925-314-2320
You may not have experience with courtroom decorum. Fear not. The following is a list of tips to help you avoid common faux pas. Remember that the courtroom is a formal environment:
Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast. (more…)
Jacob A. vs. C.H.:
It is not proper for a court to determine a custodial move-away request based on an assumption that denial would stop a custodial parent from moving. (more…)
Celebrity wrestling legend, Hulk Hogan divorced his wife of 25 years, Linda Hogan, in 2008. Linda recently released an autobiography, Wrestling the Hulk: My Life Against the Ropes. In her book, Linda alleges that Hulk had a violent temper and was physically abusive. She claims, “[Hulk] tore my shirt. He threw lamps. He held me down on the bed with his hands around my throat during arguments, slamming doors, pounding walls” and “I was always afraid he would kill me in one of his rages.”
Russell Armstrong, husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Taylor Armstrong, took his own life on August 15, 2011. Russell committed suicide about one month after Taylor filed for divorce.
Following Russell’s death, attorneys for Taylor and Russell’s family members engaged in a public battle over his burial arrangements. It has been reported that Taylor sought to bury Russell in a Los Angeles Cemetery while the family wanted him buried in Texas. The parties have agreed that Russell’s body will be cremated and the remains will be divided. Taylor will host a funeral in Los Angeles and his family will host a funeral in Texas. (more…)
Community Property Background
In California, community property law governs the division of property upon divorce. All property acquired during marriage and before legal separation is presumptively community property. All property acquired before marriage is presumptively separate property. All property acquired by gift, bequest, or devise is also considered separate property. Finally, property titled in the name of only one spouse is presumptively separate property.
Upon divorce, a court will award each spouse his or her own separate property. Each spouse will be awarded one half of the community property. In order to distribute property in accordance with community property principles, a court must determine its character and value. Courts trace back the source used to acquire particular assets when determining its character. (more…)
By all appearances, Kristine Cushing was a loving mother. She took her daughters, ages 4 and 8, to music, soccer, and dance while her fighter pilot husband, John Cushing, was overseas on assignment. Appearances can be deceiving. In 1991, Kristine Cushing murdered the girls with a .38 caliber handgun while they slept in their Orange County home.
At trial, Kristine argued that the murders occurred as a result of a bad reaction to Prozac, a debilitating heart condition, and the pending dissolution of her marriage to John. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity. She was sent to a mental institution in California for a decade. (more…)