At the Harris Family Law Group, our experienced family law attorneys in Manhattan Beach provide skilled legal representation for just over 35,000 residents, so they know they have somewhere to turn when they have questions about marriage, divorce, child custody, and financial issues.
Our Los Angeles County family lawyer, Jeffery L. Harris, takes pride in providing the resources our clients need to make informed decisions about their family’s future, and act as advocates who encourage them to stand on their own to build a new life that fits their unique needs.
Our skilled Manhattan Beach family law attorneys provide free case evaluations to answer each of your questions and address your concerns, so you can move forward with confidence.
Our skilled family law attorneys in Manhattan Beach, California know that there are just over 14,000 households in our city, and over half of 54% of those homes have married couples living inside. Another 4,735 of those homes or nearly 34% have children under the age of 18 living in them, which makes us a family-focused seaside community.
As time goes by, our residents may have many questions about life-changing circumstances, which is what our family law attorneys specialize in providing the appropriate solutions for, based on each of our client’s unique needs.
Our Manhattan Beach family law attorneys represent clients in the following practice areas:
Each of these legal needs can cause significant stress and seemingly insurmountable anxiety on their own. With an experienced Manhattan Beach family law attorney by your side, answers and solutions come to a lot quicker when you understand your legal rights and options to move forward.
We can help empower you to make informed decisions with confidence, starting with a free case assessment today.
It is not uncommon for one spouse in the marriage to be the one who decides they want to get divorced while the other wants to stay together.
And while there are countless reasons someone seeks a divorce, none of them matter in the state of California, since we are a no-fault divorce state. That means one spouse does not have to prove the other did something wrong to dissolve their marriage. They must simply state that they can no longer get along, or what is technically referred to as irreconcilable differences.
Further, both spouses do not need to agree to end the marriage.
One spouse can decide to end the marriage, and the other cannot simply stop or avoid the process by not participating, as the divorce can be finalized as a default judgment.
Typically, it will not matter who files for divorce first, as the court does not give preference to the filer or a disadvantage to the respondent.
The more important details of your divorce are in the planning — not the speed at which you file.
All marriages come with challenges that are typically met with an objective approach to keeping the family together. Differences, arguments, and feelings of incompatibility are all common components of marriage that make spouses question who they are — even if only while a fight is underway.
Many areas of miscommunication can be worked out with a couples’ counselor, therapist, or another professional, but when they cannot, divorce is the likely next step.
Before the word is mentioned in any capacity, we recommend that all spouses pause, take a deep breath, and determine if this is what they really want. Throwing around the word divorce is not a healthy way to end an argument. If you have both truly done all you can or all you are willing to do it is time to get your affairs in order to have a serious conversation about ending your marriage.
Here is where you can start.
Understanding how your financial life is going to look after a divorce is empowering, which is why we encourage our clients to fully outline their assets and debts — including each credit card and bank account, mortgage and property ownership, and pension or retirement accounts.
This will give you a clear look at what you own together and separately, which may help you make informed decisions about the overall divorce process.
Ask yourself a series of questions about where you see yourself during the divorce process. Can you afford to keep the marital home? Will the other spouse want it? While you are outlining your finances, you may get a clearer picture of what you can afford and what will make sense going forward.
Kids are going to make a huge difference in your divorce decision-making process and may help drive the “who gets the house” conversation.
Our California family courts will want both parents to be involved in their children’s lives, which is something you and your spouse can decide if you can decide on your own, without the court’s interference alone or during mediation.
The sooner you can meet with a family lawyer in Manhattan Beach at the Harris Family Law Group, the earlier you will understand exactly what your divorce will look like, including what makes sense from a financial standpoint, so you can make informed decisions about having this important conversation with your spouse and children, when applicable.
Our Manhattan Beach divorce attorneys make things easier for our clients by charging easy-to-understand flat rates, so they do not have to worry about excessive billing hours or a surprise bill at the end of the process. We simply provide the rate you will pay for our representation upfront, so you can manage your divorce without the additional stress of the expense.
If you have questions about divorce, child custody, and financial support, contact our experienced Manhattan Beach family law attorney at the Harris Family Law Group today by calling (310) 745-8644 to get the help you need to move forward with confidence.
These directions are from Google Maps starting from:
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Total Est. Time: 15 mins
Total Est. Distance: 6.5 mi
Call Us:
(310) 745-8644
We are located at:
6601 Center Drive West, Suite 500
Los Angeles CA 90045
