Camarillo Divorce Lawyer
Exceptional Qualifications for Divorce and Family Law
Over our 40 years in practice, our Camarillo divorce attorney has gained great insight into all of the legal matters surrounding divorce, including child custody, child support, property division and spousal support, and how to manage a case and move forward and achieve a reasonable resolution to all of these very important matters. The firm's founder, attorney Richard Ian Ross, is one of the few divorce lawyers in the area that is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. This credential indicates a higher level of education and training than the norm. You are best served by contacting an expert in family law if you are facing a legal matter of great importance, whether divorce or other family law matter.
Options for Seeking a Settlement
There are a number of options in arranging a divorce settlement. Coming to a resolution could require negotiations with the opposing attorney and hammering out an agreement, or may involve the collaborative law process. In collaborative divorce, the parties agree to work together, each represented by an attorney to advise on the legal issues, and an agreement is forged without the need for litigation. This is a newer approach to divorce that has proven to be extremely valuable, even in the most contentious situations.
As emotions can run high, and communication with your spouse could be difficult at best, it can require great skill to get these issues under control and on track to resolution. Our Camarillo divorce lawyer has a great deal of experience in the collaborative processes, as well as in mediations and negotiations. Should these processes not be successful, and the two parties cannot come to terms, the case must move forward to a trial. Litigation in family court is quite different than one may expect.
The court wants only facts, and innuendo or unsupported accusations are not acceptable. If there is any form of domestic violence, this will be an important matter and must be supported by evidence, whether police reports, medical records, testimony from family, neighbors or others. We have extensive experience in case preparation and access to some of the most respected expert witnesses in the field. Our cases are carefully prepared and presented with a high level of professional skill when litigation is the only option.
Expert Representation for All Family Law Issues
There are a range of legal matters that fall under family law, including establishing paternity, either to gain access to a child, or to gain child support for a child that was born outside of marriage. Various legal issues can arise in domestic partnerships, or there is a need to modify an existing court order for child support or spousal support, or in a move-away. Our firm can provide representation in all family law matters. Our professional credentials and experience are our best recommendation.
There is literally no substitute for experience in family court. We know how to prepare and present a case in the manner that the court appreciates. This can make the difference in the outcome of any family law legal matter, including a contested divorce. Before you make a decision about your attorney, meet with us and discuss your case. Our firm is responsive, compassionate and highly skilled in all aspects of family law and is prepared to evaluate your situation and advise you of the best course of action, the expected time to reach a resolution, and answer your questions and concerns.
Contact our Camarillo divorce lawyer at once for an initial consultation about divorce or other family law matter.
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.
