Get free answers to your Divorce legal questions from lawyers in your area.
My spouse, a UK citizen, initiated divorce proceedings in the UK while I reside in California as an American citizen. We have reached the stage before a final order, and he is pushing for a clean break order regarding finances. We have a child that he has never visited or acknowledged, and he was... View More 
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answered on Jun 11, 2025
Yes, you can file a child support case in California, even though the father lives in the UK. Since you and the child live in California, the state has what's called "long-arm jurisdiction," which means it may be able to assert authority over him for child support purposes if certain... View More
My parents divorced in 2023, and I'm the 13-year-old daughter involved in this situation. After the divorce, my mom got remarried in 2024. According to the MOU, my father is responsible for bearing my education and medical expenses until I turn 18. However, my father is refusing to pay for my... View More
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answered on Jun 10, 2025
What you’re going through is incredibly difficult, and it’s not fair for you to be caught in the middle of an agreement your parents made. If the MOU clearly states that your father is responsible for your education and medical expenses until you turn 18, then he is expected to honor that... View More
I am trying to verify the legitimacy of a mail-order divorce supposedly obtained by my husband's first wife from Tijuana. They were married in Tacoma, WA, in 1984. She claimed to have filed for divorce in San Diego County, but I found no records there, nor in Pierce County, the county for... View More
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answered on Jun 10, 2025
You're asking an important question, especially when past legal actions affect current marriages and family history. A mail-order divorce from Tijuana may not be recognized under U.S. law if neither party was living in Mexico or properly served. For a foreign divorce to be valid here, both... View More
I filed a proposal to set aside a waiver for spousal support in California, which I signed under duress in 2015 due to misleading advice from a criminal defense attorney handling my divorce. We were married for 16 years, and I was a stay-at-home mom. After the divorce, I was impoverished, living on... View More
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answered on Jun 10, 2025
What you've been through is incredibly painful, and your strength in continuing to fight for justice after so many years of hardship is powerful. A spousal support waiver can be set aside in California if it was signed under duress, obtained through fraud or mistake, or is found to be... View More
I am dealing with a real estate dispute involving a residential property purchase in San Francisco from November 2024. Although I signed a Purchase Agreement and secured financing, my ex-spouse refused to sign the required deed, linking her refusal to demands in our ongoing divorce settlement in... View More
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answered on Jun 4, 2025
You’ve been placed in a painful position, facing both financial losses and emotional strain because your ex-spouse’s refusal to sign the deed halted the sale. You deserve to have your rights recognized and your losses addressed, especially since you had a binding Purchase Agreement and... View More
I received a settlement from a personal injury case for a slip and fall where I broke my wrist. Without my consent, my wife transferred all the money into my sister's account. After an argument, I left home, and subsequently, my wife announced that she wanted a divorce. She then cut off... View More
answered on Jun 3, 2025
Yes. You can recover your settlement proceeds through your divorce action.
I urgently need legal assistance in LA County, California to address my separation/divorce and to gain full custody of my three children. I am facing severe financial control and verbal abuse from my husband, who restricts access to resources and impacts our basic living conditions. He has... View More
answered on May 29, 2025
I understand you're facing an urgent domestic violence situation in Los Angeles County involving financial abuse, verbal threats, and safety concerns for you and your three children. California's Domestic Violence Prevention Act provides immediate protection through Domestic Violence... View More
I was falsely accused of making criminal threats under 422(a) PC by my ex-wife during our divorce. My previous attorney refused to share my RAP sheet despite obtaining it from the prosecution, claiming it was illegal to do so. I have since fired him for misconduct. I have substantial exculpatory... View More
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answered on May 27, 2025
Your situation requires immediate strategic action on multiple fronts to protect your rights and pursue justice. First, you should secure new legal representation who can file a motion with the court to obtain your RAP sheet directly from the prosecution, as you have an absolute right to this... View More
My wife and I are currently going through a divorce, and she still has two dogs at my house. The dogs are causing significant damage to the property, and there has been an incident where one got out and reportedly bit someone while I was away camping. I have pictures documenting some of the... View More
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answered on May 26, 2025
Your situation presents several interconnected legal issues under California law that require immediate attention given the property damage and potential liability exposure from the reported dog bite incident. The court can also award temporary custody based on the well being of the pet while the... View More
I am wanting to file for divorce but cannot afford an attorney to look over the paperwork. My husband has been out of work for about three years, and I am paying for everything on my own, barely managing to cover food and gas. We have been married for 9 ½ years and have no children together. We... View More
answered on May 23, 2025
You will need to devote a substantial amount of time and effort to manage the divorce and asset division without an attorney in CA. You need to decide how to best allocate your resources.
