Simi Valley, CA asked in Family Law, Animal / Dog Law, Civil Rights and Small Claims for California

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?

2 Lawyer Answers
Thomas A. Grossman
Thomas A. Grossman
Answered
  • Palm Springs, CA
  • Licensed in California

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.

Angelina Bradley
Angelina Bradley
Answered
  • Monterey Park, CA
  • Licensed in California

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.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.