Spousal/Partner Support
When a couple legally separates or divorces, the court may order 1 spouse or domestic partner to pay the other a certain amount of support money each month. This is called “spousal support” for married […]
The Appeals Process
The side that files the appeal is called the “appellant.” The other side is called the “respondent.”If you appeal, the appellate court will review the trial court record to decide if a legal mistake was […]
Traffic School
Generally, you can go to traffic school if: You have a valid driver’s license, The offense occurred while driving a noncommercial vehicle, and Your ticket is for an infraction that is a moving violation. If […]
Researching the Law
Courts decide legal disputes by first finding what the facts of a case are and then applying the law to those facts to reach a decision. When you present a case in court, you must […]
The Basics of Adoption
Adoption is the legal process of establishing a legal parent-child relationship when the adopting parent is not the child’s biological or birth parent. That means that once the adoption is final, the adoptive parents have […]
Civil Harassment
What Is Civil Harassment? In general, civil harassment is abuse, threats of abuse, stalking, sexual assault, or serious harassment by someone you have not dated and do not have a close relationship with, like a neighbor, […]
AVOIDING FORECLOSURE
There are a number of programs to assist homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure and otherwise struggling with their monthly mortgage payments. Please continue reading for a summary of resources available. Making Home Affordable […]
Going to Court
What you should do to prepare for your upcoming court date depends on what type of case you have. In this section we give you general guidelines for how to best prepare yourself for court. […]
Child Support Agreements
California courts are required to order the amount of child support determined by the child support guideline unless the case fits 1 of the few legal exceptions to that rule. One of the exceptions is […]
Help From Your Court
Every superior court in California has legal help available in family law and in small claims cases. Several superior courts can also help you with other legal issues, but it varies between courts. This section […]