Peter Hermes

Warm, diverse family experiencing parental divorce, sitting together on a couch showing mixed emotions

How Divorce Affects Children (And What Parents Should Know) Now

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Understanding How Divorce Affects Children (And What Parents Should Know) “Every family’s journey through divorce is unique, but understanding common challenges can empower parents to support their children effectively.” Whether parental divorce comes suddenly or after years of tension, the impact of divorce on children is rarely simple. Children feel the shockwaves in ways that […]

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Discover why divorce mediation

Why Choosing Mediation Before Litigation Can Save Time, Money

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Divorce Doesn’t Have to Begin in a Courtroom When most people think about divorce, they imagine lengthy court battles, expensive attorney fees, and emotional conflict. However, many California families are discovering a better path—divorce mediation. At Hermes Law Group, we believe that resolving disputes through respectful negotiation can often produce better outcomes than litigation. Mediation

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Family law attorney reviewing social media evidence on tablet for California divorce custody case

Social Media Evidence in California Divorce: What Judges Will (and Won’t) Allow

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A picture is worth a thousand words. In California family court in 2026, an Instagram story can be worth a primary custody assignment. Social media has become one of the most important sources of evidence in divorce and custody cases—not because judges enjoy scrolling, but because what people post tends to contradict what they say

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Couple reviewing AI-generated divorce documents with a Los Angeles family law attorney for accuracy

AI-Generated Divorce Documents: When Free Tools Become Costly Mistakes

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Generative AI has transformed how people approach almost every kind of writing—including legal writing. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and a wave of legal-specific tools can produce a marital settlement agreement in seconds. For divorcing couples watching attorney fees pile up, the temptation is obvious: why pay thousands of dollars for what an AI can draft in

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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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Calendar marking date of separation in California divorce with attorney highlighting key dates

Date of Separation Disputes: Why a Single Date Can Cost Six Figures

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A single date on a divorce timeline carries more financial weight than almost any other fact in California family law: the date of separation. Earnings, bonuses, stock vesting, retirement contributions, debts—everything before that date is community property and split equally; everything after is generally separate property of the earning spouse. When the date is undisputed,

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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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Frozen embryo storage cryotank at California fertility clinic during divorce-related embryo dispute

Frozen Embryos in Divorce: Who Decides What Happens Next?

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Few questions in family law are more emotionally and ethically charged than what happens to frozen embryos when a marriage ends. The couple began the IVF process united in a future they hoped to share. By the time of divorce, that future has dissolved—but the embryos exist, waiting in cryostorage, and someone must decide their

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Family Law Attorney Southern California | Divorce, Custody & Mediation

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Hermes Law Group — Family Law Attorney Serving Southern California Hermes Law Group provides dedicated family law representation throughout Southern California. We specialize exclusively in family law matters, including divorce, child custody and support, spousal support, mediation, paternity, and related domestic partnership and same-sex dissolution matters. Our practice is backed by a career spanning over

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A concerned couple in a tense conversation, one withholding signed divorce papers in a modest home office, representing what if my spouse refuses to sign divorce papers

What If My Spouse Refuses to Sign Divorce Papers? Act Now!

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Ever wonder if your divorce can still move forward when your spouse refuses to sign the papers? The answer may surprise you—and empower you. Facing a situation where your spouse won’t cooperate with signing divorce documents can feel overwhelming. Many people worry that their progress is stalled forever or that their legal rights are trapped

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