Good News for Tenants – Maybe Not So Good News for Landlords

A new bill, AB 265 which would allow tenants in an eviction proceeding more time to pay past due rent, will be moving forward to the state assembly for vote. Currently, once a 3 day notice to pay or quit is served on a tenant, the law does not require a landlord to accept full payment on or after the 4th day. A landlord can proceed to court & file an unlawful detainer action. The proposed new law would allow a “right of redemption” where the tenant could pay the late rent and reasonable costs back after the 3 day […]

No Easy Answer for California’s Child Support Arrears

The State of California has a near record sum of $19.2 billion owed in child support arrears. Some researchers believe that the current 10% interest rate is to blame for the amount, although proponents of the current rate believe that keeping it high encourages making payback a priority over other obligations. If you read the comments about the following article, you’ll see that this is a complex problem affecting many people in many different ways. What I didn’t see mentioned is the fact that many parents don’t know that they can and should modify child support orders when circumstances change. […]

New Law Allows Children to Address the Court Regarding Custody or Visitation

See AB 1050 below which goes into effect January 1, 2012. Existing law recognizes a child’s choice regarding living with mom or dad. The information is sometimes obtained through reports from the court appointed mediator’s office. New procedures will be put into place giving children over 14 years of age to address the court in these matters. This new law will help guarantee litigants their due process in a system heavily burdened in backlog.
Assembly Bill No. 1050 CHAPTER 187
An act to amend Section 3042 of the Family Code, relating to child custody.
[Approved by Governor August 27, 2010. Filed with Secretary […]

Things to Note if You Need a Living Trust

The following article published by the Federal Trade Commission says that generally an attorney is required to be used for the preparation of your living trust. Fortunately because California is consumer friendly, an attorney DOES NOT have to be used to prepare Living Trusts in California. California legitimized the legal document preparation profession over 0 years ago with SB1418. A legal document assistant must be bonded and registered with the county clerk to prepare legal documents for the consumer. However consumers still need to make sure they are informed and with all the excellent resources and information on the internet, […]

Financial Expert Gives Excellent Advice for Messy Divorces

“Modern divorce is not about who acts the worst or who slept where. It’s about the money. Both spouse’s income and assets are — or should be — on the table. But couples don’t always know a lot about each other’s finances, or where to look. They might not even realize how much less they’re worth, due to the squeeze on incomes and the housing depression.
Divorce rates fall during hard times because couples can’t afford the split. But for people quitting anyway, the struggle ramps up. Here are 10 tips for getting the most out of a diminished marital pot:
1. […]