The Law Offices of Korol & Velen are devoted exclusively to Family Law. We specialize in handling all aspects of family law in all Los Angeles County Courts, including Divorce, Modifications, Child Support, Child Custody and Visitation, Move-Away cases, Spousal Support, Paternity, Division of Property, Pre-nuptial or Post-nuptial Agreements, Defense in Child Support and Domestic Violence.

We started our firm over 12 years ago because we approach family law issues with attention to detail, hard work and compassion. Small firms like ours are better able to afford their clients the personalized attention they need and deserve. At our firm your case will not be passed off to paralegals or outside contract or “temporary” attorneys. We make a point of handling every case we take ourselves. If you trust us with your future, honesty and integrity require that we handle the case personally. Personal representation by a lawyer, we feel, will get you the best possible results. We guarantee that if you come to us for help, an attorney will handle your case, start to finish.

Our success is founded on compassion, hard work and integrity. We provide clients with straightforward, compassionate and experienced representation, and this is why our firm continues to thrive. When you come to us with your family law issues, you can be confident that you are coming to lawyers that have built a reputation for success based on the combination of aggressive representation and a working knowledge of the California Court system. We have helped thousands of clients work their way through divorce. The best measure of our success is the continuous stream of referrals we receive from former clients who were pleased enough with our representation to recommend our services to friends or relatives.

Our Los Angeles attorneys have helped thousands of individuals in your situation deal with their divorces, child support payments and related issues. We can help you get on with your lives. We offer compassionate, aggressive, competent and experienced representation. We will be there for you throughout the divorce process. We will educate you on the law, and this often has a reassuring effect. Approaching your legal issues with a reassured and rational state of mind often increases the chances of a better result.

Listed below is some general legal information regarding divorce. Read it at your leisure, but if you are considering a divorce, call our office immediately for a free consultation. Representing yourself before the court in a divorce action too often results in strategic and procedural mistakes that take time and considerable expense to correct, and are often not correctable.

Divorce Defined

A divorce is defined as the “dissolution” (or breakdown) of a marriage. California implements a “No-Fault” system of divorce. This means that the Court does not need to find fault with either party in order to grant a dissolution of marriage. The most common ground for dissolution of marriage is “irreconcilable differences.” Thus, the only requirement for obtaining a divorce in California is that irreconcilable differences have arisen between the spouses that have led to the irremediable breakdown of the marriage.

The first step in implementing a Dissolution of Marriage in California is the filing of the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, along with the Summons, in the Superior Court of the County where the parties reside. The other party has 30 days to respond by filing a Response in the Superior Court.

Before a divorce may be granted, several issues need to be resolved. We recommend calling a Los Angeles divorce attorney before tackling the following:

Alimony / Spousal Support

he money paid by one party to the other in order to put the spouses in the position they were in before the dissolution. A judge usually sets this amount based on a California statutory formula.

Marital Property Distribution

California is a community property state. In this system, if a couple acquires property after they are married, that property is owned equally between them, each spouse with a one-half share. It is irrelevant which of the spouse’s money was used to purchase the asset or whose name in which the asset is held.

Child Custody

Upon marital breakdown, several options exist for custody arrangements. A parent who has legal custody has the right and duty to makes decisions involving the child’s religious affiliation, education and health. Legal custody can be shared between spouses or taken on by one spouse.

Visitation

Generally granted during a dissolution of marriage proceeding, visitation is the right of a parent to visit a child during pre-arranged time intervals.

Child Support Arrears

Child support payments are usually paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent for the upbringing of the child.In the state of California, child support is required by law to be determined under a statewide uniform child support guideline.

Once a dissolution of marriage action is filed, and the basic issues are worked out, the ultimate result is a “Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage” granted by the Superior Court. The Judgment will contain orders regarding all issues which have arisen in the particular dissolution action. If the parties are able, at any time during the dissolution action, to reach an agreement with respect to the resolution of the issues which have arisen in their action, they then execute a Stipulated Judgment of Dissolution, submit it to the Court for the Judge’s signature and entry, and do not need to appear in Court. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, then the Court will resolve the parties’ differences at a Trial, and then will issue a Court Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage.

The Law Offices of Korol & Velen
6300 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1430
Los Angeles, California (CA) 90048
Phone: 323-653-1600
Fax: 323-653-1606

*Certified Family Law Specialists*

The Law Offices of Korol & Velen

Free Initial Consultations! Call 323-653-1600

*Certified by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization*