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Questions Answered by Gina Marie Famularo
1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: How do I stop child support or get visitation rights on a child I've never seen and mother refuses to allow me?

Mother keeps moving when I file anything through the courts. I have been paying for 4 years, will not cooperate with me and I have no clue where she lives.

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on May 5, 2015

You need to see an attorney. This is not something you will be able to do on your own. Is this a Department of Child Support Services case? If yes, you can obtain address through them. Also, if child support has been ordered, the court has personal jurisdiction over your ex. You need help. This... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: If I do not have an attorney in California but the case regards my child, is my child provided an attorney?

We do not have the money for a California attorney. In Oregon if you do not have an attorney, and the case deals with custody of your child and rights as of when you see them, is your child provided an attorney?

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on May 1, 2015

Not usually. In California, there is no right to a free attorney for family law matters. The court can appoint an attorney for the children in high-conflict cases, but the attorney will not work for free. The parents will be required to pay the fees of minor's counsel.

1 Answer | Asked in Divorce for California on
Q: Divorse filed in Sept. I was served 5 mo later. She made no demands. I agree to all. Any way to start clock from Sept?
Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Feb 18, 2015

No. A divorce takes a minimum of six months. The time begins to run once the initial documents are filed and served. This does not mean that the parties cannot enter into a judgment earlier than that. It simply means the parties cannot remarry before the minimum six-month waiting period has... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: i have sole custody of my 2 daughters and want my wife to adopt them .. do we still have find the birth mom and serve
Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Feb 16, 2015

Yes. If your new wife wants to adopt your children, you will first have to terminate the rights of Natural Mom. In order to do that, you must have a valid legal reason to do so. The most common reason is by far abandonment. This would require Natural Mom to have had no contact with the children for... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Divorce for California on
Q: How do I succeed in divorcing an uncooperative abusive partner with Narcissist Personality Disorder?

Both parties were working professionals during the marriage. Stbx has drug/alcohol/mental health issues and refuses to work since the separation and has been uncooperative and obstructive to the process, which has been ongoing but not even gotten to the preliminary settlement discussions over a 2... View More

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 31, 2015

If he is a professional, you should consider requesting the court order a vocational evaluation of Husband to determine his earning potential. If the court finds Husband has the ability to earn money, this will limit the amount of support you need to pay him. After completed, set the case for... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: My ex girlfriend is trying to get custody of my daughter can she do this in California courts
Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 22, 2015

Where does your daughter live? If she has lived here for six months or more, California is the proper place to sue for custody. You do not state where you live or what the basis for the custody request would be. It would depend on the age of your child, what state you live in, and whether you pose... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: My daughters father is in jail,and most likely won't be able to make it to court ,would I get full custody

He got arrested for meth, and I served him his custody papers in jail

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 21, 2015

Ask for sole legal, sole physical custody of the children. Ask the court to award dad supervised visits only.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: My wife in Cali. give temp custody of our 2 sons to her mother in Colo.without my consent..Can she legally do this?

I had no knowledge of this either til she came back without our sons..We are married and living together.

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 21, 2015

No. She cannot do so without your consent.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: If i lost my job and cant pay childsupport can i loose rights to my kids??

I have visitation rights signed by court

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 20, 2015

Child Support and visitation are not connected. The court cannot suspend your visitation just because you cannot pay support. However, if you lose your job and cannot pay support, you should immediately file court papers to modify your support. You still owe support even if you do not have the... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: Can an ex-spouse file now to change a child support order that’s 4 years old?

I have a support order stating $xxxx.xx a month for child support for 3 children. It is not broken down per child, and over time 2 of the children turned 18 and the ex-never filed until now to change it. He was failing to pay the stated amount and now we are going back to court and his attorney... View More

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 17, 2015

Some orders are final when the divorce is final and cannot be changed. Orders regarding property and debts can rarely be changed later on. Orders concerning custody, visitation, and child support are always modifiable.A party can always go back to court and ask that these orders be changed, no... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: Can I remove my son's biological father and put my husband on the birth certificate?

We have had no contact with my ex for 4 years. My husband is the only father our son has ever known. Our son is very upset that he doesn't have my husband's last name (he currently has my last name) and gets very upset when anyone tries to say my husband is not his dad. My biggest concern... View More

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 7, 2015

The only way to remove the biological father from the birth certificate is through adoption. If Bio Dad has not had contact for one year or more, he has legally abandoned your son. You can terminate the parental rights of Bio Dad and allow your husband to adopt your son.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: My sons father left to Mexico when he was less than 2 years old. how do I get full custody?

