It’s time to set the record straight. Here are the 4 most common misconceptions we hear. Maybe, you believed these things too. Here are some common misconceptions that are floating around in California.
MYTH #1: A marriage in California can be annulled based on the length of the marriage.
TRUTH: Family Code 2210 a-f states that a marriage is voidable if the petitioner was under age at time of marriage, prior existing marriage, unsound mind, fraud, force, or physical incapacity. Family Code 2200 and 2201 states that a marriage is void if it’s incestuous or bigamous, respectively.
MYTH #2: A new spouse’s income will be used to determine a child support obligation.
TRUTH: The parent’s gross income, the number of children, the time-share between them, and costs such as health insurance, union dues, and mandatory retirement deductions are the main factors in determining a monthly child support payment. Although new spouse income is figured in, it’s for calculating tax consequences. Follow this link to run your guidelines: http://www.childsup.ca.gov/Resources/CalculateChildSupport.aspx
MYTH #3: If both parents earn exactly the same amount of money, child support will be $0.
TRUTH: See above. There are other factors determining child support besides income.
MYTH #4. The easiest was to transfer a home after death is with a quitclaim deed.
TRUTH: There are many different tax and legal disadvantages to doing this and not all situations are the same. Talk to your tax professional and an attorney for what this means to you.
Many people have heard these myths and some consider them common knowledge. Don’t be fooled any longer. Not knowing the truth can be costly.
