Southern California Family Law Attorney Blog

Many people are fascinated with the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and the Internet has created a prime environment for being involved in every aspect of a person’s private life. Although they may be famous and make more money in a month than many people make in a lifetime, there are times where the lives of famous people seem to mirror those of other, regular people living in California. This is highlighted by the recent child custody battle between the popular singer Usher and his ex-wife over their young son.

After their five year old son came close to drowning while the singer was out of the home, his ex-wife filed for custody of their son claiming that they were being watched by a sitter or nanny when they should have been with their mother. The boy’s hand was caught in a pool drain and he was freed after two men working on the home pulled him out of the water.

Continue reading Judge deals blow to singer’s ex-wife in custody battle for son

Being unable to conceive a child can be a devastating event for any couple, and there are fortunately other medical options for those who can afford them. In California and many other states, couples have the opportunity to try artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization to increase the chances they are able to conceive a child. If the couple breaks up in the future, the laws regarding paternity rights for sperm donors may be a little murky, and a recent case has sparked new interest in the topic of child custody in these situations.

After conceiving a child with his girlfriend through artificial insemination, a California man feels he should have custody rights even though the couple broke up. The girlfriend claims he never intended to be involved in the child’s life, while the man disagrees and claims he always intended to be a father regardless of the status of the relationship.

Continue reading California paternity bill for sperm donors put on hold

When a person is raped, it may be a common opinion that a child resulting from the violent act is unwanted and unwelcome, although the reality may be totally different. Despite the emotional and physical trauma of the violence, many women choose to raise the child rather than have an abortion or give the child up for adoption, and may be faced with a surprising factor when dealing with child custody issues. Although the rapist may be the biological parent, many feel that they should not be allowed to have parental rights regarding any child conceived during the act of rape.

Lawmakers have introduced a new bill in response to the close to 11,000 women every year who fight to keep parental rights from rapists. The bill would allow the survivors to keep full custody of any child that was conceived from a rape.

Continue reading Rapists may be denied child custody rights for children

As more states follow the example of California and offer gays the right to marry, some are concerned that the next step is ensuring that these people also have the right to get divorced if the relationship turns sour. While divorce is common in opposite-sex marriages, there may not be enough research regarding gay divorce to determine exactly how important it is to offer this option to couples. Some states are working to enact divorce laws for gay couples even as they push for the rights for gays to marry in their particular state.

Colorado is one state that allows gay couples to divorce regardless of whether they have residency in the state or not. Although the state does not offer gay marriage to couples, recent changes to civil union laws offer divorce protection for those who entered into marriage or partnership relationships in other states.

Continue reading Gay divorce offered in state that does not offer gay marriage