WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Domestic violence is abuse or threats of abuse when the person being abused and the abuser are or have been in an intimate relationship (married or domestic partners, are dating or used to date, live or lived together, or have a child together). It is also when the abused person and the abusive person are closely related by blood or by marriage.
The domestic violence laws say “abuse” is:

• Physically hurting or trying to hurt someone, intentionally or recklessly;
• Sexual assault;
• Making someone reasonably afraid that they or someone else are about to be seriously hurt (like threats or promises to harm someone); OR
• Behavior like harassing, stalking, threatening, or hitting someone; disturbing someone’s peace; or destroying someone’s personal property.

The physical abuse is not just hitting. Abuse can be kicking, shoving, pushing, pulling hair, throwing things, scaring or following you, or keeping you from freely coming and going. It can even include physical abuse of the family pets.

To continue viewing this information from the California Courts site click below:
http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-domesticviolence.htm

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/ --

OVERVIEW OF THE FAMILY LAW PROCESS

In California, one party initiates the dissolution proceeding by filing a Petition. The respondent will then be served the Petition (either personally or by mail). The party originally filing the Petition is known as the"Petitioner" and the other party is known as the "Respondent". Following receipt of the Petition, the Respondent has 30 days (unless granted additional time by the Petitioner's attorney) in which to file his or her responding statement. After the 30-day period the case can be set for a Court hearing.
At our first meeting, we generally prepare all necessary paperwork in order to either initiate the divorce or to respond to the Petition filed by the spouse. These pleadings are then generally served upon the other party. Once the pleadings are served upon the other party, the Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage can be granted dissolving the parties' marital status, at the earliest six (6) months from the date of service. The purpose of the six-month waiting period is to encourage reconciliation between the spouses, and if in fact a reconciliation occurs during this period, kindly contact our offices and we will see that all paperwork is stopped.
For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/

THE FOUR DIVORCE ALTERNATIVES

No two marriages are the same, and so it only follows that no two divorces will be the same, either.

In fact, if you’re a woman who’s contemplating divorce, you have several options about how to proceed. In general terms, you need to consider four broad categories of divorce alternatives: Do-It-Yourself (DIY), Mediation, Collaborative and Litigation. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each one.

To continue viewing this article on Forbes.com please click:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefflanders/2012/04/24/the-four-divorce-alternatives/

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/ --

RESOLVE YOUR DIVORCE OR SEPARATION OUT OF COURT

When spouses or domestic partners get ready to file for divorce or legal separation, they may have different points of view on issues like property division, custody of the children, or support. But just because you may have these disagreements, it does not mean you have to go in front of a judge to resolve them.

Consider that a judge can never know about your relationship — as a couple and as a family — as well as you know yourselves. So it often makes sense to work out as many issues as you can out of court. In most cases, resolving your disputes outside of court saves time and money.

To continue please visit the California Courts website:
http://www.courts.ca.gov/1226.htm

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/ --

5 BIGGEST DIVORCE MISTAKES FINANCIALLY

Attorneys say that if both you and your ex-spouse feel like you came out of your divorce thinking you gave up a lot, your settlement was probably fair. Maybe, but often your settlement's results appear only after you live with them for a while.

Here are five settlement pitfalls to watch for.

To continue viewing this article written by Wendy Spencer, CFP, please click:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2015/03/07/adviceiq-divorce-finances/24536371/

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/

8 THINGS KIDS OF DIVORCE WANT PARENTS TO KNOW

Parents going through divorce are constantly on the lookout for expert advice on how to raise healthy, resilient kids.

But hey, the kids themselves just might have the best answers. Below, eight writers share what it was like growing up with divorced parents and the one piece of advice they want to pass on.

To continue viewing this piece by Brittany Wong please click below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/02/advice-from-children-of-divorce-_n_6978822.html

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/ --

THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF DIVORCE

For many, the word “divorce” conjures up negative thoughts and impressions. We gasp: “what about the kids? I thought they were happy? There go the holidays.” No one wants to be part of those statistics, but many of us are or will be. So, how do we surpass the social and psychological hurdles of this transition to realize the positive outcomes of a divorce?

 

The decision to end your relationship and get divorced is a difficult one. The process can be fraught with emotional stress and interpersonal conflict.  To make things worse, any positive attitudes one may have related to this change are often overshadowed and dismissed as inappropriate or unhealthy. However, cognitive behavioral therapy provides us a unique insight – balancing negative thoughts alongside positive thoughts is a sign of good mental health. 

 

To continue viewing this article by Erika Boissiere, MFT, click below:

http://www.collaborativepracticemarin.org/cpm-blog/the-positive-outcomes-of-divorce

For more information, contact the Family Law Offices of Renee M. Marcelle at (415) 456-4444, or online at http://www.familylawmarin.com/ --