Avoid these mistakes when setting up a trust
Dear Clients and Friends, When setting up a revocable trust, you need to be diligent about asset transfers, beneficiary designations and...
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ronaldflate
- Jul 15
- 2 min
Court rules lopsided prenup ‘unconscionable’
Dear Clients and Friends, A prenuptial agreement is a contract between marrying spouses, signed before the marriage, that lays out the...
ronaldflate
- Apr 8
- 2 min
Divorce and bankruptcy: which should I file first?
Dear clients and Friends, As we all know, life often doesn’t go as planned. Nothing illustrates this more than divorce. Bankruptcy is...
ronaldflate
- Mar 21
- 2 min
Tips for executing agreements electronically
Dear Clients and Friends, Electronic execution of agreements is quickly becoming more commonplace in most businesses. But how can you...
ronaldflate
- Mar 8
- 2 min
CA's Automatic Temporary Restraining Orders upon filing for Divorce
Dear Clients and Friends, In California when a Petition is filed with the Superior Court for Dissolution of Marriage, Legal Separation or...
ronaldflate
- Feb 16
- 1 min
Understanding The Hague Convention: Serving legal documents abroad
Dear Clients and Friends: When dealing with matters that extend beyond our State or Country, it’s crucial to ensure that legal documents...
ronaldflate
- Feb 8
- 2 min
Divorcing parents and a child's last name
Dear Clients and Friends, Couples who are separating sometimes fight over what their children's last name should be. As a general rule,...
ronaldflate
- Jan 12
- 2 min
Annulments basics
Dear Clients and Friends, In California an annulment is by statute referred to as: Nullity of Marriage. Marriage-ending legal proceedings...
ronaldflate
- Jan 3
- 2 min
Estate planning tips for unmarried couples
Dear Clients and Friends, If you are in a committed relationship but are not married to your partner, estate planning is essential....
ronaldflate
- Oct 25, 2023
- 2 min
Bar on transfer of marital home may not be enforceable
Dear Clients and Friends, A recent case from the Massachusetts Appeals Court underscores that while it’s possible to incorporate a lot of...
ronaldflate
- Oct 6, 2023
- 2 min
Chain of wills: unraveling the Aretha Franklin estate dispute
Dear Clients and Friends, Music icon Aretha Franklin died in 2018 at the age of 76. This summer, a Michigan probate jury finally decided...
ronaldflate
- Sep 14, 2023
- 2 min
Court applies ‘mature child’ test in international custody dispute
Dear Clients and Friends, A federal judge has decided that a 13-year-old boy who didn’t want to return to his mother in Germany could...
ronaldflate
- Aug 30, 2023
- 2 min
Real estate purchased with personal assets deemed community property
Dear Clients and friends, Property acquired during a marriage is generally considered “community” or “marital” property that gets divided...
ronaldflate
- Aug 17, 2023
- 3 min
Should kids testify in custody cases?
Dear Clients and Friends, In the classic 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer, mother Joanna Kramer (played by Meryl Streep) abruptly left her...
ronaldflate
- Aug 4, 2023
- 2 min
What should you do if you’re being denied time with your grandkids?
Dear Clients and Friends, “Grandparent estrangement” refers to grandparents being prevented from seeing and maintaining a relationship...
ronaldflate
- Jul 12, 2023
- 2 min
Avoid family feuds in your estate settlement
Dear Clients and Friends, Family relationships can be complicated, especially when it comes to discussing finances and estate plans. No...
ronaldflate
- Jun 19, 2023
- 2 min
Lessons from the Lisa Marie Presley estate
Dear Clients and Friends, Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley, died earlier this year from cardiac arrest....
ronaldflate
- May 4, 2023
- 3 min
Recommendations on buying a house with another before you remarry
Dear Clients and Friends, A growing number of divorced people are buying a house with a new partner to whom they are not yet married. In...
ronaldflate
- Apr 12, 2023
- 2 min
White House launches plan to protect renters’ rights
Dear Clients and Friends, In January, the White House released a “Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights.” While the white paper is not...
ronaldflate
- Mar 15, 2023
- 3 min
Property division in a California Dissolution of Marriage action
Dear Clients and Friends, The essence of Community Property law concepts in California - and in other community property jurisdictions...
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