Family Law
11th May 2023
In California, parental alienation is recognized as a form of emotional abuse. It is not only detrimental to the child's well-being, but it can also have legal consequences for the alienating parent. Those consequences can come about not just in the family law case, but also in a juvenile dependency case and, in extreme cases, in a criminal case for the alienating parent.
9th December 2021
More people such as yourself are entering long-term committed relationships without getting married. Unfortunately, many state and federal laws do not protect unmarried couples as they do married couples when it comes to inheritance, taxes, and decision-making powers. Therefore, it is important that you engage in comprehensive financial and estate planning, because without proper planning, your beloved partner could end up with nothing should you pass away.
26th August 2021
No one will ever be you or parent exactly like you, but more than likely, there is someone you know that could do a decent job providing for your children’s general welfare, education, and medical needs if you are no longer available to do so. Parents with minor children need to name someone to raise them (a guardian) in the event both parents should die before the child becomes an adult. While the likelihood of that actually happening is slim, the consequences of not naming a guardian are more than intense.
12th July 2021
Even for those of modest means, who gets your hard-earned savings when you die is an important consideration. Without any planning, state law will decide who gets what—and many times, what the government’s best guess as to what you would want is contrary to what you actually want. But, because you did not take the opportunity to formalize your wishes in an estate plan, the state has to step in and do it for you.
22nd October 2020
In the United States, October is the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As part of our own mission to help families in crisis, the Law Office of Erika A. Williams is publishing this 4-part series on domestic violence to shed light on all forms of domestic violence; the ways that it shows up in families' lives; and, what you can do to keep yourself, your family, and your loved ones safe.
In the last post, we talked about the incidence of domestic violence in the United States. For this second part of the series, I really wanted to give you some of the laws covering domestic violence. Any case that is filed related to domestic violence must, first, be rooted in the law. The law defines what domestic violence is and what both the punishment is for the perpetrator and the remedy is for the victim.
In California, domestic violence is described in both the penal code and the family code. The penal code provides criminal penalties for the conduct described; while the family code provides for civil penalties and relief.
18th October 2020
In the United States, October is the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As part of our own mission to help families in crisis, the Law Office of Erika A. Williams is publishing this 4-part series on domestic violence to shed light on all forms of domestic violence; the ways that it shows up in families' lives; and, what you can do to keep yourself, your family, and your loved ones safe.
2020 has been a year of a lot of trauma and crises for a great many people and families. While trying to remain safer at home, many individuals found themselves in even greater danger. Behind closed doors was an even bigger monster than the one outside and just as deadly. Many people have found themselves suffering from domestic violence.
The thing about it is, there are a lot of misconceptions about domestic violence. You would think that with a problem that affects over 10 million men, women, and children each year, there would be a better term for it. Sadly, though, there isn’t.