Bell Canyon Divorce Lawyer
Board Certified Family Law Specialist on Your Side
Considering the fact that divorce and family law matters are some of the most sensitive and volatile legal issues that an adult will ever have to face, it's important that whenever you are facing a family law matter that you consult with a Bell Canyon divorce attorney who will protect your best interests and advise you how to proceed with these interests in mind.
At Richard Ross Associates, we handle virtually every type of family law issue that can arise. Our lead attorney, Richard Ross is a Board Certified family law specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization. California attorneys who are certified as specialists have demonstrated a high level of experience in their specialty field, have verifiable accomplishments in the courtroom, have fulfilled ongoing continuing legal education requirements, and have been favorably evaluated and peer reviewed by other lawyers and judges who are familiar with their work.
With over 40 years of legal experience and a background in psychology and interpersonal relations, attorney Richard Ian Ross has a firm grasp on family dynamics and how they are governed by California's laws. We understand how family and matrimonial proceedings can have lasting, if not life-long consequences and we therefore strive to help our clients achieve their individual goals based on reasonable expectations. No matter how simple or complex your specific situation is, we are focused on delivering outstanding legal representation and exceeding your greatest expectations for a family law firm!
Divorce and Family Law Areas of Practice
With Bell Canyon being a safe and beautiful equestrian community, divorce is one of the most common family law matters we handle. Many of our clients' cases revolve around high-asset divorces, and move-away cases. Whether you anticipate a contested divorce, or believe that you and your spouse can successfully carry out a collaborative divorce, we stand ready to inform you of your rights under California law and guide you every step of the way.
We represent clients in all aspects of family law matters including:
- Legal separations
- Divorce
- Domestic Partnerships
- Asset & Property Division
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- Spousal Support
- Modification of existing court orders
- Move-away cases
- Interstate jurisdictional issues
- Paternity
As divorce and family law attorneys, we understand the fears and concerns that our clients have over their children, their assets and their futures. Whether you are contemplating divorce or need to establish paternity or obtain child support, we can provide you with the caring, compassionate, yet aggressive legal support you need to effectively resolve your situation.
Our Bell Canyon family law attorneys can help you seek a restraining order if you or your children are a victim of domestic violence. If your divorce is complicated by significant assets, or contested child custody issues, we will ensure that you are treated fairly and justly in all matters involving property division, spousal support, child custody, and child support. If your spouse refuses to agree to a fair settlement or child custody arrangement, you will benefit dramatically by working with our highly skilled legal team that is not afraid to go to court when the occasion arises.
Contact a Bell Canyon Family Law Attorney
If you are faced with any family law matter, it's important to discuss your situation with an experienced attorney. Even if you don't anticipate any problems, speaking with a Board Certified California Family Law Specialist will ensure that your rights are protected and that you don't run into any undesired or costly surprises in the future. We provide clients with the information they need to take control of their situation and proceed forward towards their goals. We will explain the do's and don'ts of divorce, as well as your full legal options.
Contact Richard Ross Associates to find out how our legal services can help you.
Dedicated TO CLIENT CARE & SUCCESS
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I heartily recommend him to anybody in need of a well qualified, results-oriented, family law specialist.
“I would not hesitate to, again, retain the legal services of Richard Ross.”
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Our family and our dignity have been restored.
“Mr. Ross and his supportive, competent staff put their hearts into their work and literally turned our lives around.”
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The results far exceeded my expectations.
“The entire staff at Richard Ross Associates really helped me through my divorce and they were with me the whole way.”
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Extremely thorough and professional!
“Richard has helped me through a very difficult divorce and I can't say enough good things about him.”
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Polite, caring, and quick to respond.
“Richard Ross is a subject matter expert in the field of family law.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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This is very important: If you have separated from your spouse before one of you has filed for dissolution of marriage or legal separation, avoid agreeing to and placing into effect a temporary parenting plan arrangement regarding the children unless you will be able to live with this arrangement after the divorce papers have been filed. Once you begin a parenting plan that seems to be working, it becomes the "status quo." It is very difficult to convince a mediator or judge to change the status quo, especially if it is working or appears to be working and is not detrimental to the minor children.
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If you have not received a judgment dissolving your marriage before the end of the year, you may file an individual tax return under the status of "married, filing separately" or a joint tax return with your spouse. You should consult your accountant as to the advantages of these options. You may obtain special information booklets regarding tax information for divorce or separated individuals from your local IRS office or read the IRS booklet online.
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To file an action for divorce, also known as dissolution of marriage, a person must have resided in the state of California for six months and in the county where the action is filed for three months prior to filing the petition in court. This is true of either the petitioner or the respondent - either person can meet the test and allow a filing. If your spouse meets the residency requirement, you can file even if you do not meet it yourself.
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The court can and usually will order you to move out of your residence if your spouse convinces the court that you have been violent toward your spouse or threatened your spouse. You could be given ex-parte notice to be in court the next day because your spouse is seeking an order to make you move out and stay out. You can be ordered to leave immediately and not return even if your spouse is not on the property title or lease agreement! Once you are ordered to leave, it is not likely that you will be allowed to return.
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Before you get a divorce, photocopy all relevant financial documents that you can obtain and store them off-site with a trusted friend or relative. Do not store them in the trunk of your car where they can easily be found and removed by your spouse. There may be both personal and strategic reasons not to tip off your spouse that documents are being reviewed for a possible dissolution proceeding. Make copies of documents that you find in the residence and return the original documents to their original location as soon as possible so that your spouse won't notice that they are missing. It is often advisable to make the photocopies when you are sure your spouse is away for an extended time, such as during a workday. It is advisable to gather as many relevant financial documents as possible while they are still available and before they have been removed or destroyed by your spouse. This will significantly reduce the cost of divorce litigation if the documents do not have to be recovered later. It will also permit us to get a true picture of all community assets and debts as soon as possible.
