Divorce Attorneys in Los Angeles, California
A divorce is never an easy process, even when couples are amicable. It is much easier to navigate with compassionate and skilled legal counsel. Working with the right Bel Air divorce lawyers gives you legal support, helps you make informed decisions, and can protect your rights.
There are many unique types of divorces and many potential family law cases within a divorce case. Professional and exceptional legal representation can give you applicable legal advice and help you navigate the process with confidence.
Exceptional Divorce Lawyers at Zitser Family Law Group, APC
Here at Zitser Family Law Group, APC, we truly understand the impact of our work on spouses and their children, which is why we dedicate our practice to best-serving high net-worth individuals who are going through various legal issues in their lives. No matter your family or divorce law issue, our firm is here to help. We have been assisting clients in Bel Air for years, and we are proud to do the same for you. For quality legal representation that you can trust in this pivotal time, contact the experienced California divorce attorneys at Zitser Family Law Group, APC today.
Our Divorce Services
A divorce case tends to involve several areas of family law, including determining child custody and support, awarding alimony, and other complex issues. A divorce may be contested or uncontested, litigated or handled outside of court, or in other unique situations. Couples may also be getting an annulment or legal separation instead of a divorce. It is important to find an attorney with the skills and resources needed to handle your unique case.
At Zitser Family Law Group, APC, our attorneys have been helping individuals going through various divorce issues for over 20 years, including the following:
- Alimony
Alimony is a payment made from one spouse to the other. It may be assigned during the divorce process, for a period of time after the divorce, or both. Not all divorces have alimony, but if there is a significant difference between the incomes and assets of spouses, it may be awarded. The intention of alimony is to give both parties the ability to support themselves and maintain a similar standard of living.
When determining if support will be awarded, how much, and for how long, the court will look at income, financial resources, and how long the marriage lasted. - Annulments
An annulment is a different process than a divorce. Instead of ending an existing marriage, an annulment states it was never valid and therefore did not exist. Annulments can be secured if a marriage was void, meaning it was never valid, or voidable, meaning specific circumstances made it illegal.Annulments must be filed within a certain time frame depending on the reason for the annulment. In some cases, annulments mean the court has no ability to award support or divide assets.
- Business Valuation
During property division in a divorce, all marital assets must be appraised to equally split them. Separate assets must also be appraised, although each spouse retains their own separate property. When one or both spouses own or co-own a business, its valuation is much more complex.
Not only are professionals needed to determine its value, but professionals are needed to determine whether it is marital or separate property. This can significantly affect the outcome of a divorce and how property is divided, so it is important to do it correctly.
- Gray Divorce
Gray divorces involve individuals who are retiring or are near retiring, typically with adult children and substantial retirement accounts. Often, the assets and long-term goals of these couples are very different from others getting divorced. These individuals must take care to find legal representation that understands the unique needs of these divorces.
- High Profile Divorce
When a divorce is high-profile, it often attracts unwanted media and public attention. A divorce may be high-profile due to high-value assets, celebrity status, and other factors. In such a divorce, privacy and discretion are essential, both for a family’s financial and emotional well-being. Remaining out of litigation is often in everyone’s interests.
High-profile divorces are also likely to require unique strategies to provide for the financial way of living that all parties are used to. Asset division, child support, and spousal support may need to be handled differently.
- Post-Judgment Modifications
Modifications allow individuals to change certain court orders when circumstances change. After a divorce or separation, parties can request changes to child support, child custody and visitation, and alimony. This is typically only allowed if there is a substantial, permanent, and unexpected change of circumstances in the family’s life that is relevant to the order being modified.
If your financial or personal life has changed, an attorney can help you determine if a modification is appropriate.
- Preparing for Divorce
When spouses decide to get a divorce, they are undertaking a significant process. Preparing finances and documentation for this process is useful. Having this documentation prepared can make the divorce discovery process easier and speed up the resolution of the case.
- Property Distribution
The division and distribution of assets and debts are necessary when spouses get divorced. In Los Angeles, assets are divided according to community property laws. It is assumed that spouses own half of their community or marital property. Community property is therefore divided 50/50 when it is up to the court’s discretion. Each spouse keeps their own separate property.
It takes time to accurately value and categorize assets and debts as separate or marital. Once those determinations are made, couples must reach a resolution on how to divide marital property, or the court will do it for them.
- Separation
Legal separation is a different process than divorce and enables spouses to separate while still remaining legally married. For some, this is the first step to divorce, while for others it is the preferred option. Many aspects involved in a divorce are also involved in legal separation, including division of assets and debts, alimony, and decisions concerning children.
Family Law Services
Zitser Family Law Group, APC, has helped countless families in Bel Air through pressing family law issues that often arise out of divorce for years, and we know we can do the same for you. Some of the many family law issues that we can help you with include the following:
- Adoption
There are numerous types of adoption, including domestic and international adoptions, public and private agency adoptions, related adoptions, and independent adoptions. These adoptions can have unique requirements and expectations. Working with an attorney can help you follow the requirements while allowing you to focus on the joys of adoption.
- Child Custody
Child custody has to be determined when parents separate or divorce, and must be in the child’s best interests. There are numerous arrangements of physical and legal custody that can be used based on a family’s needs.
- Child Support
Both parents have a financial obligation to support their children. When parents live separately, child support payments ensure that each parent contributes a proportional amount to their child’s care.
- Domestic Violence
Domestic violence issues can affect divorce cases, changing how support and custody are assigned. Spouses must take steps to ensure that they and their children are safe and take action in court to protect themselves.
- Parenting Time
Parenting time, or visitation, is part of a custody determination. The court tends to prefer when parents create a parenting plan outside of court to better address their child’s needs.
- Paternity
When parents are unmarried, parents need to establish the paternity of their child. If paternity is contested, then it must be determined by the court.
- Prenuptial Agreement
Divorcing couples that have a prenuptial agreement in place may have a much quicker resolution to their divorce. However, if the agreement is unfair, those terms should not be allowed.
- Move-Away Cases
Also called relocation cases, this is when a parent with custody of children wishes to move elsewhere. When it may change the custody arrangement, the court must approve.
Contact a Bel Air, California Divorce Attorney
Whether you are looking to get divorced or are looking to work out certain family law issues after one, you know where to turn. At Zitser Family Law Group, APC, we have the knowledge, compassion, and drive needed to represent your best interests through every step of the legal process ahead. To discuss your situation with a seasoned Los Angeles divorce attorney, contact Zitser Family Law Group, APC today.
