Laguna Hills Divorce Attorney

What is divorce?

A divorce in Laguna Hills takes about six months to achieve as long as the parties can agree on the terms of the divorce.

Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the legal process of terminating a marital union between two partners. In order to finalize a divorce in California, the following must be met:

1. You and your spouse or former spouse have lived in California for at least six (6) months and the spouses or former spouses have been living separate and apart continuously for at least one (1) year prior to filing
2. You must submit all the required divorce forms on your state’s website.

Divorce procedures vary depending on the state and it is recommended you speak with a divorce lawyer who understands the requirements from where you live. If you are dealing with a divorce matter in Suffolk County, Irvine, Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Costa Mesa, or Lake Forest in California, our experienced Laguna Hills divorce lawyer from Trevino Law, Inc. can give you legal advice!

Common Issues in a Laguna Hills Divorce

The issues in each divorce case will vary based on the length of the marriage, the properties or assets you own, whether you have children, and other factors. Here are some of the most common issues that our Laguna Hills divorce attorney handle:

• Division of marital property – In California, each spouse owns one-half of the community property. As such, courts would try to divide properties equally between divorcing spouses. However, if one of the spouses wants to keep more assets, let’s say a house or car, then that person may have to compensate the other spouse. The goal is to have equitable distribution of marital assets.
• Division of debts – In California, each spouse is also responsible for one-half of total debts acquired during the marriage, with few exceptions. You may need to sell off some of your assets as collateral to pay off your debts or come up with a better solution. A Laguna Hills divorce attorney can advise you on this issue.
• Child custody disputes – When there are children involved in your divorce case, a determination must be made as to which spouse gets to live with the children (physical custody) and who can make legal decisions with regard to the kids’ education, health, and other issues (legal custody). If you and your spouse cannot reach a custody agreement, the Court will need to send you both before an unbiased mediator who can make an objective recommendation as to custody. In the State of California, the Courts will always uphold the best interests of the child, which is why the following factors are usually considered during the mediation: the fitness of each parent, the physical and mental ability to take care of children, and the parent’s relationship with children.
• Spousal support – If you believe that spousal support may be an issue in your divorce, contact our Laguna Hills divorce lawyer to schedule a free initial consultation. The determination of spousal support takes into consideration numerous factors such as how long the marriage is, each spouse’s ability to pay, earning capacity, the health and age of both parties, the level of education, the lifestyle that you’ve been accustomed to, your sources of income, and any history of past contributions to your spouse’s education or training. When the marriage is short, the Family Law Court may choose not to award spousal support.