Stock options are a form of compensation issued to employees that allows the employee to buy stock in the company at a set price regardless of the value of the stock. Normally, the option price is lower than the actual value of the stock allowing…
It is critical to understand your financial picture when you are going through divorce. Often, your spouse holds important information about your finances that you do not have access to. There are several mechanisms through which you can obtain your spouse's financial information, all of…
Generally, both spouses are responsible for paying any tax, interest, or penalties from their joint tax return. If you are going through a divorce and believe your current or soon to be former spouse should be solely responsible for an error or an underpayment of…
The most profound effect the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has had on divorce planning is with regard to taxation of alimony payments. Before TCJA, payments that could be defined under tax-law as alimony would be considered deductible by the payor for federal…
Are you or your spouse thinking about divorce, but have no idea how to go about it? Here are some divorce options. 1. Mediation You and your spouse can work with a mediator to help you reach an agreement on any issues in the case…
How is Child Support Calculated? In California, there is a mandatory statutory guideline formula for calculating support. (Family Code section 4050 et seq.) The following is a list of the primary factors that the court will use in determining child support. There are other factors…
Whether a child is severely disabled or has moderate learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or auditory processing issues, their ability to thrive depends on continuity and stability. Thus, parents who are going through a divorce with a special needs child should consider how best…
Frequently, divorcing couples agree to divide property pursuant to a settlement agreement. Often, one of the parties is obligated to pay the other party an “equalizing payment.” The equalizing payment is the means by which both parties leave the marriage with substantially equal assets. Property…
If passed, the new tax reform bill introduced by Republicans will have a profound impact on couples getting divorced because the right to deduct alimony (spousal support) payments will be eliminated. Under current law, the spouse who pays alimony is allowed to deduct the amount…
Often, couples who are newly separated do not understand their obligations and rights regarding payment of the “family home” expenses. The law regarding payment of “joint expenses” post-separation is not intuitive and can feel unfair to the person who is left in the family home…