Moorpark Divorce Lawyer
Need to file for divorce? Protect your interests with our help.
At our firm, Richard Ross Associates, we take pride in our 40 years of service to the community in family law, child custody and divorce. We have exceptional qualifications to bring to the table for our clients, and our lead attorney, Mr. Richard Ross, is a California Board Certified Family Law Specialist, one of only a very small percentage of family lawyers in the state. We have a great breadth of experience and success in resolving the most difficult divorce cases without the need for litigation. We offer services for divorcing couples employing non-adversarial methods, including through collaborative law or mediation. With a background in psychology and interpersonal relations, Mr. Ross has the ability to bring even the most contentious issues under control and move them forward to resolution.
Any case that cannot resolve through alternative dispute resolution will eventually require a trial. Your Moorpark divorce lawyer must be highly experienced in family court if you hope to have an outcome with a favorable settlement. Each case must be fully reviewed as the initial step in the process. After analyzing your situation, our divorce lawyer can advise you what to expect with regard to the critical issues in your divorce, including child custody, child support, property division and spousal support. The state has issued various formulas that are employed in making decision about these matters. There are a number of factors that could influence a court's decision, and we are aware of all of the possibilities that could arise and prepare our cases with this in mind.
Reaching a Settlement in Divorce
Your settlement will likely impact your life for years into the future, both personally and financially. It could not be more important to ensure that your legal representation has the ability to present a well-documented and persuasive case, whether in negotiations with the opposing attorney or in court. Our years in practice allow us to have an exceptional level of insight into how judges make decisions. We have served as counsel in both simple divorces, to high profile, high net worth cases. We know how important your privacy is. We will attempt to get your divorce settled outside of court whenever possible.
Whether you are seeking a separation or divorce, each issue must be fully investigated and planned out before being presented to the court. There are a vast range of options available in reaching a settlement, and all community property and separate property will be evaluated. Even your separate property that you owned prior to marriage, may be an issue of contention. Cases in which funds have been comingled can make these matters more complex. Marriages of long duration have specific issues that will need to be evaluated, including matters involving the income earning capacity of each person, and the role played in the marriage by each spouse.
No matter how complicated your situation is, we know what to do. The most task is to get excellent legal representation as early as possible, hopefully before filing any paperwork. With our early involvement, each step of the process can be managed carefully with the goal of a successful final outcome that better serves you, your children and your financial health. Contact us for more information about divorce and family law in Moorpark. Our firm offers an exceptional level of professionalism and client-focused service.
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.
