Bel Air Divorce Attorney

Divorce Lawyer in Bel Air, CA

When you are filing for a divorce, there is a lot at stake. Even when your divorce is amicable, it can still be a lengthy and grueling process. It is crucial that you protect your family’s interests and safeguard your financial future. Although a divorce may be the right choice for you, it doesn’t make it easy to navigate. A Bel Air divorce lawyer can represent you in divorce proceedings, protect your assets, defend your rights, and fight for your family’s interests.

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.

Compassionate and Experienced Divorce Lawyers at Kramer & Zitser, LLP

At Kramer & Zitser, LLP, we put your family first. We understand that effective legal representation requires a strategic, compassionate, and discreet approach. Our attorneys understand how stressful and overwhelming divorce cases can be, and we work to make the process easier. At our firm, which combines the experience of two senior family law attorneys, we have decades of experience in a wide range of divorce and family law cases.

Our firm also has several attorneys who are Certified Family Law Specialists, giving us exceptional experience and knowledge in the field. We listen to you about your unique divorce case and your goals for the case. We can help you determine the right method for your divorce and fight for the ideal outcome.

Our firm has professional experience and connections with local courts in the Bel Air area. The Santa Monica Courthouse, located at 1725 Main Street, is the closest courthouse to Bel Air that handles family law cases in the West Judicial District. There are also two courthouses in Los Angeles that handle family law cases in the Central Judicial District.

Divorce in Bel Air and California

Although few people expect to get a divorce, they are an unfortunate reality. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were 2.04 million marriages in 2022, and more than 672,000 divorces were reported in the United States.

Divorces in California are all no-fault divorces, meaning neither party has to prove the other did anything wrong to file for a divorce. The divorce rate in California in 2022 was 5.9 per 1,000 women aged 15 and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which is significantly lower than the U.S. rate of 7.1 per 1,000. However, the state’s marriage rate was 15.8, also significantly lower than the U.S. rate of 16.7.

One spouse can file for a no-fault divorce even if the other spouse doesn’t want a divorce. The grounds for a no-fault divorce are irreconcilable differences.

Exceptional Divorce Lawyers at Kramer & Zitser, LLP

Here at Kramer & Zitser, LLP, 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 Kramer & Zitser, LLP 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 Kramer & Zitser, LLP, 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.

What Are the Types of Divorce Cases?

There are several circumstances that can make a divorce require specific care. Some of the common types of divorce include:

1. 1. Dissolution of marriage. This is the official legal term for a divorce. A dissolution of marriage is always no-fault, but the divorce may be contested or uncontested. In a contested divorce, spouses do not agree on getting the divorce or the terms of the separation agreement, while in an uncontested divorce, they do agree. The terms of a separation agreement include alimony, property division, child support, and child custody. These divorces can be handled in court or through mediation and negotiation outside of court.
   2. Legal separation. This type of separation means that parties are still legally married, but they determine issues such as property division, decisions regarding children, and support. A legal separation may be a couple’s first step before divorce if they don’t meet the waiting requirements for divorce, or it may be the couple’s only step.
   3. Annulment. An annulment occurs when a marriage is deemed void or voidable, meaning it was either illegal when it was established or that certain factors of the marriage rendered it invalid. In some cases, getting an annulment means the court cannot divide property or award support. It is important to talk with an attorney to determine if an annulment is the right option for you.

There are other unique types of divorces, including gray divorces, where couples must consider retirement accounts and significant marital assets, and high-profile divorces, such as celebrity divorces, which often raise unique privacy concerns. Any divorce benefits from the skill and resources of an attorney, but these unique situations have a particular need for the right legal counsel.

Family Law Services

Kramer & Zitser, LLP, 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.

FAQs

Q: How Much Does a Divorce Lawyer Cost in California?

A: The cost of a divorce lawyer in California can range significantly depending on the attorney and their qualifications. Often, a more experienced attorney will charge higher rates; however, it is essential to verify the qualifications of a potential attorney.

The average cost of a family lawyer in California was $368 per hour, but divorces tend to be among the more complicated types of family law cases. A more experienced attorney is likely better equipped to handle your case more effectively.

Q: What Is the 5-Year Rule for Divorce in California?

A: The five-year rule for divorce refers to one of the qualifications of a summary dissolution. This can be beneficial because it simplifies the divorce process and reduces costs. However, couples must meet several qualifications, including:

1. 1. • Being married for less than five years
      • Having no children
      • Having few assets or debts
      • Waving spousal support
      • Agreeing on the division of property

An attorney can help you determine whether you qualify and whether a summary dissolution is appropriate.

Q: What Is a Wife Entitled to in a California Divorce?

A: In a divorce in California, a wife is entitled to a share of marital property and her own separate property. She is also entitled to request spousal support. If the couple has children, she has the right to request custody and child support. Both spouses in a divorce have these same rights, regardless of gender. Whether the court decides to grant things like support or custody will depend on several specifics.

Q: Does a Wife Always Get Half in a Divorce in California?

A: Yes, because both spouses always get half of marital assets in a divorce in California, unless they have a prenuptial agreement or negotiate their division of assets outside of court. Even then, each spouse has an equal claim to marital assets. When the court decides on the division of property, it divides the marital assets equally between spouses. Spouses retain their separate assets, which are the assets they had before they got married.

Hire a Divorce Lawyer in Bel Air Today

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 Kramer & Zitser, LLP, 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 Kramer & Zitser, LLP today.

The attorneys at Kramer & Zitser, LLP understand that choosing to get a divorce is a difficult decision, even when it is the right choice. When you have a uniquely complex divorce, such as one involving complex assets or a celebrity, our attorneys can help. Contact us today.