San Diego Family Law Blog
Mattis Law 2023 Making Waves Scholarship
Updated on 06/20/23
Living in California is really wonderful. The weather is amazing, the mix of cultures makes every place feel unique and interesting, are there are countless restaurants and fun things to do. At Mattis Law, we’re grateful for everything we’ve achieved, and we feel fortunate to be able to give back to the local community. That’s why we’re pleased to announce the dates for our 2023 Making Waves Scholarship.
Our $500 Making Waves scholarship is open to 2023 California high school graduates pursuing a four-year college degree and current college students who graduated from a California high school and are pursuing a four-year degree or are currently enrolled in a two-year college and planning to transfer to a four-year college degree program upon completion.
How to Fight a Child Protective Services Decision
Child Protective Services (CPS) is under the California Department of Social Services. It is the state’s intervention system to stop child abuse and neglect. The goal of CPS is to ensure that children are safe in their homes and to find new solutions for children who are unsafe. CPS is required to act on any report it receives of suspected child abuse or neglect. It will investigate, intervene as needed, and provide whatever services the child needs to be safe.read more
How Piqui’s Law Affects Custody Hearings
California SB 616 is known as Piqui’s Law. It was passed unanimously by the State Assembly in August 2022. This bill is designed to protect innocent children from domestic violence and child abuse during custody disputes. It was named in honor of a five-year-old boy named Piqui who was murdered by his father in Los Angeles during a custody dispute in 2017. Piqui’s mother, Ana Estevez, reportedly fought hard in family court to protect her child from her abusive ex-husband, but the court refused to stop visitation.read more
The Impact of School Changes on Child Visitation Schedules
School schedules can change for a variety of reasons. If you have a visitation agreement with a co-parent in place, you may need to make changes to the agreement to accommodate changes in your child’s school schedule and extracurricular activities. Co-parents should agree on changes to parenting time (visitation) arrangements. Our San Diego family law attorney can help you create a flexible parenting time agreement that will work for you, your co-parent, and your child.read more
What Visitation Agreements Mean to Your Kids
In California, visitation is called parenting time. In a divorce or child custody matter, a document called a parenting plan contains orders regarding legal and physical custody of children, as well as parenting time. Although the parties can reach an agreement out of court, parenting plans must be in the best interests of the child. As part of the plan, it is important for the child’s well-being to have a visitation agreement in place.read more
Custody Disputes That Cross State Borders
As a caring and concerned parent, you will want to keep your child nearby even after separating from your ex-spouse. Trying to keep your child nearby can be a huge challenge, especially if you are no longer in a relationship with your co-parent. You will likely have conflicting interests with them as they also want to keep the child nearby. When you live in different homes, and your lives diverge, determining child custody can be complicated and overwhelming.read more
What If One of a Child’s Separated Parents Passes Away?
Divorce and everything associated with it can significantly affect your child’s mental well-being. Sharing custody with your ex-spouse often makes things better for your children as they will grow up with the love and care of both parents. However, if your ex-spouse passes away, you may wonder how custody is affected.read more
Child Custody for Christmas and the Holidays
Christmas, Kwanza, and Hanukkah are all significant holidays centered around family time, so it is understandable why separated parents would want their children with them during these times. However, the holiday season can be difficult and emotionally charged for divorced parents and their children. The holidays are often when families come together to celebrate, but for divorced families, this can be a time of conflict and stress.read more
The Common Catalysts of Custody Modifications
Child custody modifications alter the current custody arrangement to better fit new circumstances or changes in the relationship. There are many reasons why a custody modification may be necessary. For example, perhaps the custodial parent has remarried, and the new spouse is not providing a good environment for the children. Maybe the custodial parent has developed a drug or alcohol problem and can no longer care for the children. Or, the custodial parent may have relocated, and the children are having difficulty adjusting to the new school and community.read more
What Parental Rights Do Sex Offenders Have?
Child custody is complicated under any circumstances, and even more so when a parent is a registered sex offender. A sex offense conviction can have a significant affect on parental rights. If a parent is a registered sex offender or convicted of a sexual act against a minor, the court could deny both custody and visitation, while still requiring that parent to pay child support.read more