Westlake Village Legal Blog

Now that school is in full swing, the young one in your family may plan to play sports, join a dance group or participate in some other type of extracurricular activity. Because these endeavors can be pricey, you may wonder whether you or the child’s other parent bears responsibility for covering extracurricular expenses. 

Many benefits come with participating in activities that are not part of the normal school curriculum. Not insignificantly, a well-rounded student may be more likely to compete successfully for scholarships. If your parenting plan or custody agreement does not mention who covers the cost of extracurricular activities, though, you may have some options. 

People in California might expect that people who are less well-off financially might also face more difficulties in their marriages. After all, conflicts over money can be a major part of marital stress and an eventual decision to divorce or separate. During the divorce process itself, financial conflicts can be particularly challenging and difficult to resolve. However, some research indicates that other issues may be more strongly linked to a likelihood of divorce although the jury is still out on marital conflict related to new financial stresses, sudden spending or economic crisis.

Researchers identified over 400 couples in a lower-income area of California and sent them an eight-item questionnaire on five occasions between 2009 and 2014. The couples, relatively newly married in 2009, were identified to take part in a study looking at marital satisfaction and socioeconomic status. Researchers found that around 60% of the couples identified themselves as very happy when initially married while 30% were moderately happy and 10% were unhappy. Many expect that marital satisfaction declines over time with the "honeymoon period" wearing off in years to come. However, the researchers found that the couples who were initially happy with their relationships were likely to remain so throughout the five-year period.

California parents who will be attending a child custody hearing may have a difficult time gathering all the necessary documents. Knowing which paperwork will be relevant could swing the hearing in one direction or another. It's better to have too much documentation as opposed to too little.

For custody proceedings to begin, written submissions must be given to the court before the hearing that outline what an individual is asking the court to order. All parties involved should have copies of all the paperwork that is submitted to the court.

Divorce in California is a process that should be worked through one step at a time, especially when there are children involved. No matter the reason for the split, it's important to be honest with the kids and for the exes to maintain a cordial relationship with each other. When the time comes for new love and perhaps remarriage, coparenting will be as vital as ever for the development of the children.

There are two primary issues for a divorced parent as a remarriage enters the picture. First, despite having a new spouse, the coparenting relationship must remain strong. This means being respectful, cooperative, communicative about the kids and generally encouraging of a healthy, loving relationship with the other parent. As much as possible, maintain a similar schedule and routine in both households.