What does a Legal Separation Include?
Many married couples choose legal separation over divorce for personal reasons, such as holding onto religious beliefs. For the past decade, our divorce lawyers have been helping families with whatever they need to get through the complex family court system. If you’re struggling and unsure where to turn, our Marin County legal separation lawyers offer […]
What Happens If I Don’t Pay Spousal Support in Marin County?
WHAT IS SPOUSAL SUPPORT IN MARIN COUNTY? Spousal support can often feel like a lose-lose situation. The recipient spouse often feels the Court orders a fraction of what they need and deserve to survive. The payor spouse often feels they can’t meet their own needs after cutting a support check. But what is spousal support? […]
Can I Deduct Spousal Support on My Taxes? A Marin Family Law Attorney’s Full Guide.
Is Spousal Support Tax Deductible? In California, you can deduct the spousal support you paid your spouse on your state taxes. Your spouse must pay taxes on the alimony received on state taxes. But what about Federal taxes? Be very cautious with this next step. In 2018, legislation called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) […]
Restricted Stock Units in Divorce and Child Support
How Restricted Stock Units Are Treated in Divorce and Child Support Providing restricted stock units (RSUs) to employees, in addition to salary and benefits, has become popular in recent years. This is popular in the San Francisco Bay Area among startup and high tech companies. Unlike stock options, which allow an employee to purchase shares […]
How Is Spousal Support Calculated in California?
How Is Spousal Support Calculated in California? When a couple legally separates or divorces, the court may order one member of the couple to pay monthly spousal support. Individuals who were involved in a domestic partnership may similarly be paid partner support. The purpose of spousal support is to enable both members of the couple […]
Depreciation Deductions & Child or Spousal Support
How Do Depreciation Deductions Enter into Child or Spousal Support? If you own a business or a rental property, you are probably used to taking depreciation deductions. These are applied against your annual income on your federal and California state tax returns. These depreciation deductions lower your income for tax purposes. When calculating your income […]
No Alimony Deduction? You Can Still Minimize Taxes
No Alimony Deduction? You Can Still Minimize Your Taxes. Prior to 2019, individuals who paid alimony to their ex-spouse could deduct that amount from their income before paying taxes to the federal government. The recipient paid taxes on the alimony they received, but at their lower tax bracket. All of that changed for couples whose […]
Does Spousal Support End with Cohabitation?
Does Spousal Support End with Cohabitation? Spousal support is sometimes awarded in the state of California. This is to help one spouse or domestic partner adjust to life without the financial support of the higher income spouse. Also called Alimony, spousal support can be awarded for a specific period of time, for example, monthly for […]
Can Gifts be Considered Income in Child Support? Cash Gifts and other financial benefits from legal strangers
GIFTS CONSIDERED INCOME: CASH GIFTS AND OTHER FINANCIAL BENEFITS FROM LEGAL STRANGERS The latest case to address whether gifts are income is Anna M. v. Jeffrey E. 1, which comes out of Los Angeles County Superior Court. Mother and Father shared equal physical custody of a ten-year-old child. Father earned $400,000 per year while mother […]
How to Limit Your Spousal Support with a Vocational Evaluation
Limit Your Spousal Support with a Vocational Evaluation If you are in the process of getting divorced and are worried about paying spousal support for the rest of your life, there are some options available to limit the spousal support you pay. One of these options is the vocational evaluation (or voc eval). A vocational […]