The divorce process can be incredibly stressful for the whole family, including both parents and children. Children often need time to adjust to the fact that their parents will no longer be married or living together, and parents will need to manage the legal and personal issues involved in their divorce while ensuring that their children’s best interests are protected. If you are looking to maintain a meaningful relationship with your children after your divorce, it is critically important for you to understand California’s child custody laws. To ensure that your parental rights are protected in these cases, you will want to work with a skilled family law attorney. 

Physical and Legal Custody

In the state of California, there are two forms of child custody: legal custody and physical custody. Physical custody addresses who children will live with, while legal custody addresses the right to make decisions about how children will be raised, including ensuring that they receive the proper healthcare and education. 

While divorce is rarely an easy process, it can become especially challenging if one spouse begins to act in a hostile manner. If your spouse is attempting to bully or intimidate you into meeting their demands or behaving in a way that increases conflict and makes the divorce process more difficult, you may feel helpless or unsure about how to respond. Fortunately, you can take steps to protect your rights and resolve disputes as smoothly and effectively as possible. By working with an experienced family law attorney, you can be prepared to address your concerns and reach a positive resolution to your divorce case.

Steps You Can Take During a Hostile Divorce 

First and foremost, you will want to be sure you and your family are safe from harm. If your spouse has made any threats against you, your children, or other family members, or if they have behaved in a way that has caused you to fear for your safety, you should speak to your attorney about your options for obtaining an order of protection. An emergency order of protection can be obtained at a court hearing, even if your spouse is not present, and it can prevent your spouse from committing any further acts of abuse or harassment while prohibiting them from contacting you or entering a shared residence. The court can then determine whether long-term protections will need to be put in place throughout the divorce process and beyond.

As you proceed with the divorce process, you may find that hostility by your spouse has made it difficult or impossible to speak with them and work together to resolve your outstanding issues. In these cases, it may be best to avoid contacting them directly, and mediation may not be beneficial, especially if they are not willing to work together with you to reach compromises about divorce-related concerns. Instead, you can communicate with your spouse and their lawyer through your own attorney and work to reach a settlement or resolve disputes in the courtroom.

The divorce process can be an emotional and challenging time for all parties involved. Difficult financial decisions will need to be made as you separate from your spouse, and one of the most significant issues involves who will own your family’s home. Your marital home is likely to be one of the most valuable assets you own, and it can play a key role in the division of marital property. It is important to understand how California’s divorce laws address the division of residential property, and you should work with a family law attorney to determine the best way to proceed throughout the divorce process. 

Dividing Real Estate Property

As you work through the divorce process with your attorney, there are a number of critical steps you need to take regarding your residential property. First and foremost, you must establish whether the home is separate or community property. In the state of California, most assets and debts accumulated by either spouse during a marriage are community property, and they must be divided equally between spouses. However, assets received by one spouse as a gift or inheritance are typically considered separate property. Property purchased after the couple has separated, but prior to the divorce, is also regarded as separate property that will not need to be divided between spouses 

It should also be noted that property purchased or acquired prior to a marriage is generally considered separate property. However, a home that was separate property can become community property if the spouses agree to to redefine the asset or if it became commingled with community property during the marriage, such as when both spouses consistently made mortgage payments or shared other expenses related to the home. 

Following the finalization of a divorce, both parties will likely feel some level of relief, since they will be able to move on and begin the next phase of their lives. However, there are some cases in which conflicts can continue even after the divorce process has ended. Divorced parents are required to follow the child custody orders established by the court, and if one parent does not meet their requirements, the other parent may need to take legal action. If your spouse has violated your child custody order, you should speak with an experienced family law attorney to determine your legal options.

Examples of Custody Violations 

Custody order violations may pertain to both physical and legal custody. The most common violations involve a parent failing to abide by the terms of physical custody. For example, a parent may be consistently late picking up or dropping off children at the beginning and end of their visitation time, or one parent may refuse to allow the other parent to spend time with children as ordered by the court. Violations regarding legal custody may involve a parent making decisions about children’s education or healthcare without consulting with the other parent, or one parent may refuse to share information such as children’s school or medical records with the other party.

Steps You Can Take 

In the state of California, custody order violations are taken seriously, and they can result in significant legal consequences. If your ex-spouse has committed this type of violation, you will want to document the specific details of how they have violated the court’s orders. This may include noting the dates and times when they did not follow the visitation schedule or gathering other forms of evidence showing that they did not meet their court-ordered requirements. If your ex-spouse has consistently and willfully violated your child custody order, you may ask that they be held in contempt of court. If necessary, you can also petition the court for a modification of your child custody order to address your ex-spouse’s actions and ensure that your children’s best interests are protected.

In the state of California, the divorce process is governed through the California Family Code. When it comes to the assets owned by divorcing spouses, Family Code Section 2100 states that both parties must present an accurate and honest statement of their assets and liabilities. This disclosure should be completed during the early stages of a divorce, and all assets owned by the spouses should be included, regardless of whether they are community property or separate property. Unfortunately, many divorcing spouses attempt to leave certain assets out of this disclosure in order to avoid including these assets in the property division process. If you are getting divorced, you should be aware of some of the most common types of hidden assets and the steps you can take if you believe your spouse is withholding assets during the divorce process. 

Common Methods of Hiding Assets 

In some cases, a spouse may make an oversight or error and accidentally fail to disclose property. However, there are many cases in which one party will attempt to conceal certain types of property to avoid having to divide or share these assets with their former partner. A divorcing spouse may hide assets by withdrawing money from marital accounts and depositing it in a secret account or transferring it to a friend or family member with the intent of reclaiming it after the divorce is complete. Spouses may also provide incorrect or fabricated information on income or asset disclosures, or they may purchase valuables, collectibles, real estate property, or other assets without informing the other spouse.

Addressing Hidden Assets

If you suspect that there are certain assets that your spouse has not disclosed during the divorce process, you have a number of options. In some cases, you may be able to resolve these issues by discussing them with your spouse. If your divorce has been amicable and respectful, your spouse may have simply made a mistake when they failed to disclose the asset in question.