In this free teleseminar I will explain the differences between Divorce, Legal Separation, Dissolution of Domestic Partnerships, and Annulment.

I will also provide an overview of the four different methods commonly used to legally end a marriage or domestic partnerhsip, including traditional litigation, mediation, collaborative divorce, and kitchen table negotiations.

This is a one-hour call where you can submit your relevant questions for me to answer.

Please register for the call by sending an email to admin@californiadivorceacademy.com and in the Subject line type: Family Law Basics.

The telephone number and pass code for the call will be sent to you in a response email. I look forward to speaking with you this week.

January 21, 2010 ~ 3:00 – 5:00
Instructor: Helene L. Taylor, Esq.
Location: 580 California Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, California
Price: $97 – individual/ $147 – couple

Are you getting divorced? Do you need to know how much child support or spousal support should be paid? Do you need to modify child support because a child is now an adult or your visitation schedule has changed? Are you unsure of how to calculate short and long term support? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, our workshop “How to Calculated Child and Spousal Support in California” is for you.

In this workshop California Family Law Attorney and Mediator Helene L. Taylor will work with you as a group and individually to calculate guideline temporary and long term child support and temporary spousal support using the support calculation software program that is accepted and relied upon by California Superior Family Court Judges. Helene L. Taylor, Esq. will also review with you, the thirteen Family Code factors that courts use to calculate long-term spousal support payments.

At the completion of this workshop, participants will have a guideline child and spousal support calculation print out that shows guideline monthly and/or annually for child and/or spousal support. This print out can be used in an uncontested case to determine how much you and your spouse or ex-spouse will pay as support. The printout can also be used to file a motion for support or a modification for support or during a divorce settlement conference, mediation, or court trial.

Space is limited, but seats are still available. Register now via this link or call Helene Taylor, Esq. at 415-944-1044.

This week’s legal questions are about health insurance coverage after divorce, determining the date of separation, and understanding who is responsible for expenses incurred after the date of separation. Also, a technical glitch prevented our recording the answer to a third question, which is provided below regarding the length of time it takes for a judge to sign the final Divorce Judgment.

Press play to listen to the legal answers to the first two questions presented this week:

Question 3 (not included in the audio recording):

Our final divorce court date was Sept 10, 09. The judgment required my husband to pay spousal support and restored my former name.  I am representing my self.  The judge told us nothing would be final until her signature was on the documents. My husband’s lawyer said he would prepare the judgment for signature, which I agreed to.  How long does it normally take to see the judge’s signature on the judgment, for my maiden name to be restored and of course, for the $325 spousal support to be paid?

Answer: There are two parts to the answer to this question.

First, the time it takes to obtain a judge’s signature on the final judgment depends on two things:

1. The time it takes for the lawyer to submit the proposed judgment to the court for the judge’s signature; and
2. The time it takes for the court to process the paperwork and this depends on how backlogged the court is. Generally speaking, if the judgment is simple and the packet complete, it usually doesn’t take more than 6 to 8 weeks for the court to process the Judgment. Thus, in a situation like yours, I recommend you contact the court clerk to make sure they received the proposed judgment from your husband’s lawyer. You can also call the lawyer’s office and ask that they send you a copy of the judgment documents that were submitted to the court.

If the lawyer has not prepared the Judgment documents yet you can take the initiative and prepare the documents yourself.  You are not required to do this, but if your husband’s lawyer hasn’t done it yet, you may want to do so.

Second, with regards to when you should start receiving your spousal support payments, the start and finish date for spousal support payments are not usually tied to the date when the judgment is filed and approved by the Court.  The start and finish dates for spousal support are usually set by the judge during your Court hearing. For example, a judge will order “Support payments shall begin immediately and continue through May 31, 2012 and shall be paid on the 1^st day of each month.”

If in your case the Judge did not establish a start date for the payments and there is a chance that they are inadvertently tied to the date the Judgment is signed, run, don’t walk to the Court to find out whether the documents were submitted by your husband’s lawyer and if they have not, jump on board! The delay so far has cost you nearly $1,000! Run, girl, run.

Don’t forget to submit your legal questions here and tune in next week for the answers.

