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Family Law Attorney
Cavanaugh Law Office provides legal services
for divorce, child custody, child support,
or paternity cases in Los Angeles County. We
can also help with step-parent adoptions or
when one party is a member of the United
States military.
Los Angeles County Divorce Attorney.
Divorce (or dissolution) in California is
unique and is guided by Federal, State and
local county rules and statutes. Depending
on the specific circumstances of your
marriage, the following issues might need to
be decided during your case:
- Property Distribution
(real estate, money,
retirement)
- Spousal Support
(Alimony)
- Health Insurance
- Child Custody &
Visitation
- Child Support
- Paternity of children
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When evaluating the final disposition of
any of the above items, factors such as date
of separation, length of marriage,
occupational potential, domestic violence,
existence of premarital agreements, and tax
consequences may be relevant.
Given that divorce cases typically take
some time to complete, it may also be
necessary to request that the marital
"status" be terminated prior to the end of
the case.
Family law cases involving active duty
members of the United States military
require special consideration.
Read our
Top 10 California
Divorce Myths!
Child Custody & Visitation
For parents, the issue of who will raise and
care for a child generates much anxiety,
animosity and fear. For some, whether a
child will be healthy and safe with the
other parent is a very real and honest
concern. However, because the amount of time
awarded to each parent has a direct effect
on support amounts, custody can be
improperly used as a bargaining chip by one
parent for non-custody issues.
In any given custody case, legal custody,
physical custody and/or visitation must be
ordered. In determining which living
situation is in the best interest of the
child, courts must often consider such
factors as the existence of domestic
violence, physical housing environments,
childcare arrangements, school enrollment,
and age. Custody evaluators and/or mediators
often aid in the resolution process.
Child Custody & Visitation orders may
include:
- Legal Custody (who makes
decisions)
- Physical Custody &
Visitation
- Supervised/monitored
visitation
- Pick-up/drop-off
arrangements
- Car seat/seat belt and
licensed driver requirements
- Move-away/vacation
issues
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Child Support Payments
The harsh economic reality is that many
children will not enjoy a satisfactory
standard of living when both parents do not
live in the same household. Quite simply,
there is not enough money to go around when
faced with two housing payments and all
related expenses. As a result, parents may
be forced to fight over an insufficient pot
of money and often have problems down the
road ensuring that the other parent pays the
amount ordered.
California courts, including the Los
Angeles Superior Court, determine child
support based on a mathematical formula
which takes into consideration the number of
children, physical custody/visitation
arrangements, parental incomes, child care
expenses, and health insurance premiums.
Parents wishing to reduce this "guideline"
amount face an uphill battle and must show
hardship.
Child support is payable until the child
reaches age 18 (or longer by agreement) and
continues to accrue interest if not paid.
Child support payments are often gathered
through payroll wage garnishments and there
are several governmental tools available for
support enforcement.
Paternity Cases
Child support and custody issues for
unmarried parents are handled via the filing
of a paternity action. Once the parentage of
a child is legally established by statute,
DNA or a voluntary declaration, family law
judges can make binding orders upon parents
much like they do in divorce cases.
Southern California - West Los Angeles - Culver City - Los Angeles - Beverly Hills
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