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.
17th December 2021
When it comes to protecting your unmarried partner, there are several options to consider. Depending on the value of your money and property, your desired level of protection from your partner’s creditors, and other factors unique to your situation, one or more of these strategies may be beneficial. A word of caution: regardless of what methods you use, you must work with an experienced estate planning attorney. While do-it-yourself options may be cheaper, they can sometimes create more problems than they solve, and the problems can be expensive to remedy.
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.
18th November 2021
For some people, choosing trusted decision makers is easy; for others, it may be more difficult due to tense family circumstances, geography, or the lack of living family members. While most advisors and attorneys counsel clients to choose family members or close friends, this may not always be an option. But have no fear. You can consider hiring someone if you do not have a family member or close friend to appoint to one of these important positions.
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.
20th September 2020
Let’s face it, whether it’s choice or circumstance, everyone who has a child is not always ready to be a parent. These situations will often arise because the parent is very young themselves. In other situations, the parent is serving in the military or has a job that has taken them far away from a support system. An altogether different scenario is because the parent is struggling with substance use issues or criminality.
Whatever the case may be, well-meaning grandparents and extended family members want to ensure the safety and well-being of their minor loved ones.