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calculate child support California

Recipient spouse meeting with career counselor about Gavron warning self-sufficiency obligation in California

Spousal Support Step-Downs and Gavron Warnings: The Self-Sufficiency Mandate

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California spousal support carries a sometimes-overlooked feature that surprises many supported spouses years after the divorce: the legal duty to make reasonable efforts to become self-supporting. The state’s public policy is clear—spousal support is intended to bridge the supported spouse to financial independence, not to fund a permanent lifestyle. The mechanism by which courts enforce

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Family Code 2640 reimbursement claim documents tracing separate property down payment in California divorce

Reimbursement Claims Under Family Code §2640: Protecting Your Down Payment

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You used $200,000 of your separate-property savings as the down payment on the family home. The home was titled in both names. Years later, you are divorcing. Does that $200,000 come back to you off the top, or is it part of the community equity to be divided? California Family Code §2640 is the answer—and

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Pet custody California divorce dog with both owners during family law mediation

Pet Custody in California Divorce: Family Code §2605 Explained

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Until 2019, California family courts treated pets the way they treated coffee tables: as community property to be divided based on who paid for them and who held title. Anyone who has ever shared their life with a dog or cat knew that approach was inadequate, and the legislature eventually agreed. Family Code §2605, effective

Pet Custody in California Divorce: Family Code §2605 Explained Read More »

California family law judge reviewing firearm relinquishment order during custody hearing

New Firearm Rules in California Custody Cases (Family Code §3044 Updates)

calculate child support California, Divorce, Family Law attorney LA, Family law mediation, Hermes Law Group, Peter Hermes, , , ,

On January 1, 2026, two significant amendments to California family law took effect: changes to Family Code §3044 (the rebuttable presumption against custody for domestic violence perpetrators) and Family Code §6389 (firearm relinquishment under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act). The amendments reflect a clear legislative direction: protect children and protected parties from the combination of

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