San Diego Family Law Blog
Guide to Visitation Arrangements
Though the San Diego family court tries to split custody between divorcing parents as equally as it can, sometimes, one parent will get primary physical custody. That means the non-custodial parent will receive one of these four types of visitation arrangements. If you have questions about your custody arrangement, please contact Mattis Law, A.P.C., at (858) 328-4400.read more
Start Your Custody Planning Well Before the Holidays
It’s only August, but trust us—if you share a child with an ex, the time to begin planning the holiday custody schedule is now. Mattis Law, A.P.C. has seen many families undergo extra stress around what should be the most joyful time of the year. To that end, we want to remind you which holidays are coming and give you some tips for making a strong visitation schedule that will hold up if challenged in San Diego Family Court!read more
Your Legal Responsibility to Pay Spousal Support
In California, if you have been court-ordered to pay spousal support, you must continue paying in full until you receive a change order signed by a judge. This is true regardless of changes in your financial situation or any verbal agreements you have made with your former spouse or partner.read more
How California Determines Child Custody
Your relationship is at an end. So who will get the final say in decisions made about your children? How will the judge decide who your children live with, and spend their time with? Mattis Law, A.P.C., has compiled helpful information about your children’s rights, as well as your parental rights, when it comes to determining custody in San Diego. read more
We Found Something You Posted
A relatively new question attorneys ask their clients that has become a significant factor in many family court cases: “How active are you on social media?” Depending on the answer they receive, they’ll likely respond in one of two ways: “I advise you to continue to avoid it, or stay off social media completely.” Or, “That’s going to have to change.”read more
Not-So-Thinly Veiled Threats
Those of us in the legal profession know all too well that domestic violence is not to be taken lightly. During the process of a divorce, the mental anguish and emotional torment can ratchet up feelings of anger and resentment that can sometimes boil over into violence.read more
Staying Close When You’re Far Away
Modern life has changed dramatically in just the last ten years or so. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a time without smartphones, Wi-Fi, Google Maps, and movies and television on demand. read more
The Key to a Stress-Free Holiday? Maybe
Despite our best intentions, the holiday season seems to catch most folks by surprise. Many of us negotiate with ourselves each year and say things like, “This year I’m not making it a big deal,” and “Just gifts for the kids,” which turns into “Just gifts for the little kids.” All of this ultimately leads to the frantic final days where our best-laid plans get thrown out the window. Mad dashes to grocery stores and packed malls ensue.read more
Your Children Are Coming With Us
The following fictional scenario is a real one that many San Diego families face. If you find yourself in a similar situation, please don’t wait – call a child custody lawyer immediately.
In February of 2015, Cassie noticed that her daughter, 13-month-old Hannah, was not putting any weight on her left leg. read more
Here’s the Story of a Lovely Lady…
We are all familiar with The Brady Bunch, the beloved television show from the ‘60s. The story is delightfully set up in the opening by its catchy theme song—you might be humming it in your head right now. The complicated family dynamic of a father of three boys one day meeting the mother of three girls, hitting it off, and ultimately becoming one big happy family may have been a lot to take for 1960’s John Q. Citizen, but today, remarriage and blended families are common.
Unfortunately, that tends to complicate things if the partners go their separate ways.read more