Westlake Village California Family Law Blog

The realization that your marriage is over is not always easy to accept. It likely came to you after much soul searching and efforts to make it work. On the other hand, perhaps it was not your choice but the decision of your spouse, and you are now left to figure out how to move forward without losing your peace of mind.

You may have an image of divorce similar to what you have seen in movies or experienced through people you know. A contentious courtroom battle where both sides fight to destroy each other does not have to be your fate too. Despite the high emotion a divorce can bring, you can take steps to keep the process peaceful and civil.

When two California parents are faced with issues to resolve regarding financial provisions for their children, either in divorce or even if they have never been married, they may wonder if it is possible to make an agreement without going to court. While the answer depends on various issues, it is true that many parents accomplish their goals without litigation. There are typically several ways to do this.

Mediation and collaborative law are two alternative dispute resolution methods that allow parents to settle child support issues out of court. Both methods are meant to be nonconfrontational. They are also usually less expensive than litigation.

A judge in another state is currently overseeing a contentious case between an actress/socialite and her former husband, an elevator construction company executive. The former couple has a child together, and up until now, the child has been in the mother's custody. Recent developments in the case prompted the judge to remove the child from Julianne Reeves's custody and also to refuse to consider her recent request for increased child support. There may be California readers in similar situations who will want to follow this case.

An attorney speaking on behalf of Reeves's ex told the court that Reeves has not been honest regarding her supposed dire financial situation. The attorney stated that the child's mother has repeatedly said she can't make ends meet or provide for child's needs under the current terms of the agreement in her case regarding child support and alimony. However, there is reportedly evidence that she has spent exorbitant amounts of money on elective plastic surgery.

Mediation and collaboration are types of alternative dispute resolution that many couples turn to in the hopes of reaching a divorce settlement more peaceably than through traditional litigation. Instead of taking sides and fighting to get what they want, divorcing spouses work together to reach an agreement that is beneficial to both of them. This includes discussion on major issues like property division, child custody and support matters.

If you and your spouse have opted to try alternative dispute resolution for your divorce, you will want to learn as much as possible about the procedure and the laws in California so you will know your rights and how to protect them. It is also important that you have no misconceptions about ADR. No matter how peaceful the process, your relationship with your spouse is still the same.