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Overview

Ford Family Law is focused on you and your family. Family law matters are understandably emotional, but most of the issues that you will confront are generally well-settled in California. That means there are answers. At Ford Family Law, we focus on resolving the issues particular to your case, so that you may move forward. Please select a family law issue in the left column to see a summary of possible answer to many common concerns.

Consulting

The lawyers at Ford Family Law, A.P.C. regularly consult on pre-nuptials agreements and with parties who are engaged in voluntary mediation. Please contact us for more information.

Litigation

We have litigated all types of family law disputes, including complex business valuation and property division, child custody, spousal support, paternity, and international move-aways. We take a thoughtful, cost-conscious, and strategic approach to litigation. We thoroughly evaluate the merits of every new family law matter and provide you with a candid assessment — of the […]

Business Valuation at Divorce

Business valuation during a divorce is truly a complex undertaking that requires expert knowledge, experience and skill.

Ford Family Law works with reliable, respected forensic accountants to develop reasonable, accurate and fair business valuations. With the assistance of our experts, we work to develop creative settlement strategies that appeal to both parties in the divorce.
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Child Custody

Understandably, parents may fear the process of determining child custody. The reality, however, is that most parents are able to reach equitable agreements with the assistance of their attorneys and/or through county or private mediation services.

Ford Family Law works diligently to make sure you get a fair custody agreement.
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Child Support

In California, both parents have a statutory obligation to meaningfully contribute to the support of their children.  When parents divorce, typically one parent must pay the other parent child support as a result of that statutory obligation.

Ford Family Law works hard to make sure that a fair and equitable support order may be made.
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Complex Property Division

The division of assets should not be a rote exercise of dividing everything “down the middle.” There are personal, professional, strategic, and tax reasons, which call for a thoughtful, creative division of a family’s assets. Special consideration should be given to the division of income-producing assets and the potential effects on support that it may have in a case before deciding on the method of division.
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Marital Dissolution

A Judgment for Marital Dissolution is the legal termination of a marriage and as a result, the termination of certain rights and responsibilities. One leading example of a lost right is the right to maintain a spouse on one’s health insurance. Once divorced, an employed spouse can no longer legally maintain his or her former spouse on an employer-sponsored insurance plan.
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Mediation

Often both parties wish to avoid litigation, but they need the guidance of an experienced attorney who will act as a “neutral” professional to assist them with reaching solutions that are acceptable to both of them. In litigation, the parties are often delegating their decision-making authority to the courts. Mediation is different in that the decision-making rests with the parties, allowing for greater creativity and greater certainty.  

In addition to his family law litigation practice, Mr. Ford mediates complex family law cases, and he has earned a reputation for settling the vast majority of those cases.  Mr. Boyarin’s practice also includes mediation and he is the former Mediation Clinic director for Hofstra Law School.
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Paternity

A paternity action is required to legally recognize parental rights of unmarried persons, to establish enforceable custody and visitation schedules, and to ensure that a child receives financial support from both parents. Without a Judgment of Paternity or a Declaration of Paternity, a person may permanently lose any legal standing as a child’s parent and/or a child may go without support.
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Pensions and Retirement Benefits

Pensions and retirement benefits accumulated during the marriage are community property and thus subject to division pursuant to a dissolution. Even if a pension or retirement benefit has not yet vested and/or the member of the plan has not yet retired, any benefit attributable to a spouse’s employment during the marriage is community property.
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Premarital Agreements

A premarital agreement is a written agreement between prospective spouses made in contemplation of and to be effective upon their marriage. Premarital agreements are becoming increasingly common, especially when parties have children from prior relationships or when one spouse is employed by or owns a family-run business.
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Spousal and Domestic Partner Support

Spousal support is one of the most emotionally charged issues in a divorce.

The attorneys at Ford Family Law have negotiated many complex spousal support settlements and have litigated dozens of spousal support matters.
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Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units

Division of stock options and restricted stock units are common divorce issues in California because many employees receive stock options and stock units as part of their compensation packages. Not only may these assets be deemed community property, but future stock options and units may be taken into consideration for child support and spousal support calculations.
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