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(415) 872-1080 Contacting a divorce lawyer in Laguna Beach is probably a call you’d hoped you’d never have to make, but sometimes we encounter a fork in the road and life takes us down different pathways. The divorce attorneys at Moradi Saslaw understand the combination of high emotions and high stakes involved in many divorces in Laguna Beach. This life-changing move requires a strategic plan and a well-executed process to protect your best interests and advance toward the outcomes you seek in all aspects of your divorce.
If you’ve decided divorce is inevitable and you’re ready to file a petition, or you’ve been served a petition for divorce from your spouse, it’s time to call the experienced Laguna Beach divorce attorneys at Moradi Saslaw Family Law Attorneys.
The legal team at Moradi Saslaw has a strong reputation and track record of success in Laguna Beach divorces, including a list of satisfied clients from all walks of life. Whether you and your spouse have few assets to divide and you’re hoping for a low-stress collaborative divorce, or your portfolio includes many complex assets and properties to untangle, the divorce attorneys at Moradi Saslaw can help. With Moradi Saslaw, you’ll enjoy the following advantages in your Laguna Beach divorce:
The Laguna Beach divorce lawyers at Moradi Saslaw are well-versed in all aspects of California divorce law. We’ll take a resolution-based approach to minimize contention whenever possible but are also ready to defend your rights and best interests all the way to court litigation when necessary.
California requires a six-month waiting period between filing for divorce and the final hearing date. Even an uncontested divorce in which both parties agree to all terms requires at least six months from the initial filing date. The overall amount of time a Laguna Beach divorce takes depends on many factors, including the number of disputes that arise over divorce terms, whether or not a couple’s assets are complex and diverse, and whether they agree on a shared parenting schedule or are battling over child custody.
At Moradi Saslaw, we always take a resolution-oriented approach and work with divorcing spouses and professional mediators to attempt a smooth, streamlined process whenever possible, but always with our client’s best interests as our primary goal.
California’s divorce law compels divorcing spouses to make full financial disclosures to equally divide their “community assets,” or those assets belonging to the marital community of two that’s formed in the marriage contract. As with all contracts, breaking the marital contract comes with legal consequences—in this case, the division and equal distribution of marital assets. Each spouse may retain their separate assets but all real property, accounts, assets, and debts accumulated during the marriage are subject to division.
Separate assets include all real estate property, financial investment, valuables, and personal items belonging to one spouse before the marriage, any asset inherited by them during the marriage, and any asset gifted only to them during the marriage. Determining separate assets can become complicated by the intentional and unintentional commingling that commonly occurs during marriage. Some assets that one spouse believes belong only to them have become commingled with a spouse, giving them a legitimate claim to a portion. Assets become commingled when one spouse grants the other spouse access to an account or when one spouse invests time and/or money into another spouse’s property or makes improvements in a property to increase its value.
Any assets, real estate properties, and debts a couple accumulates during the marriage belong to the marital community and are subject to division regardless of whose name is on the account. Common community assets in Laguna Beach include bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement savings, real estate properties, cars, antiques, artwork, valuables, and household items. Spouses with high assets or diverse holdings may have many accounts, businesses, luxury vehicles, boats, RVs, and vacation homes subject to equal distribution.
Dividing marital assets in a California divorce requires an experienced attorney with access to resources like financial experts and tax specialists as well as strong negotiators to work toward a settlement that protects a client’s best interests.
California is a no-fault state for divorce. This means the spouses need only claim irreconcilable differences. The best-case scenario for a divorce is one in which both spouses can come to terms on all aspects of their divorce, including the division of their assets and child custody, and with the help of their attorneys, craft their divorce settlement agreement without requiring a contentious trial. Some Laguna Beach divorces are collaborative divorces in which both spouses agree to work out any disputes through their attorneys and a mediator without a courtroom. However, if there are disputed terms in a divorce and the disputes are not resolved with mediation it becomes a contested divorce requiring court litigation.
California family courts make all decisions in the best interests of children and begin with the presumption that continued close contact with both parents is in a child’s best interests. However, this is a rebuttable presumption, meaning your lawyer from Moradi Saslaw is ready to hear about your unique family situation and can present your case to the court to show that your goals for your family are in your child’s best interests.
Divorce is never easy but with experienced guidance and the best legal counsel, Moradi Sasaw Family Law Attorneys will steer you through each stage of the process and all legal proceedings with diligent attention to detail, meticulous paperwork, and as streamlined a process as possible. Each divorce is as unique as each marriage. Call (949) 688-8880 or contact the Laguna Beach divorce attorneys today so we can hear about the unique circumstances of your case and begin protecting your interests.
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