Disclaimer: The answers provided are for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney client relationship is established by your use or participation in this service. All answers are based on California family law. We always recommend that you consult with your own attorney regarding your specific legal situation.

The Court cannot retain its existing telephone numbers and will publish new public phone numbers. All new phone numbers will have a “444″ prefix.

All public phone numbers will be on the Court’s website as of the ‘go-live’ date.

Judicial department numbers will also be available at http://www.marincourt.org/judicial_dept_assign

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down..

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5.. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER : Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.How to Stq

How does it work?

If after reading this post, you are one of the first 29 people to email me at ht@moddivorce.com, you will receive one of the following gifts – whichever one you choose – no strings attached:

Gift Option #1: – A 30 minute legal telephone conference with me, California Family Lawyer and Mediator Helene Taylor, (http://www.themodernwomansdivorceguide.com/about/helene-taylor-bio.php) where I will answer any questions you may have about your divorce or legal separation. Each call is worth $175! ~ California Residents Only

or

Gift Option #2 -A 30 minute divorce strategy conference with me, Helene Taylor, where we will discuss your divorce options and a strategy for approaching it. Each call is worth $125 ~ Available to anyone, anywhere (no legal advice is given).

or

Gift Option #3 – One month’s free access to our Online California Divorce Class – Gold Subscription, which includes online videos, written instructions, and forms that walk you through the entire uncontested divorce process from A to Z and includes 4 weeks of Thursday Tutoring sessions where I answer student’s questions about filing out and filing legal forms. If your divorce is contested, you can use Lesson 1, 2, and 3 – these lessons show you how to fill out a Divorce Petition or Response to a Divorce Petition and all of your financial declarations (Income and Expense Declaration, Schedule of Assets and Debts, etc.) Each class is worth $197! http://www.themodernwomansdivorceguide.com/course/california-divorce-class-features.php

Would you like to receive a gift?

If so, don’t delay, email me at ht@moddivorce.com – If you’d like the free telephone conference, please include in your email: your name, your spouse’s name (so we can do a conflict check), your and your spouse’s states of residence. If you are one of the first 29 to respond, you will receive the gift of your choice. No strings attached

What is the 29 Day Gifts Movement?

“29Gifts.org is a global giving movement with several thousand members in 38 countries. Our collective mission at 29 Gifts is to revive the giving spirit in the world. We change lives—and change the world—one gift at a time. During our first year of operation we’ve accomplished a lot for some very worthy causes. Read about some of our projects here.

GIVE A LITTLE EACH DAY. MAKE A BIG IMPACT.
Give one thing away each day for 29 days. Share your stories about how it impacts your life to focus on giving. Join the 29-Day Giving Challenge today. Why? Because to see our world change, we have to do something to change our world. Plus, the best way to attract abundance into your life is to be in a perpetual state of giving and gratitude. Be an important part of the global giving movement that inspires more generosity on our planet.

HOW IT WORKS:
Sign up and then give away 29 gifts in 29 days. Your 29 Gifts can be anything given to anyone… money, food, old sweaters, smiles, your time, kind words or thoughts. You can start your own personal 29-Day Giving Challenge at any time—there’s no official begin or end date. To complete the challenge, submit a story, post a piece of your original artwork, create a short film or write a song. Tell us about your favorite gives and the impact it made on your life to focus on giving.”

With much kindness,
Helene Taylor, Esq.
CEO, The Modern Woman’s Divorce Guide
http://themodernwomansdivorceguide.com

I know that holidays can sometimes be a little challenging without someone special (life partner, twin flame, soul mate special, that is) to share them with.

So…

Remember to love yourself and that it’s OK not to be sharing the day with your life partner. Be grateful and thankful for all that IS in your life and remember that many do not have a next meal to eat, much less a feast to share with friends and family.

Continue doing what you LOVE and creating a beautiful, blissful, loving life on your own (and with great friends), so that when your future partner shows up, you are in your power and expressing your highest and best!

Remember that whatever we are feeling and experiencing is being projected outward and like attracts like! So, let go of any victim mentality that may be creeping in and allow your true magnificence to shine! If you may be spending the day all by yourself, volunteering at a homeless shelter or Meals on Wheels type charity is a great way to spend the day.

