the other spouse does not agree. There is a residency requirement. One of the...

Community Property

California is a state that applies “community property”, sometimes called “marital property”, laws. This means that any property acquired during the marriage belongs to both spouses. It does not matter if one spouse worked and one did not. The state divides the property equally between both parties if the marriage ends in divorce because it is assumed that they both contribute to the marriage...

Domestic Partnerships in California

Were you aware that in California that if you are involved in a domestic partnership that you must also file for dissolution, separation or annulment in order to legally end your relationship? In order to determine if you must legally end your living arrangement you should first be familiar with the laws as they apply to you. If you are an adult who is living with an adult and your relationship is...

Legal Separation

California law allows that either spouse may file for legal separation.  You need to be aware that a legal separation does not mean the dissolution of a marriage, but instead provides for a legal option for those who are not prepared to legally divorce. While many of the procedures for legal separation are the same as they are for divorce there are some things that cannot be changed during a legal...