Introduction

As San Mateo County’s largest family law firm, we have the ability and resources to handle any family law matter.  Whether you need a premarital agreement, an initial consultation about divorce, or representation involving complex financial division issues, our firm has the experience and capacity to advise you through the process.  Below are brief descriptions of the common issues our firm handles.

Division of Assets

As part of the divorce process, you and your spouse will need to divide your assets.  Division of assets is a three-step process.  First, we determine whether the assets are separate or community property.  Second, the assets are valued.  Third, assets are allocated between you and your spouse either by agreement or by a Judge.

Our firm handles the full range of asset division issues.  For example, most cases present the basic valuation issues such as valuing the family home and retirement accounts.  We also have significant experience handling the most sophisticated and complex business issues such as dividing interests in venture capital partnerships.

Two things set our firm apart in these matters:  the first is the depth and range of our expertise in complex business issues presented in a divorce.  Second, as one of the largest family law firms in Northern California, we have the capacity to handle large cases.  We have represented both the employed and the non-employed spouse connected with private equity firms, including venture capital funds and hedge funds, real estate development companies, law firm partnerships, and privately- and publicly-held companies in a variety of industries.

 
Spousal Support and Child Support

We handle all aspects of child and spousal support.  From the outset, we determine whether support is owed, and if so, the appropriate amount.  The rules for child and spousal support are different.  Child support is based on the number of children in the relationship, the income of each parent and the amount of time the children spend with each parent.  Child support is typically set with a court formula and the court has little discretion to deviate from that formula.

In contrast, spousal support is often negotiated and the court has broad discretion to set an appropriate amount and in many cases, the duration of support.  As part of the overall case strategy, we determine what “on-going” spousal and child support is appropriate post divorce.  In complex cases, forensic accountants may be used to determine the income available for support; tax consultants may be used to develop tax-advantaged support arrangements; and trained specialists may perform vocational evaluations to determine the potential income of a spouse who is not employed or is “under-employed.”  Ultimately, the amount of spousal support owed, if any, will also depend on the assets assigned to you and your spouse in the division of assets.

 
Child Custody

We understand that for most of clients, custody of their children is their biggest concern.  We will help you develop a comfortable, child-centered arrangement tailored to your family’s specific needs.  In addition to helping most clients reach an agreed custody schedule, we also handle the spectrum of contested custody issues.  We represent mothers and fathers, stay-at-home parents and working parents, parents who wish to move away and parents who object to their spouse’s move away request.  As part of our strategy, we work in tandem with psychological experts to help you develop a custody and timeshare plan that is best for your children.

 
Premarital and Postmarital Agreements

These agreements are a specialized area of family law.  Premarital agreements are contracts that specify how you and your fiancé will treat your assets during marriage, upon divorce, or upon one spouse’s death.  If you do not have a premarital agreement, then your assets are divided pursuant to California law.  Some people prefer to decide to treat assets differently from California law.  The most common reasons people choose to have a premarital agreement include preserving assets as separate property (such as an inheritance), preserving assets for children from a prior marriage or relationship, or coordinating estate and financial planning to be sure they are consistent.  Premarital agreements should be signed at least eight weeks prior to the wedding.