Whatever you do, no matter where in the world you are, it’s a wonderful day to be EXTRA grateful. As a matter of fact, every day is a great day to be EXTRA grateful! The more grateful we are, the more things to be grateful for, come into our lives.

I am grateful for all of you and the many blessings in my life.

Sending many beautiful wishes and dreams to you today. Happy Thanksgiving.

Warmly, Helene Taylor, CEO and Founder

Listened to the audio recording of The Last Lecture written by Randy Pausch who gave the same lecture to his students after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic and before his death at age 47.

Climbed a small mountain with my dogs and took in a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean on a fabulously clear day.

Ate a fresh salad made with Romaine lettuce, celery, pears, walnuts, and a delicious Raspberry Vinagrette – all locally grown or produced organically.

Listened to two inspiring short video clips generously provided to the public free of charge, by Tony Robbins.

Since waking up this morning I have not:

Read a newspaper

Listened to the radio or watched television

Had a cup of coffee

Before I go to bed tonight I will:

Go to yoga

Have a dinner made with fresh vegetables, grains, and protein

Why am I telling you this? Because I, like you, am living in a country with an ailing economy, budgeting daily, striving to maintain a strong financial footing as a single entrepreneur, dealing with the disappointment of failed relationships (if you can call any new dating adventures “relationships”), managing an old back injury that can be the source of chronic pain, and…I wanted to share with you, some of the techniques I use for keeping a healthy mind, body, and spirit in spite of it all.  (Funnily enough, making life seem effortless takes time and effort!) And more importantly, I hope to inspire you to reach out and find the tools that will help you work through the challenges you are facing today, whether in divorce or the economy.

During difficult times it is more important than ever to take good care of yourself and focus your energy on that which serves you. I think Tony Robbins describes the importance of being focused in order to thrive clearly and passionately, so instead of my attempting to reconvey the message, please click on the link, watch and be inspired – then tell me what you do today to make your life better Even in the midst of divorce and during a time of great socioeconomic turmoil, there is an abundance available and all we need to do, is tap in, turn on, and stay connected.

As mentioned before, God “forgets” our sin the moment we confess it to Him, and remembers it no more.  (Have you confessed it to him?  If not, what are you waiting for?)

Once you’ve confessed, you’re off the hook.  Your past is past.  Read 1 John 1:8-10.  Do you see any exceptions in this verse?  Any sins that are not forgiven?  Clean as a whistle, you are!

Now read Hebrews 8:12.  For how long after He has forgiven your sin does God remember your sin?  Not even one nanosecond.  He hasn’t just run a marker through it to obliterate it – he has erased it entirely! He sees is no more, as if it had never occurred.

Do you deserve this level of grace?  No!  Did you earn this level of grace? No!

He gave it as a free gift. It’s yours because you asked to be His, and you asked Him to forgive you.

But please remember that while God forgives your sin, He may lead you to make restitution or to reconcile with the people you have sinned against.  Listen to His urgings; don’t deny them, and don’t delay them should you hear them. You’ll feel His love right alongside his urgings.

If you’re divorced through no fault or doing of your own, read the parable of the good Samaritan Luke 10:30-36. Place yourself in the role of the man attacked by robbers.  Did God punish the man attacked?  Neither will he punish you. In fact, you may be provided help by God by way of contemporary good Samaritans, because He knows your story and he knows of your need.

What About Divorce? Dr Spiros Zodhiates

Kristine M. Smithis indebted to the healing ministry of DivorceCare™ for many of the insights and for many of the resource materials expressed herein. Visit DivorceCare for more information. Points of view or opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author, Kristine M. Smith. The points of view of the author have not been adopted or endorsed by The Modern Woman’s Divorce Guide.

When you follow the instructions in our video “Preparing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage” you can quickly and easily complete the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage – the first form you need to start legal divorce proceedings in California.

We have videos for couples with and without children and they are waiting for you to logon! So don’t delay – fill out the form below and we will send you links to our Divorce Video: Preparing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage!

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