Family Lawyers In Santa Monica, CA
Family law cases are immensely personal and can cause upheaval in your life. They can also be necessary because of changes your family has been going through. When you expect to deal with a family law case, it is essential that you work with experienced Santa Monica family lawyers who understand the importance of compassion, discretion, and professional legal support.
A family law case can include a divorce, adopting a child, negotiating a prenuptial agreement, or determining paternity. Many of these cases are highly emotional. You need someone on your side who diligently represents you, your family, and your financial interests.
Dedicated Legal Representation With Kramer & Zitser, LLP
When your family law case is high-profile, you must take special care in selecting your legal representation and support team. At Kramer & Zitser, LLP, our legal team has more than 20 years of experience providing legal support for individuals and families throughout Santa Monica and the surrounding communities. We understand the unique needs of cases like yours.
Our team is led by Diana P. Zitser, Esq., a Certified Family Law Specialist. We prioritize your interests in a family law case, leveraging our substantial experience for your case’s benefit. Your case is important to you, and we take the time needed to understand your situation and your concerns for your case.
Our firm has handled many types of family law cases, from straightforward to complex. We understand that many family law cases have nuances that require personalized legal care. Our goal is to help you reach a beneficial resolution that supports your personal wishes and your family’s well-being.
Our Family Law Legal Services
Family law encompasses a variety of cases that impact a family’s day-to-day life. These cases may be part of a divorce case or may be their own separate cases. No matter the circumstances, family law cases should all be handled with diligence, care, and compassion. These cases have the potential to change your family’s life and should be treated with appropriate gravity.
At Kramer & Zitser, LLP, we have experienced handling numerous family law matters, including:
- Prenuptial agreements
These are contracts negotiated and signed by couples prior to their marriage, which determine the division of their assets if either party dies or if the couple divorces. Marital agreements help couples determine their expectations, responsibilities, and rights to assets they each own. This can help during a marriage, and help parties protect their own assets in case of a divorce. It can also make a divorce resolve more efficiently. - Property division and distribution
Division of marital property, or community property, is a part of nearly all divorce cases. Marital assets are split equally in California, and it is important that property is accurately assessed, and accurately categorized between separate and marital property.While marital property must be divided equally, how that division occurs is up for determination. This can lead to very contested divorces. It is important that couples work with an attorney who has the resources to properly evaluate and distribute complex property. - Business valuation
When divorcing couples have complex and high-value assets that must be divided, professional businesses are often a common complex asset. A couple may own a business together, or one spouse may own a business, practice, or partnership. There must be a professional valuation of this business. Professionals must also determine whether the business and its interest are marital or separate property. - Alimony
Also called spousal support, alimony is a payment made from one spouse to the other for a period of time during and/or after a divorce. Alimony is not a part of every divorce. The court will review factors such as the income and earning capacity of each spouse, the financial resources of each spouse, and the length of time the parties were married. - Child custody and parenting time
Separating or divorcing parents must determine the physical and legal custody of their children. The family law court tends to prefer that parents work together to create a parenting plan that better fits their family’s needs and prioritizes their child’s best interests. There are some cases where custody and visitation must be determined in court, however. - Child support
Financial support from both parents is a child’s right. When the court determines a fair amount of child support, it will review each parent’s income, the amount of parenting time each parent has with their child, and other factors. Often, the parent with more parenting time receives child support, because they are responsible for more of the child’s daily expenses. However, a parent who earns more income than the other is likely to be responsible for child support payments. - Post-judgment court order modifications
After a divorce or other family law case, the court creates enforceable orders based on its decision. The decisions made in this court order can sometimes be modified, however. As a family’s life changes, the court orders can be modified to change with them. Families may be able to modify child support, alimony, and child custody, depending on what has changed in their lives and how long the change is expected to last. - Adoption
Adoption is a process that can bring a bright new future for a family and a child. Unfortunately, the process can also be exceptionally complicated. There are traditional private and public agency adoptions. There are also intra-family adoptions where a step-parent or grandparent adopts a child to have parental rights.Each type of adoption has its own steps and unique complexities. The right attorney can support you and help you focus on the joy of the process. - Paternity
Paternity cases are most often necessary when the parents of a child are unmarried. Paternity must be legally established. If both parents agree, this can be done simply. However, if either parent does not agree, then paternity will need to be established through the courts. This establishment is necessary so that both parents have rights and responsibilities for their child, including the right to request custody and child support. - Move-away cases
Move-away, or relocation cases, are necessary when a parent who has a custody agreement wishes to move locations with their children, and the other parent disputes the move. The court will review the situation to determine if the move is in the child’s interests and other factors.Relocation cases are affected by factors, including the custody rights each parent has. It is important to work with legal representation with experience in these cases to protect your parental rights. - Domestic violence
Domestic violence cases are very serious, and individuals and families should take advantage of the resources they have. Legal support can help individuals protect themselves and their children. An attorney can help you file a restraining order and request the restrictions that keep you safe.
Types of Divorce Cases in Family Law
Divorce is a family law case that often involves multiple areas of intersecting family law. We are skilled in several types of divorce cases, including:
- Dissolution of marriage
The legal term for a divorce is the dissolution of a marriage or domestic partnership. California does not require either party to prove fault in order to file for divorce, and there are no fault-based grounds for divorce. All divorces are filed on the basis of irreconcilable differences. Some divorces can be resolved mostly out-of-court, while others must be litigated. - Annulments
Annulments are not the same as a divorce. An annulment can be obtained when a marriage is void or voidable. A void marriage means that there is no circumstance where the marriage was legal, such as a marriage when one party was already married. A voidable marriage is one which may have been legal, but circumstances made it illegal. This could include one party being under the influence, underage, or forced to agree to the marriage under duress.An annulment has unique consequences. Because the marriage never existed, the court is not always able to divide property or assign spousal support. - Mediated divorces
Mediation is a type of alternative dispute resolution, which enables divorcing couples to separate more quickly and at less cost. It also minimizes the stress of the divorce process and can make it less public. Mediation is not for everyone, but it can be helpful for couples who are able to work amicably together. Even in a mediated divorce, however, professional support is essential, particularly when couples have complex assets or other complicating factors. - Gray divorces
This type of divorce involves spouses who are 50 and older or are retired. These divorces have unique considerations, especially surrounding assets like retirement accounts. It is important that couples who are older work with legal representation that understands the unique financial and property concerns in these divorces. - High-profile divorces
Divorces where parties have high net worth, celebrity status, or other factors that increase media attention have unique complexities. Maintaining discretion and keeping information out of the public is crucial for your own well-being and your family’s interests. Each spouse and any children are likely used to a certain standard of living, and this must be accounted for during financial decisions in the divorce.
Contact a Dedicated Family Law Attorney in Santa Monica
Family law matters are much easier with the support of a knowledgeable attorney. At Kramer & Zitser, LLP, we can help you whether you are approaching a complex divorce case or need to establish paternity. Our goal is to fight diligently for your rights, help you make informed choices, and make the process of your family law case easier and less stressful. Contact the family law attorneys at Kramer & Zitser, LLP, today.
