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Family Law Attorney in Los Angeles
Our family law attorneys in Los Angeles can help you secure your future. If you anticipate an upcoming case, the attorneys at Buelna Law can represent you. We bring the best of the best in family law to your case, ensuring that you have the support you need to protect your well-being.
A couple examines their divorce paperwork with a lawyer present. Whether you need guidance through a divorce, the creation of a will, or the formalization of a prenuptial agreement, Los Angeles family law attorneys can help.
Our Experience With Family Law
The clients we serve benefit from several decades of collective family law experience. When we go to bat for you, we fight to address all your concerns. We can help you address cases concerning:
- Emancipation
- Marital concerns
- Alimony
- Paternity
- Prenuptial agreements
- Child support
- Child custody
- Adoption
- Estate planning
Not sure if your case fits the bill? Give our team a call. We can discuss your circumstances during a free case evaluation.
Five Reasons to Talk to Our Family Law Lawyers
The ins and outs of family law in California aren’t always easy to understand. That’s why our team members offer our experience to you. No matter what kind of family law case you want to pursue, we’ll help you file the applicable paperwork and represent your case in court.
When you work with our Los Angeles County family law lawyers, we can:
Write Your Prenuptial Agreement
Whether you’re preparing for a million-dollar wedding or a smaller event, prenuptial agreements can make even messy divorces more straightforward. Our attorneys can help you and your spouse preemptively divide your assets.
Set Up Your Will and Trusts
Family law doesn’t only help you conquer the present. It also lets you prepare for the future. Our team can draft your will and help you establish a trust for your children or loved ones.
Break Down Child Custody
Whether you’re fighting for custody of your child or want to alter an existing agreement, you can rely on our team throughout this emotional trial. We can help you file your essential paperwork with the right legal bodies and then stand with you throughout your hearing.
Help With Your Divorce
No matter how amicable your divorce is, the legalities can bog you down. We take on the complexities of divorce for you, making sure that the right paperwork reaches the right people at the right time. If proceedings become messy, we’ll fight to ensure you’re safe and well-compensated for your losses.
Manage Your Family Law Case Communications
When you take on family law cases, emotions tend to run high. You don’t have to bow to intimidation attempts, though. Our team can step into the role of communicator for you. Over the course of your case, we’ll make sure that any messages between you, the defendant, and other legal representatives are as professional as possible.
If someone does try to intimidate you out of legal action, let us know. We can fight to have your right to legal action respected.
How We Get Results
Scheduling Your Case Consultation
Every successful family law case starts with a FREE Buelna Law consultation. You can reach out to our office online or over the phone to set a date for your case evaluation. When you come and sit with our professional family law attorneys, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the ways your case can play out.
We’ll elaborate on your end goal and help you bring together the evidence you need to present your case to a county clerk. If your divorce, child custody, alimony, or comparable case
threatens to become emotionally difficult, you can rely on us to keep communications with both the defendant and the court as civil as possible.
If you don’t need to go to court, we can contact witnesses or other applicable parties who can help you arrange your will, estate, or trusts.
Arranging Mediation
If you’re pursuing altered custody arrangements or divorce, mediation can prevent your case from going to a prolonged trial. While you may still need to present your concerns before a judge, mediation helps ensure that conversations between you and other involved parties are as straightforward and civil as possible.
You don’t have to arrange mediation on your own – and in fact, you shouldn’t. Instead, our team can both arrange and oversee your mediation sessions. We’ll make sure that both you and the defendant have your concerns heard and that you have the means to address them.
Filing Paperwork With County Clerks
Divorces, adoptions, custody battles, alimony, wills, and trusts all require you to complete a significant amount of paperwork. Instead of finding and submitting that paperwork on your own, we manage your documents for you.
We don’t only get you the forms you need. We also submit them to Los Angeles County Clerks within the appropriate deadlines.
Taking Your Concerns Before a Judge
Family law cases often require the involvement of a judge if you want to finalize decisions you’ve agreed upon during mediation. If your negotiations don’t go peacefully, a judge can alternatively see to it that you and the defendant can air your concerns before a legal body.
When the time comes for you to go to court, you won’t be going alone. Instead, we’ll be going with you. We can present your case in our opening statement, elaborate on your statements, and fight to get you the property and control that you want out of your case.
Nine Common Questions About Family Law Cases
If it’s time for you to pursue a family law case, don’t be afraid to ask questions. We want to help you navigate the complexities of California’s legal system.
The answers to the questions presented here do not constitute legal advice and address concerns based specifically out of California. If you have questions regarding a specific case or concern, you can contact our office and schedule a case consultation with an experienced family law attorney in Los Angeles.
Do You Need to File for Separation Before You Get Divorced?
California law does not require you to separate from your spouse before seeking a divorce. That said, two parties seeking a divorce may not be happy living under the same roof as one another. You can discuss whether or not you want to move out of a shared home prior to or in the midst of California’s divorce proceedings.
You do retain the right to file for separation from your spouse if you so wish. You can discuss the logistics of this process with our team.
How Do I Get Custody of My Child?
