Transmutation and Waivers in California: How to Avoid Pitfalls and Ensure Compliance When Changing Property Ownership Between Spouses
What is a Transmutation? A “transmutation” is a postmarital transaction between spouses by which the character of real or personal property is changed or converted in one of the following three ways: separate property into community property, community property into separate property, or the separate property of one spouse into the separate property of the […]
Already Gifted Real Property to Your Child? Here’s How to Fix that Mistake and Preserve the Step-Up in Basis
If you have already gifted your home or other real estate to your child during your lifetime, you likely did so with the best intentions: to help them, avoid probate, or make the transition smoother. But you may now realize that the gift could cost your child significantly in capital gains taxes due to the […]
Mom and Dad’s House: Should You Get It as a Gift or Wait to Inherit It?
If your parents own a home or other real estate in California, it might be tempting to suggest they transfer it to you now—maybe as a gift, a joint title, or a “just in case” measure. But here’s the truth: asking for the property now could cost you and your parents way more than you […]
How to Find a Divorce Lawyer
In the U.S., lawyers in general aren’t terribly difficult to find. We’re the 5th most litigious country in the world, after all. According to the ABA, “Over the past decade, the number of lawyers nationwide has grown by more than 63,000 – an increase of 5% from 2013 to 2023.” When you’re specifically looking for […]
How Much Does A Child Custody Lawyer Cost in California?
As with any legal practice area, what a child custody lawyer costs in California may vary profoundly depending upon the individual lawyer, law firm, or complexity of the child custody case. The State Bar of California agrees, “Lawyers consider various factors when setting their fees. A lawyer who is well-known in a certain area of […]
How Much is a Divorce in California?
Good question. You’ll find a multitude of answers online. Search “how much is a divorce in California” and you’ll see everything from $139 to $26,300 with children, and beyond. The only consensus on the subject is that the average divorce in California costs $17,500, and that’s $2,500 more than it costs in most states. Why? […]
How To Negotiate A Fair Agreement? Don’t. Let Your Spousal Support Lawyer Do It For You
This post is going to start and end with the same sentence because I want to make sure everyone gets the message: No one who isn’t a skilled spousal support lawyer should ever try to negotiate their own spousal support agreement. The timing of the negotiation can be significant. Many spousal support lawyers fail to get a […]
A Real Estate Lawyer At A Family Law Firm?
Think About It: Is It Really So Strange To Have A Transactional Real Estate Lawyer At A Family Law Firm? We find it kind of curious that most family law firms do not have an in-house real estate person. Think about it. Real estate is the major investment for many of our clients in the […]
Looking for divorce mediation services in San Mateo? You’re in luck.
You’re in luck because you’re in California, a community property state. And that makes the division of assets simple in that everything acquired during the marriage, both assets and debts, are split 50/50. Sometimes there’s nothing to fight over and the same is often true with the children. The presumption in California is that parents […]
How to prevent your divorce from destroying your family? Ask one of the best child custody lawyers.
Amy Laughlin, a divorce and child custody lawyer in San Mateo, knows better than most what’s at stake for the children of divorcing parents. “Nothing trains you to be a great divorce and child custody attorney quite like watching your parents get divorced then getting divorced yourself, then watching hundreds of other parents muddle through it. […]
