Levine Family Law Group | Divorce Attorneys | Oakland • Emeryville • Berkeley
Bay Area Divorce & Family Law
One thing we know about divorce and its impact on children is that kids CAN and often do thrive after their parents separate when they are shielded from ongoing long-term conflict between their parents. It doesn’t mean you have to be best friends with your spouse (although if you are – we’re here for that). What it means is that by modeling a healthy relationship with yourself and a breakup that isn’t an all out war, you’re teaching your kids …
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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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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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Please note: The information on this post is accurate as of TIME on March 20, 2020. We will try to keep this post as updated as possible as events continue to unfold. But remember, if you have legal questions, it’s always best to get specific legal advice from a lawyer. LFLG is currently offering steeply discounted 30-minute legal consultations at a $99 flat rate, until April 1. Contact us here. California’s statewide shelter in place directive has left many parents …
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Dear Clients, Potential Clients, Former Clients, Colleagues, Supporters and Friends – The health and well-being of our team, our clients, and our community is of great importance to us. We have decided to (primarily) work remotely for the next several weeks. Business operations will continue as normal. Phones will be answered, texts and emails responded to, mail handled and cases will continue to be advanced every bit the same way as if we were all in the office. …
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One of the key issues that arises in a divorce proceeding is spousal support, aka alimony. Spousal support comes in two varieties, temporary spousal support and long-term spousal support. Spousal support is something that has to be requested by one of the parties. If neither party requests it, jurisdiction will be reserved on the issue unless the parties agree to terminate it in the judgment paperwork. By reserved, we mean that court will continue to have the ‘ability’ to award …
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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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We receive this question a lot: “Do I need a lawyer if I’m mediating my divorce?” The short answer is: YES. You need a lawyer to help you understand your legal exposure – i.e. your best and worst case scenarios for property, debt, reimbursements, child custody, financial support etc. BUT, depending on the complexity of your case, sometimes only 1-3 hours with a seasoned attorney is all you need. Other people choose to “retain” a lawyer to either (a) join …
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It’s not a misspelling. It’s actually a meaningful acronym: Family Advocacy is Your Responsibility, or Fayr, a new(ish) co-parenting app that has quickly become my favorite to recommend – and it will be yours soon, too, if you’re looking for a thoughtfully designed co-parenting tool. Michael Daniels created Fayr to manage his own co-parenting relationship. After he and his wife divorced, he found himself spending more time tracking paperwork, daily logs and receipts – that he was later accused of “making …
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