Orange County California Family Law & Divorce Articles

Abuse & Neglect: Information for Parents

Why was my child taken away? The police officer or social worker decided your child needed to be in temporary foster care to be safe. This can be because your child: -Wasn't well taken care of or watched over; -Was neglected, abused, or molested; or -Was left with someone who didn't take good care of…
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What is Juvenile Court?

Juvenile court is part of the superior court. It deals with 3 kinds of cases: Juvenile Delinquency: cases involving children that do things that would be crimes if they were done by adults. Juvenile Status Offenses: cases involving children that do things that are only against the law because they are done by children. For…
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Child Abuse & Neglect in Orange County, California

When someone makes a report about the safety of your child, the police or a social worker must investigate. They have to decide if the court should get involved so your child will be safe and protected. If the police or social worker decides your child needs to be in temporary foster care to be…
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Responding to Divorce or Separation

Either spouse in a marriage or partner in a registered domestic partnership can ask the court to end their legal relationship. If you have been served with a petition and summons for dissolution (divorce) or legal separation, your spouse or domestic partner is asking the court to end your relationship. In California, as long as…
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Facebook Impacting Divorce Rates?

Some people have questioned if Facebook has led to an increase in divorces. In an article a British Legal Firm had noted that approximately one in five divorces were related to Facebook in some way shape or form. On the social network Facebook, a persons private life is broadcasted for all to see. Furthermore, these…
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What is a Custody Mediation?

A custody mediation gives parents a chance to resolve disagreements with the help of an expert in resolving these disagreements. If the parents are able to work out an agreement, the mediator helps the parents write a custody and visitation order. The goals of mediation are to: -Help you make a parenting plan that's in the…
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An Introduction to Parentage

"Establishing parentage" means saying who the legal parents of a child are if the parents were not married when the child was born. If the parents were married when the child was born, the law usually considers the husband to be the father. After January 1, 2005, if parents are registered domestic partners in Orange…
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What is ‘Guardianship’?

Guardianship is when a court orders someone other than the child’s parent to: -Have custody of the child; or -Manage the child's property (called "estate"); or -Both. The information in this section is about probate guardianships. These cases are brought by the person seeking to be appointed guardian or by someone else in the family asking…
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What is the Duration of a Divorce

If you would like to file for Divorce in California you must fulfill the requisite that one party must reside in California for a minimum of six months and that the County you are attempting to file in for a minimum of three months. In California the soonest you will be able to finalize your…
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Basics of Divorce, Legal Separation, and Annulment

There are 3 main ways to end a marriage or registered domestic partnership in California: divorce, legal separation, and annulment. It is not necessary for both spouses or domestic partners to agree to end the marriage. Either spouse or partner can decide to end the marriage, and the other spouse/partner, even if he or she…
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