What is an Order Shortening Time?

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Experienced Bay Area family law attorneys will tell their clients that an order shortening time is a court procedure used by litigants to get in front of Court faster than a normal request.  Orders shortening time are most frequently granted when the court believes that hearing the case more quickly is necessary to fully protect the moving party’s interests upon a showing of urgency or exigent circumstances.   An example of this is when one spouse is in need of immediate financial support.   Orders shortening time are most frequently used when ex parte relief is not appropriate.

If you have been served an Order Shortening Time, you may want to speak to a lawyer to find out whether you can contest the Order Shortening Time or if you need to prepare in a certain way for Court.You can contact me at Amanda@gordonfamilylaw.com for more information.

Common Family Law Acronyms

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Many clients and attorneys are shocked by the number of acronyms used in family law. Here is a list of the common family law acronyms used in San Francisco Bay Area Family Law custody and divorce cases.

ATRO: Automatic Temporary Restraining Order

DCSS:  Department of Child Support Services

DOM:  Date of Marriage

DOS:   Date of Separation

DVRO:  Domestic Violence Restraining Order

EPO:  Emergency Protective Order

I&E:  Income and Expense Declarations

MSA:  Marital Settlement Agreement

MSOL:  Marital Standard of Living

PDD:  Preliminary Declaration of Disclosure

QDRO:  Qualified Domestic Relations Order

RFO: Request for Order

SAD: Schedule of Assets and Debts

TRO: Temporary Restraining Order

UCCJEA:  Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act

UPA: Uniform Parentage Ac

How much will my divorce cost?

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The cost of divorce depends on which approach you take.  Keep in mind that just because an approach is cheaper does not mean it is the best fit for your family.

$ DIY Divorce

Doing it yourself is the cheapest way to divorce. You can probably get away with a do-it-yourself divorce and pay only the filing fees you have been married for a very short time, have no children, do not own any real property, and have very few assets and no debt. Typical costs are $500 per couple.  

$$ Mediated Divorce

Mediators charge an average of $300 per hour, per couple. If you and your spouse have only a few issues to hammer out, you may need only one or two mediation sessions, however, my experience has been that most couples need at least 3 sessions. Couples with more complicated issues such as a small business or children will need more time with their mediator. Typical costs are $2,500 to $5,000 per couple.

$$$ Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative Divorce is cheaper than a traditional litigated divorce and the collaborative divorce still includes two attorneys and allied team professionals. Typical costs are $15,000 to $25,000 per couple.

$$$ Litigated Divorce

Generally, a litigated divorce is very expensive. The average adversarial divorce in the U.S. costs between $10,000 and $30,000 per couple.  Couples with high levels of conflict will see the costs rise because you must pay for each attorney to prepare for the initial hearings, conduct a formal discovery process, attend meetings with the other lawyers, gather expert opinions, draw up a settlement and come to a formal agreement.  

You can contact me at Amanda@gordonfamilylaw.com for more information.

 

Dependency Exemption

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Who gets the dependency exemption in the divorce?

Generally the custodial parent claims the dependency exemption in a divorce. Custody is defined as caring for a child for a greater portion of the year.  If the number of nights your child spends with each parents is substantially the same, the parent with the high adjusted gross income should take the exemption.  

Remember that you can trade exemptions each year with IRS form 8332.  And if there is more than one child, then spouses can split the dependency exemption between the parents. You can contact me at Amanda@gordonfamilylaw.com for more information.