Family law is often complicated; unlike other areas of practice where there are firm rules for everything, there’s simply no way to make a specific law for every conceivable situation that a family or separating family faces. Therefore, a lot is left up to the skill of your attorney, the ideas of the judge, and your overall situation.

Family law is defined as an area that handles legal issues specific to family, and is primarily made up of divorce and support (both child and spousal) issues. In addition to this, family law also covers:

• Custody
• Adoption
• Paternity
• Termination of parental rights
• Issues involving children

One of the most commonly contested issues that Attorney Armen Sefyan deals with is spousal support, both during the separation and after the divorce or separation decree is finalized. When determining the amount and duration of support, California judges typically consider the following:

• Length of the relationship
• Amount necessary to maintain the standard of living experienced during the relationship
• Age and health of both parties
• Joint and separate debts and property
• Past history in the relationship, specifically pertaining to whether one spouse provided significant support that allowed the other to reach his or her current earning potential
• Support provided by one or both parties during schooling or training
• Domestic violence
• When one party’s career was affected negatively by the others or by taking care of children

The judge will often look at the marketable skills of both parties in determining a support structure, as well as how long it will take the lesser-earning spouse to engage in enough schooling or training to increase his or her marketable skills and job options. In California, the primary reason spousal support is granted is to provide the lesser-earning spouse with a cushion until he or she can be fully self-sufficient.

Attorney Armen Sefyan specializes in all facets of divorce, including contested, uncontested, mediations, and collaborative divorces.

A contested divorce is common, and occurs when both parties cannot agree on custody, division of assets, allocation of debts, or spousal support. Conversely, when parties agree on all of these issues, whether with the use of an attorney or not, it is known as an uncontested divorce.

Mediation is popular in instances where the divorce is uncontested, and provides a means of alternative separation of assets and determination of support. The mediator provides guidance that works with both parties’ best interests to come to an agreement on assets. Lastly, a collaborative divorce involves the attorneys of both parties working together for both individuals to come up with the best divorce options for everyone, rather than approaching the issue as a battle.

If you’re facing divorce, Attorney Armen Sefyan can help to ensure that you find a resolution that works for you and your family, so you don’t have to deal with this life-altering event on your own.