California Divorce Attorney

At the Law Offices of Eve Lopez, our firm handles all typical divorce/dissolution of marriage issues including:

• Legal separation (in special circumstances, i.e., immigration; jurisdictional)
• Spousal support / Alimony
• Modifications (of custody and visitation; of child and spousal support)

We specialize in handling divorce cases involving disabled or incapacitate adults and special needs children. While very few attorneys in the area understand the unique needs and complexities of these cases, our attorney Eve Lopez is the mother of a child with special needs who knows first hand the complications that can arise. Since she has faced many of the same challenges as our clients, she can help alleviate their concerns and answer their questions. Please contact our California divorce attorney to schedule a free telephone consultation.

Please note that in divorce cases involving children with special needs, standard California family law may not apply. Instead these cases utilize more flexible legal guidelines designed to accommodate for the unique circumstances of children with special needs and their families.

Dissolution of Marriage (also referred to as "divorce")

A divorce is the legal proceeding which terminates a marriage. Filing for a divorce can provide the court with jurisdiction to divide property, order child custody and visitation as well as make orders regarding child support, spousal support and attorneys fees and costs. At the end of a divorce proceeding, you are returned to the status of a single person and are able to remarry if you so choose.

Legal Separation

A legal separation is the legal proceeding which is the same in every respect as a divorce (dissolution action) except that at the end of a legal separation, the parties' marital status is still in tact. In other words, the parties are still married and neither party has the ability to remarry.

Child Custody and Visitation involving Special Needs Children

Special needs children can complicate "standard" custody and visitation orders because of their unique needs. Each child's special needs deserve special consideration when developing a parenting plan that is in that child's best interests.

Legal custody means the ability of a parent to participate in important decisions in the child's life. Typically these decisions relate to education, healthcare, religion and travel. While joint legal custody is the presumptive legislative policy in California, the policy is often rebutted as it relates to special needs child.

Physical Custody is often referred to as visitation. If a parent is granted primary physical custody, the child will live with that parent for the majority of the time, while the non-custodial parent will be granted regular visitation rights. The presumption in California is that frequent and continuous contact with both parents is in the child's best interest. However, in the case of a special needs child, regular transitions between environments and routines may not be in that child's best interests. In these somewhat difficult situations, your lawyer must be practical, creative, and open-minded when addressing an appropriate parenting plan that is in your child's best interest.

Child Support

Similarly, the standard California Child Support Guidelines may not apply in divorce cases where special needs children or disabled or incapacitated adults are involved. In fact, since raising a special needs child typically costs more than raising a "typical" child, parents of special needs children with primary physical custody often request above guideline child support.

Contact our Los Angeles divorce lawyer for a free telephone consultation with an attorney well-versed in dealing with special needs children and disabled or incapacitated adults.

Credit Cards Accepted ∙ Free Initial Telephone Consultation

Law Offices of Eve Lopez
2100 Sawtelle Blvd, Suite 206
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (310) 478-4446
Facsimile: (310) 477-4449