Child Custody

Social Media & Divorce

By: Stan Sarkisov “The past decade has also seen the advent and ascendency of social media, with websites such as Facebook and Twitter occupying a central place in the lives of so many people.” – NY Supreme Court, ruling that spouses can be served divorce papers via Facebook (Baidoo v. Blood-Dzraku) Your ‘friends’ and ‘followers’ aren’t the only ones paying attention to your social media—so are judges, attorneys, and well, likely your ex and his or her community.   During the …
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LFLG Recognized by Super Lawyers for the 6th Year in a Row

Levine Family Law Group is pleased to share that two of our attorneys have been selected for recognition by Super Lawyers* of California. Erin Levine and Ashley Schuh have been selected as a Super Lawyers, 2018! An update on our story: This has been a fabulous year for the Levine Team! We continue to provide unique legal solutions for modern families in the San Francisco Bay Area. We’ve decided to use this post as an opportunity to share some of …
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Divorcing in a Second Language

By:  Monica Espinosa Going through divorce is challenging enough, but when English is not your first language the legal jargon, paperwork and process can be even more intimidating – and put you at a real disadvantage. There are linguistic and cultural nuances sometimes lost in translation that can make the difference between winning and losing on an issue. And though many court forms have instructions in other languages, responses and any declarations that the court will read must be in …
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It’s Over: The Checklist You Need For Your New Beginning

It’s over. Officially. But, now what? As a divorce lawyer for the last 12+ years, I can tell you that – as crazy as it sounds – sometimes one of the most difficult parts of divorce is the end. After enduring so many months of negotiation, paperwork, deadlines, heartache and perhaps even frustration or anger; when the divorce judgment is finally granted, it can feel all at once like an incredible burden lifted – but also like a thick cloud …
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10 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Family Law Declaration

A declaration is a written statement made under the penalty of perjury. If you are filing a “Request for Order” (or responding to a “Request for Order”) asking that the Judge enter orders providing you some type of temporary “relief”, you will need to attach a declaration explaining the basis for your request and the facts that support it. Examples of Request for Orders (RFOs) include (but are not limited to) requests for: An enforceable parenting plan Modification of an …
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15 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting the Divorce Forms

Through LFLG and Hello Divorce, we have a significant amount of clients who are self represented — using our resources to navigate the process but checking in with us when they need some guidance along the way. This week as I was overseeing the process of closing case files, I was reminded of some of our most influential clients and the outside the box path they chose to cooperatively ‘unhitch.’ When clients first come to us for legal coaching they …
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12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Divorce (Legal) Coach

What is a Legal Coach? Depending on the complexity of your case and your financial circumstances, a legal coach may be a great way to obtain assistance with your Divorce or Domestic Partnership Dissolution. Legal coaches or consulting attorney’s (similar to LC’s but usually limited to advice, strategy and assistance with drafting documents vs. a LC who may also guide you through the process of represented yourself). can be a really great way to get you through your legal action without …
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Hello Divorce Launches, Bringing Divorce Online and On-Demand

You asked, We listened: DIY Divorce — With a little (flat fee) legal help along the way. Over the last several years, our family law practice has evolved, grown, transitioned and modernized. In so doing, we have been lucky enough to work with a unique clientele – The savvy, smart, curious client who is most interested in taking an active role in their matter to attain the best result possible — a strategic path primarily influenced by a cost/benefit analysis …
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10 Important Laws you Need to Know (if you’re getting a divorce)

We’ve compiled some of the most important statutes and laws that pertain to California Divorce. While there are many more that may be at issue in your separation, we thought this would be a great primer. We will definitely follow up with a ‘Part 2’ of this article soon! 1.    Spousal Support (Family Code Section 4320): While pre judgment spousal support is generally calculated using a formula, long term spousal support is determined by review of various factors. Some of the …
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Apps and Websites to Make Co-parenting (a little) Easier

Our Family Wizard:  Our Family Wizard is a wonderful way to simplify shared custody. As an added bonus, it’s a great way to gather evidence if your ex refuses to cooperatively co parent and you need to request orders from the court granting you more custodial time, sole legal custody on one or more issue pertaining to your children (e.g. school choice or medical/mental health needs) and/or requiring your ex to ‘play ‘fair.’ OFW is a web platform and app …
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