The process through which you request custody of your child is going to differ depending on whether you’re actively in court or not. If you have a family law case open, you can submit a Form FL-300, or a Request for Order, to a county clerk. From there, a court can review your papers and give you the means to present your case before a judge.
If you don’t have an open family law case, you can work with family law attorneys in Los Angeles to establish one. The cases that allow you to file for custody of your child can include:
- Divorce hearings
- Legal separation
- Domestic violence restraining orders
- Petitions for custody
- Child support agency cases
- Paternity cases
Should you and a partner come to an agreement regarding custody via trial or out-of-court negotiations, there’s more paperwork in your future. You need to elaborate on your agreement in the appropriate court forms before signing a Stipulation and Order for Custody and/or Visitation of Children. A judge and county clerk will then review your paperwork before filing it.
How Much Child Support Can I Request?
You can request child support payments based on your income and on the amount of time you’re legally permitted to spend with your child. For example, primary caretakers who make significantly less than an ex-spouse can request substantial child support payments. Someone who makes roughly the same amount as their ex-partner, comparatively, may see less support.
When you first enter divorce proceedings and child support conversations, a lawyer can help you estimate the child support that you may receive. However, it will be up to California courts to set that number and put your payment plan into action.
How Does the Court Calculate My Possible Support?
Every court in California, save for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, calculates child support payments using the DissoMaster support calculation program. This calculation program considers the following factors when indicating what your child support payments should look like:
- Your income versus your ex-spouse’s
- Banking interest
- Property taxes
- Health insurance
- IRA contributions
- Union dues
In most circumstances, the program assumes that both parents will be paying the same amount of money for child care. However, there are some situations wherein a court has to consider how your monthly expenses may alter your need for financial support. These same exceptions can apply when courts consider a person’s ability to provide the aforementioned support.
What Information Do I Need to Establish a Will?
Your will represents your interests after you pass away. When you first create your will, you’ll need to determine:
- The type of will you want to create (living, simple, mirror, joint, holographic, oral, or pour-over)
- A list of the assets you want to address in your will
- Recipients for the aforementioned assets
- The executor of your estate
- Guardians for any minors
- Donations, if applicable
You will also need to have two witnesses on hand when you sign your will. These witnesses cannot benefit from your will in any way. With that in mind, contact a few friends or work with your local family law attorney to ensure that your will signing process abides by California law.
How Do I Modify My Will?
You can modify your will in one of two ways. If your changes are minimal, you can work with a family law attorney in Los Angeles to add a codicil to your existing document. This addition lets you add or remove something to your will, provided that two witnesses can sign and verify that you were of sound mind and spirit at the time of its addition.
If you want to invest in more substantial changes, you’ll need to speak with a family law lawyer about drafting a new will. For example, spouses that want to remove one another from their wills during a divorce will need to redivide their assets in new wills.
What Can a Family Law Attorney Do for Me?
Family law attorneys take on diversified roles when it comes to representing you and your needs. Our services will vary depending on the specifics of your case. When you bring your concerns to us, though, we can help you by:
- Breaking down the legalities of your divorce, adoption, will, trust, alimony, child support, or child custody
- Presenting your concerns to a judge via appropriate paperwork
- Submitting the aforementioned paperwork within California’s established deadlines
- Scheduling and mediating conversations with a defendant, as applicable
- Making it easy for you to alter or modify documents essential to your family’s wellbeing
- Elaborating on your circumstances and rights should your case go to trial
If you’re not sure as to whether or not our services meet your needs, schedule a case consultation with our team. We’ll discuss your case together.
What Should I Expect From a Family Law Court Case?
Even if you attend mediation and come to an agreement regarding a family law case out of court, there’s a chance that you’ll still need to bring your case before a judge. In combative cases, a family law trial process can involve five stages:
- Discovery
- Witness testimony
- Cross-examination
- Deliberation
- Verdict
Whether you seek a divorce, custody agreement, or will modifications, you can work with a family law attorney to argue for your rights. In turn, a judge and surrounding staff can review both your argument and applicable documents before rendering a decision regarding your request.
That said, the specificities of your case are going to be different than those applicable to anyone else’s. If you’re not sure how your case is likely to proceed, speak with a member of our team. We’ll clarify the legal process and help you prepare for the upcoming proceedings.
Do I Have to Take Family Law Concerns to Court?
You do not have to take all your family law concerns before a judge. So long as you file a complaint, you may have the right to summon a defendant to either a family law trial or out-of-house negotiations. Legal representatives can still be present throughout the negotiation process to keep conversations civil.
That said, even cases handled via negotiations may still need to be verified by a judge. For example, any changes in your custody agreements or official divorces must be brought before a judge if they’re to be upheld in the eyes of the law. You can speak with a family law lawyer in Los Angeles to learn more about what this process might look like for you.
Schedule a Case Consultation With a Los Angeles
Family Law Attorney Today
Our team knows how to address your family law concerns. Whether you need advice about a divorce, child custody, or a will and estates, we’re prepared to offer our services to you. You can reach out and discuss our services with a family law attorney in Los Angeles today.
Ready to get started with the Buelna Law Firm, A.P.C.? Call or contact our office online. We can set up your first appointment together.