Practice Areas
What we do, and for whom.
A California family law practice centered on professionals, business owners, and individuals with complex financial interests.
Planning and Document Preparation
Agreements
Prenuptial, transmutation, and marital settlement agreements, tailored to your circumstances and drafted to be enforceable.
Premarital agreements that hold upPrenuptial AgreementsA written contract entered into before marriage that sets out how property will be divided, and whether support will be paid, if the marriage ends. A poorly drafted one can cost more than none at all.Learn moreResolving a divorce by agreement rather than by court orderMarital Settlement AgreementsAn agreement between divorcing spouses that divides property, confirms separate property, and sets support, fees, and parenting terms. Well-negotiated agreements save money and are far more likely to be followed.Learn moreChanging the character of property during marriageTransmutation AgreementsA written agreement between spouses that changes property from separate to community, or the reverse. What most people think of as a gift between spouses often transfers nothing without one.Learn more
High-End Divorce
Business owners and professionals
The issues that separate a business or professional divorce from the typical case, and why they need to be recognized early.
Professional business appraisers and accountantsForensic AccountantsOrdinary books of account are not adequate for divorce. Fair market values, disallowed depreciation, and goodwill all require a forensic accountant working alongside experienced counsel.Learn moreStructuring settlements to lower the overall tax burdenTax PlanningA divorce can involve complex tax issues and real opportunities for both spouses to save taxes depending on how the settlement is structured.Learn moreBusinesses owned before marriageComplex Tracing IssuesIf you owned your business before marriage, a spouse can still claim a community property interest in it. Tracing that interest requires specialized counsel and a forensic accountant.Learn moreWhen assets are valued can matter as much as howDate of Valuation IssuesAssets are usually valued as of trial or settlement, which can be a disaster in a falling market. The court can set an alternate date, but only if the issue is raised before trial.Learn moreNeed, ability to pay, and what is actually reasonableAttorneys' FeesThe business owner or professional most often pays for both attorneys. Fees must be reasonable and necessary, and an experienced attorney can keep the other side's bill in check.Learn moreGetting past computer-calculated temporary supportSpousal SupportTemporary support formulas based on tax-return income can be a disaster for business owners. The sooner a case is ready for settlement or trial, the sooner the bleeding stops.Learn morePerks, retained earnings, and depreciationBusiness Income IssuesCourts can add business perks back into income and treat retained earnings and depreciation differently than your accountant does. Preparing for this requires specialized counsel and a forensic accountant.Learn moreKeeping your financial life out of the public recordPrivacy IssuesDivorce files are open to the public. Confidentiality agreements and private dispute resolution can keep sensitive business and personal information out of the court file.Learn more
Family Law
Support, property, parenting, and protection
The core of a California family law practice, handled with the same emphasis on preparation and efficient resolution.
Planning that discourages claims before they startAsset ProtectionSimply putting assets in a spouse's name rarely works. Well-drafted transmutation and postnuptial agreements, entities, and trusts can make a claim expensive enough that most creditors walk away.Learn moreGetting the guideline calculation rightChild SupportCalifornia child support is set by a computer formula driven mostly by each parent's income and timeshare. Small input changes add up to thousands of dollars over time.Learn moreKeeping parenting decisions out of the courtroomCustody and ParentingFamily court is the worst place to resolve parenting issues. We work to move custody and visitation questions to experienced professionals and away from litigation.Learn moreCommunity, separate, and mixed propertyProperty DivisionThe court must classify every asset as community, separate, or mixed, then divide the community equally. It sounds simple. It is among the most complex areas of civil litigation in California.Learn morePrepared for trial, positioned to settleLitigationMore than 90% of cases settle, and the best way to settle well is to be ready for trial. Decades of courtroom experience make that readiness credible to the other side.Learn moreIndependent adoptionsPrivate AdoptionOur office has experience helping couples adopt through private, independent adoptions. We do not handle agency or international adoptions.Learn more
Consultations
Discuss your situation in confidence.
Prospective clients are welcome to schedule an initial consultation, in person at our Indian Wells office or by video conference, to review their circumstances and available options.