Westlake Village California Family Law Blog

Another former celebrity couple has finalized a California divorce settlement. Anyone currently preparing to navigate a similar process may want to review the case because it contains some interesting details. In addition to physical and legal custody of their children, as well as child support, the former Mr. and Mrs. Beador have also incorporated other issues into their co-parenting plan, such as how they may or may not speak about each other in front of their kids.

It is a fact that many co-parents run into problems after divorce when one parent constantly makes disparaging remarks about the other within the children's earshot. Not only does this type of behavior often impede children's ability to cope with divorce, it can lead to serious legal problems if the parent being maligned suspects his or her ex of parental alienation. To avoid such problems, Shannon Beador and her ex agreed in writing to never speak negatively about each other in front of their children.

Most California parents would feel frustrated or angry if someone were to try to take advantage of them financially. This sometimes happens in divorce, such as when a spouse tries to hide assets or to gain an upper hand in child support proceedings. These issues often plague celebrities in their personal lives, as well. In fact, singer/actress Jennifer Hudson recently spoke about why she is unhappy regarding certain legal issues.

Hudson is currently entangled in a contentious child support dispute with the father of her child. She was never married to the man, and she says it is highly unfair that he can use a portion of the financial supplement she provides for her child to make housing payments. Hudson says the system is flawed because it enables custodial parents to take advantage of non-custodial parents with higher incomes, especially those who are celebrities.

Navigating the divorce process can understandably be challenging for you and your future ex-spouse. However, it can also take an emotional toll on the minor children you share with your spouse.

The good news is that many child custody cases in California do not need to end up in court. Many divorcing parents instead manage to create a mutually satisfactory parenting agreement through informal negotiations, collaborative divorce or divorce mediation. Likewise, you and your spouse can create your own parenting agreement outside of court, thus avoiding unnecessary court intrusion.

A woman in California whose daughter is now grown recently stated that she hopes her story gives others confidence to pursue legal claims if their former spouses fail to adhere to court orders in divorce. She and her husband divorced in 1969 and one year later, a judge ordered him to pay child support. The only problem is that his payments were nearly 50 years overdue until his former wife recently brought her ex back to court.

The woman says when the order was first issued, her ex was supposed to pay $210 for a couple of years, then $160 per month after that, until their daughter reached age 18. The first check reportedly was no good and sometime after that, the man moved out of the country and started a family with someone else. The woman said she recently realized that there is no statute of limitations on child support in this state.