My son is now 8. my son doesn't know his biological father and sees my now partner as his dad. I would like to legally get full custody of my son in case he comes back to the U.S. and try's to claim him after all this time. Can I get full custody? And how?

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 5, 2015

You can get custody. It depends who is on birth certificate and whether you can find bio dad. If you are planning on marrying, an adoption may be a possibility. Seek legal advice.

2 Answers | Asked in Divorce for California on
Q: Can I get an anullment when my husband did not disclose he knew he had Hep C prior to the marriage-?

Hep C is a potential sexually transmitted disease with little chance of cure. He assured me he had been fully tested and was completely disease free. We've been married 2 yrs.

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Jan 18, 2015

An annulment voids the marriage, and, in the eyes of the law, the marriage never happened. There is no six-month waiting period like in divorce actions, but a court trial is mandatory even if the other spouse agrees to the annulment. A short marriage is not automatically annulled, and changing... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: Wife just filed one of these.how much time do I have to respond, counter, file requests
Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Dec 29, 2014

If your wife filed for divorce, the time to respond does not begin to run until you have been served. Once that happens, you have thirty days to file your response.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: what documents to file for reimbursement of overpaid child support for 4 months after termination of child support.

my daughter turned 18. I filed for and got order terminating child support. I took order & IWO to employer who took 4 months to process so I paid 4 months I didn't have to. I want this money back.

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Dec 20, 2014

You are going to have to file a request for order with the court. Your ex is responsible for refunding the money to you. You will need proof the child turned 18, proof the child is no longer enrolled full-time in high school, proof the employer deducted the money, and proof you attempted to stop... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: can my spouse change the locks on our rented house to keep me out

i took some agreed items that she says did not. so she change the locks, an i got back in the house an changed them back. she to call cops and get a retraining order.

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Dec 18, 2014

If you are both staying in the house and no one has vacated the premises, neither one of you can change the locks on the other. However, if someone has a restraining order against you, stay away. Otherwise, you will be arrested!

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: Can a person involved in an ex parte hearing as respondent file ex parte in another county ?

I filed ex-parte for custody of my three children and after our hearing my ex filed exparte in her county. Can she legally do so?

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Dec 9, 2014

It depends. What is the ex parte for . Who is it against? What type of case is it? Are the two cases the same request against the same person? If yes, the court will not look kindly on the duplicate filling and will typically transfer the case back tot the original county with an admonishment to... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: HOW CAN FATHER REQUEST HIS DAUGHTER BE RETURNED TO HIM IF GRANDMOTHER IS NOT WILLING TO DO SO ( SHE HAS NO COURT ORDER)

FATHER AND MOTHER WERE IN CAR ACCIDENT. MOTHER PASSED AWAY AND FATHER WAS IN A COMA FOR A MONTH. MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER HAS HAD HIS CHILD SINCE AND IS REFUSING TO ALLOW ANYONE TO VISIT OR PICK HER UP. SHE DOES NOT HAVE LEGAL CUSTODY OR GUARDIANSHIP OF CHILD.

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Dec 2, 2014

Go pick up the child. You do not need a court order. You are the parent. If grandmother refuses call the police.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: hello, i am paying child support for 2. my son is already 18, finished high school and is enrolled in the navy

they figured the amounts that i was going to pay per child, but for some reason when they gave us the final order it wasnt added. i didnt checked it until i thought i was done paying for my son, since it states there that i would payed it until he reached 18 or finished high school. contacted... View More

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Nov 25, 2014

If the child support does not specifically state how much you are to pay per child, you owe the entire amount of child support each month even if one of them is now 18. You must file a Request for Order to modify child support in order to have your support readjusted. The onus is on you to modify... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for California on
Q: my ex husband is remarried and wants to move to Texas with my 8 yr old son that we have 50/50 custody of. Can he do this

He also does not pay me any child support because during our divorce he was unemployed. He now makes a decent living. Can I revisit the child support issue in court so I can get the support I need for him? Again, we have 50/50 custody.

Gina Marie Famularo
Gina Marie Famularo
answered on Nov 24, 2014

Certainly not easily. In order to be allowed to move to Texas with your child, he will have to request the court order a child custody evaluation and convince the child custody evaluator that it is in your son's best interest to leave his friends, his mother, his extended family, his house,... View More

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