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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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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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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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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Most people (even some lawyers) don’t expect the Evidence Code to apply in family law — in the same way that we see it used in Criminal or Civil Law. The fact is, that it most often does. Even when we are in front of a judge who has a more informal approach (allows evidence to be considered without meeting all of the legal criteria), general knowledge of the rules of evidence can really help you to gain a legal …
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‘We settled!’ I love hearing those words — especially when they are followed by ‘Great Result!’ These days lawyers need to get creative. We need to think ‘outside the box’ and tailor our legal services to the financial and emotional needs of our client. Savvy Family Law clients have found access to free or low cost online resources such as online case forms, chat rooms and support groups, laws and codes, and local court procedure. One of the first things …
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The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law designed to protect American Indian and Alaska Native families and tribes. ICWA was passed in 1978 in response to alarmingly high rates of Indian children being removed from homes and placed in non-Indian foster homes. With ICWA, Congress declared a strong policy of preserving the stability and security of Indian tribes by protecting Indian children from removal and, if removal is necessary, placing the child in a home that reflects …
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What is nesting? “Nesting” is a non-traditional custody arrangement where the children stay in the family home and the parents trade off living in the house with the children, much like birds taking turns in the nest. Also called “bird’s nest custody,” a nesting arrangement flips the typical custody arrangement backwards: instead of the children traveling between two houses the parents live in, the children stay put and the parents switch off between the family house and another location. Nesting …
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California’s Three Parent Law: How might it affect you? Most children have two parents, a mother and a father, two moms or two dads. But what about a child that has three (or more!) parents? What is a three parent family? A three – or more – parent family might seem wildly out there, but it’s a situation many families are facing. For example, a lesbian couple could have a child with a sperm donation from a close friend. The …
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We have all heard the horror story of the Kansas Craigslist sperm donor ordered to pay child support. If you have not, here’s a brief recap: Two lesbian women were in a committed relationship and in order to save costs, decided to advertise on Craigslist for sperm donation rather than use private sperm donation (which can be pricey). Makes sense right? — you get the benefit of meeting the donor in person and get a sense of who they really …
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