by davidpisarra on September 19, 2008
We all know the joke about why divorce is so expensive - because it’s worth it.
Living in Los Angeles, everything is expensive, and these days cash is getting tight for many people. As the cash crunch gets tighter more relationships are breaking up. When couples start fighting over money, usually the lack of it, the divorce is not far off.
It is at this critical time that you most need to have the advice and counsel of a good lawyer, one who is experienced and knows the courts, which means they are going to charge for their time. Time is how an attorney charges for their knowledge.
In California clients can hire family law attorneys and give them what is called the Family Law Attorneys Real Property Lien. This is a way for you to access your home’s equity, without having to put out too much of your cash today. Frequently lawyers will take a case with a smaller retainer, if they have the protection of the Family Law Attorneys Real Property Lien.
Think of it like a home equity line for your defense. It’s a way for you to get the representation you need today, to make sure you have something left tomorrow. The way it works is you and your attorney agree that they will be paid out of your half of the community property equity in the home, if you don’t pay your bill otherwise.
[click to continue...]
by davidpisarra on September 18, 2008
Sometimes when a spouse wanders and cheats, they bring home more than a smile, and when that happens, it’s a dead giveaway that they’ve been cheating. Finding out your spouse is a tramp is bad enough, but when you get a sexually transmitted disease ( an STD) to boot, it really makes you angry. One woman decided to sue her ex for $25,000,000 yes, 25 MILLION DOLLARS! Most cases are not that juicy, but if you want to read up on it, check out this article I’m quoted in at DIVORCE360.COM.
by davidpisarra on August 3, 2008
NEVER PAY OFF THE DEBT BEFORE THE DIVORCE!!!
When it comes to strategy most men are really good at figuring out when to hold a poker hand, or call a Hail Mary in football. We spend hours talking about what works, what doesn’t and why. Men can spend all afternoon on a boat, with a six pack, talking about how to beat the casinos in Vegas, but when it comes to planning a divorce they clam up and what little instincts we have are usually wrong. A man will tend to do what he thinks is the “right thing” to do, and frequently it is the wrong thing to do, when you are going through a divorce.
A common occurrence among the men who come to our office is that, they have just recently paid off all the debt. Sometimes they have refinanced their home and used an equity line on their home to get a lower interest rate on their credit card debt, and paid off their soon to be ex-wife’s credit cards.
These are good things to do, if you are planning on staying married, but they are huge mistakes when it comes to the strategy of planning for a divorce. [click to continue...]
by davidpisarra on August 1, 2008
I was quoted in another Divorce360.com article, “8 Budgeting Tips during Divorce”:
Critical records like your will, birth certificate, passport, 401(k) statements and tax returns, should be stored in a safe and easily accessible spot, such as a safe. Keeping things neat and clean is crucial for divorcing couples. “Make copies of everything related to financial issues,” said Santa Monica-based family law attorney David Pisarra. “When couples split up, bills are no longer jointly paid so if you are contemplating a divorce it’s critical to acknowledge the financial components that come along with it.”
In my Family Law Handbook, which you can download as a free PDF at www.mensfamilylaw.com, I explain further what to prepare for, and how get ready for a pending divorce. The short version is 1) Stockpile cash in a safe place, 2) Take the Documents you’ll need - it’s always easier to give the other side copies, than try to get them to give you copies.
Simple Divorces
