Q: My boyfriend of ten years broke up with me in 2016. We have a 5year old daughter.Both child & I were abruptly forced out
We were not properly given chance to move.He became very enraged by any resonable request to do so because he had his new girlfriend and kids immediately move in. Our 2 dogs remained in the home until he called me at work and demanded I take dog A only but I wanted BOTH dogs but my circumstances he forced my daughter and I into only allowed me to take dog B. At first he tried to keep dog B but finally gave her to me but gave dog A away because I could not take him until I was able to afford a place of my own for my daughter and I. We were gifted both dogs from my mother. Loss of dog A is very depressing and we have no info on new ownership. Also this year I had to pay $400 vet bill for my dog B. We have a court order for custody of our daughter and an agreed amount of child support but that did not include our dogs or any specifics. Given both dogs were affordable during our years together and loss of dog A, what are my rites in sharing cost of dog B & justice for dog A in state of CA?
A: I do not handle family law matters. You need to find a good family law lawyer to represent you. Unfortunately, they are usually expensive. However, it is very hard to sort these things out without an attorney on your side.
A:
If you were never married, then a family law attorney would not be able to help with the dogs -- dogs are considered property under the law, and if there was no marriage, there's no community property that a family law court could divide. The only issues the family court can hear are child custody, visitation, and support.
Who gets which dog is a civil matter for small claims or limited civil court. You can find a civil law attorney here on Justia.
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