Fullerton Family Law Blog

After a divorce, it may be frustrating to see your child less. You and your ex-spouse may have bad blood between you, but you know that they're a good parent and uphold your end of the custody agreement. You still worry, though, and wish you could see your child more often.

One way to help parents and children cope with the changes that occur after divorce is by opening up more lines of communication. Being physically present with one another is not the only way to interact. Here are three virtual visitation options you can use to improve communication, so that you and your child can feel more at ease when you are apart.

For some California residents, life after a split can mean big changes that might include a move out of state. However, when children and child support are involved, there can be unique complications as the new places to which people move might have different rules regarding support. Therefore, parents might need to modify the support order. The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, or UIFSA, helps families in these situations resolve their child support conflicts in a fair manner. To do this, courts have to combine several child support orders into one that can be enforced.

When it comes to understanding the UIFSA, the state that issued the original custody order is considered the originating state and will normally hold continuing jurisdiction while both parents live there or until they reach an agreement to move the support order to a different state. If the parent who pays child support moves or agrees to move the support order, the originating state has the right to send the new state a withholding request.

The number of divorces involving couples over 50 years of age has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Approximately 25% of people who divorced during the year 2010 were more than 50 years old compared to only about 10% in 1990. California residents who are considering divorce after 50, sometimes referred to as gray divorce, are likely to face different challenges than their younger counterparts.

Individuals who go through a gray divorce are likely to experience a 50% drop in household wealth, for example, according to a researcher from Bowling Green State University. After such a financial setback, those who divorce later in life have less time to make up the ground they lost. Retirement accounts and other investments that are reduced due to the divorce can be hard to quickly rebuild, and the job market for people over 50 is decidedly more challenging than for younger workers.

If the time comes to talk to your spouse about getting a divorce, there will be many details that require your attention. For example, it's critical to get your financial situation in order before the process begins. Neglecting to do so will only cause more stress and tension in the weeks and months to come.

While no two people are facing identical financial circumstances, here are a few things everyone in this position should do:

• Create a budget: Now that you're going to be on your own, it's critical to create a budget to better understand your income and expenses. This may lead you to make important decisions, such as reducing your monthly expenses and seeking new employment.
• Gather all necessary financial records: You'll need these for many reasons during the divorce process, so it's best to collect them up front. Common examples include pay stubs, tax returns, retirement account statements and bank account statements.
• Create a property and debt division checklist: This detailed checklist should outline all separate and joint assets and debts.
• Cancel all joint accounts: For example, if you have a joint credit card with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, talk to them about the best way to manage the debt. You may decide to pay it off together so that it doesn't impact either of you in divorce. Regardless of the direction you take, it's critical to cancel all joint accounts.
• Seek professional help: You don't have to do everything yourself. You can seek professional help from a family law attorney, financial planner and tax professional among many others. All of these people can answer important questions and help you make the right decisions now and in the future.