Levine Family Law Group | Divorce Attorneys | Oakland • Emeryville • Berkeley
Bay Area Divorce & Family Law
If January is the month that you’ve decided to start your divorce, you aren’t alone. January is usually dubbed the “divorce month” since so many people end the year with clarity about whether or not they want to stay in a relationship. If you and/or your spouse have decided to divorce in 2021, review this post to avoid making critical mistakes. These are some examples of the different considerations we think through as we help you navigate divorce. 1. Ignoring …
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When Coronavirus first triggered ‘shelter in place” orders, most courthouses closed. Like full on shut down. It was like the Wild West out there for anyone trying to seek justice. Within a few days to weeks, we began to see online courts emerge. As we struggle to get Covid-19 under control, many courts are still requiring or, at the very least, allowing, litigants to appear in court via video conference. Getting divorced over a video feed can feel ‘anticlimactic’ for …
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For years, we have made access to justice a core value. In 2019, Monica Espinosa, Esq. played a significant role in a pro bono case that ultimately saw a man wrongfully imprisoned for decades be released to his family. In 2018, the Levine Team received congressional recognition for our pro bono volunteer work with the Alameda County Superior Court. And, in 2017, we launched Hello Divorce, an affordable, online platform for consumers navigating divorce. And yet, prior to George Floyd’s death, …
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Coronavirus is on all of our minds. We’re following CDC guidance; we’re washing our hands, we’re sanitizing the surfaces we touch, stocking up on disinfectant, and hoarding toilet paper. (Why toilet paper? Why??) What you might not be thinking about (yet) is how coronavirus could impact your divorce process. Which is why I’m here with this Q&A about how to prepare yourself if and when the time comes that coronavirus does start to impact your divorce: I’m quarantined due to …
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Did last year fly by or what? 2019 was awesome but we are super excited to get working in 2020 and…. get our kids back to school ;-). Seriously though, this year was one of the first that we took some REAL time off over the holidays and we feel rested, inspired, recharged and ready to hit the ground running. 2019 was one of our favorite years in that it was action packed from day 1 and we really got …
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Disclaimer: Property ownership is a big deal! If you have questions related to a home or rental property, definitely contact a lawyer. But start by reading this post to get a sense for how the law works. Well the long answer is “maybe” (followed by explanation below). The short answer is, probably “yes!” Why can’t lawyers just say “yes” or “no?” Why does everything have to be so complicated? Well, partially because the law is not just made up of …
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Nothing causes anxiety like a divorce that’s “stuck.” The solution? Declutter your divorce and get it back on track. Now’s a great time to finalize your divorce. Or, at least head in that direction. By getting your divorce on track before summer, you can make any “big” lifestyle changes while your kids are out for the break and you have long sunshine-y days. So why should you “declutter” your divorce and get it on track? Because one thing that causes …
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10 years ago, Erin Levine and Shelley VanRenselaar left their comfortable jobs at a bustling law office in Fairfield, CA to venture out into the unknown. Armed with her signature pink briefcase and the best paralegal in town, Erin set out to build Levine Family Law Group – a full-service boutique firm in Emeryville, CA. 10 years later, LFLG has solidified its place as a leading divorce and family law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. So what is …
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If you’ve been weighing divorce and have decided that 2019 is the year you move to your next chapter, there are a few new laws you should know about before you file. Changes to Spousal Support When sweeping federal tax reform became law in late 2017, it included a big change to the way spousal support would be considered, beginning January 1, 2019. In the past, the spouse providing support would get a tax deduction for the payments, and …
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I have been a practicing family law attorney for over a decade at Levine Family Law Group and now Hello Divorce. A couple weeks ago a client came in for a second opinion. He had hired a lawyer 6 weeks ago and wasn’t even sure if he had filed a petition to divorce, and couldn’t get a straight answer from anyone in his attorney’s office about the status of her case. Honestly, nothing frustrates me more than lawyers who don’t …
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