Top Rated Divorce Lawyers.
Founding partner Todd Spodek, and his team of Los Angeles divorce lawyers, are here to help guide you through this complicated time in your life. Todd has handled cases that have captivated the media spotlight and has many years of experience handling cases in the limelight. His unique perspective is unique amongst his peers, and other attorneys you may be considering. Our team’s goal is to help keep your emotions in check, and to make decisions with a sound, and reasonable, state of mind. We constantly share our experience and expertise, so you can make the best decision possible.
Our Los Angeles family law attorneys have experience with all aspects of family law cases and divorce. Regardless of whether you need a prenuptial agreement in order to preserve your premarital property, or want a postnuptial agreement – we can help. Perhaps you, and your child, are the victims of domestic violence and need a restraining order against your spouse. We can help. We empathize, and we understand. We can take immediate action to preserve your safety, and get you the court-ordered protection you need.
California has drastically simplified the divorce process by establishing two legal grounds for divorce:
Bottom line, these are two general and vague concepts which divorce lawyers in Los Angeles can use as basis for a divorce. This is sometimes called a no-fault divorce. Whether we’re talking about contested, or uncontested divorces, these are grounds which can be used to grant an order of divorce. In some states, adultery and other grounds still exist for divorce. California has decided that its best that the reason for divorce is not in contest — and that the state simply accept that the divorce is happening, and instead the state should focus on more important matters like property, assets, and children. In California/Los Angeles, fault is not considered in property division and alimony. Some states award a greater amount of alimony to a spouse who has been wronged as a result of adultery. As your Los Angeles divorce lawyer will tell you, this approach is not followed in California. The only factors that weigh into alimony and property division are financial issues. Spouses don’t get punished by the court for adultery.
In California, a divorce can be offered for irreconcilable differences. It essentially means, circumstances that a judge determines have ended the marriage. It can be virtually anything from a disagreement that spouses cannot resolve, to adultery, or abuse.
In some instances, California laws will let your Los Angeles divorce lawyer offer a divorce if there’s a permanent legal incapacity to make decisions. It means the doctor has determined that your spouse is incapable of making decisions. This can be the result of illness, psychological disorder, or injury.
Are there rules that my spouse and I must follow during the divorce process?
Even though divorce is common in the USA, the process will vary. Short term marriages without children or property, can result in a less complex and time consuming divorce than marriages which are long term marriage. For example, divorce couples who have child custody, property division, debt, and spousal support, will have a less stressful divorce than couples who agree/refuse to work together on the divorce proceedings.
The first step is filing the divorce petition. Regardless of whether both spouses agree to it or not, one spouse can file a legal petition to ask the court to terminate the marriage. The spouse who files the petition has to include some preliminary information, such as:
Residency requirement vary, depending on where you live. States require that at least one spouse live in the state anywhere from 3 months to 12 months. Divorcing spouses have to meet the state’s residency requirements before the court is allowed to legally accept the divorce case. Bottom line, your Los Angeles divorce attorney can help you.
Grounds for divorce will vary from one state to the next. Many states offer a no-fault divorce.
If you’re unhappy about being married, but don’t want to get divorced, whether for legal reasons, or religious reasons, there might be alternative methods. Depending on your situation, an annulment or separation could be better.
Annulment: This is different from a divorce. While both end a marriage, the two do not accomplish the dissolution of the marriage in quite the same way. Divorce legally ends the marriage, but it recognizes the existence of the marriage. An annulment has the effect of erasing the marriage. An annulment can only be granted on legal or religious grounds. Generally, states only grant an annulment in certain situations. One reason, is to prevent couples from going around the divorce laws – because these laws were meant to protect spouses. There are grounds for annulment. In an annulment, there generally has to be someone whose at fault. For example, a reason for annulment can be fraud or misrepresentation. In oder to get an annulment on this basis, one of the parties has to have lied about something material, such as whether they were married to someone else already. The lie has to be significant. Fo example, it must be something you should have known about – and if you had known this information, you would not have agreed to marry the spouse.
Another basis for annulment can be concealment. This involves hiding material information, instead of lying about it. Concealment is when someone discloses to fail something about themselves that is major. One example is having a criminal record.
Spodek Law Group have offered me excellent support and advice thru a very difficult time. I feel I've dealt with someone who truly cares and wants the best outcome for you and yours. I'm extremely grateful for all the help Spodek Law Group has offered me. I can't recommend them enough.
Spodek Law Group was incredibly professional and has given me the best advice I could wish for. They had been helpful and empathetic to my stressful situation. Would highly recommend Spodek Law Group to anyone I meet.
Best service I ever had. Todd is absolutely class personified. You are in the safest hands with spodek. They have their clients interest in mind.
Our divorce lawyers provide superior service, and excellent results.