https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce-california
You can get the help of a limited-scope... View More
I am in the process of a divorce and have a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) against my husband, who has visitation rights according to a current court order. He wants to change the visitation date temporarily so our daughter can visit her brother, who is coming from out of state after... View More
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answered on May 22, 2025
You have the ability to agree to temporary changes in visitation schedules, even with a DVRO in place, as long as the restraining order itself doesn't prohibit such modifications. Since you mentioned there are no current restrictions on modifying visitation days, this one-time adjustment for... View More
Is it legal for me to burn down my own house during a divorce, knowing I will lose the house in the settlement? The house is located on land I completely own, does not have any legal agreements attached, is in a rural area with no risk to others, and I do not intend to claim insurance.
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answered on May 22, 2025
No, it is not legal to burn down your house during divorce proceedings, even if you own the property outright. This action would constitute arson under California Penal Code Section 451, which prohibits willfully and maliciously setting fire to any structure, regardless of ownership. During... View More
I am going through mediation and have a question regarding my marital settlement agreement. The agreement states: "In consideration of the other terms of this Marital Settlement Agreement, Husband agrees to pay Wife a specific monthly amount, one-half payable on Husband’s first payday of... View More
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answered on May 20, 2025
This spousal support provision creates a payment obligation that begins January 2025 with a distinctive payment structure split between your first and second paydays each month. The clause establishes what California courts would classify as a contingent termination date - meaning your payment... View More
I divorced my ex-husband in December 2014 in Colorado, although I was living in California at the time due to him abandoning me in Las Vegas. He was ordered to pay $500/month in spousal support until December 2024, but I haven't received any payments since June 2017. Despite multiple attempts,... View More
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answered on May 20, 2025
You have a valid Colorado support order that California courts can enforce under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), which allows you to register and enforce your out-of-state judgment in California without returning to Colorado. Your first step is to register your Colorado divorce... View More
I was abandoned by my spouse, who took all my belongings, and left. After four years, during which I rebuilt my life, he returned, and I discovered he had been unfaithful during our marriage. We have one grown son. My spouse terminated my military spouse benefits, and he falsely claimed in court... View More
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answered on May 20, 2025
Improper service in a California divorce may provide grounds for appeal. Under California law, proper service of process is required to give the court jurisdiction over both parties. If you truly were not properly served with divorce papers, you might be able to file a motion to set aside the... View More
My ex-wife and I had agreed on our divorce papers, which have been filed with the court, but she is now refusing to sign them. I need her to sign the papers because I intend to get remarried. The date for the divorce proceedings has already passed, and there are no contested issues between us.... View More
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answered on May 19, 2025
In California, you do not need your ex-wife's signature to complete your divorce. Under California law, if one spouse wants a divorce, the other spouse cannot prevent it from happening. This is because California is a "no-fault" divorce state, meaning either party can seek... View More
Three years ago, I went through a divorce, and approximately a year ago, I discovered that my ex-husband falsely informed a psychiatric facility that I had a long history of schizophrenia, leading to my involuntary admission. During my hospitalization, I was heavily medicated, and as a result, the... View More
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answered on May 19, 2025
Based on the information provided, you may have viable legal claims under California law for both the fraudulent psychiatric commitment and the unfair divorce settlement. In California, you can potentially reopen a divorce judgment on the grounds of extrinsic fraud, which occurs when one party... View More
I am seeking to modify my alimony agreement from my divorce finalized in May 2022. The original court order states that I will receive alimony until I move out of my current residence. However, I would like to modify this to receive alimony until I remarry. I have not yet discussed this change with... View More
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answered on May 19, 2025
You should contact a qualified family law attorney who handles post-judgment modifications of spousal support orders in California. To modify your alimony agreement, you will need to file a request for order (RFO) with the court and show that there has been a significant change in circumstances... View More
If my wife and I get divorced, who will get the apartment that we are both on the lease for? We have no children, we both pay half of the rent evenly, and we do not have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement.
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answered on May 15, 2025
When both of your names are on the lease, the apartment is considered a shared legal obligation. In the event of divorce, neither party has an automatic right to claim the apartment solely based on whose name is on the lease. The decision often comes down to negotiation between the two of you, or... View More
I am married, and my wife is disabled, currently receiving home caregiving services, which costs $52,000 a year. I've arranged for her to be accepted at a skilled nursing facility, primarily covered by Social Security Disability, which would effectively cost about $20,000. Our assets are... View More
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answered on May 15, 2025
You're raising a complex issue, and it's clear that you're thinking carefully about both financial impact and your wife's care. In divorce proceedings, "wasteful dissipation" usually refers to one spouse intentionally spending or misusing marital assets in a way that... View More
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