Los Angeles Complex Divorce Lawyer
Some couples cannot agree on any terms of their divorce. A spouse might be stubborn or want to make the divorce process as difficult as possible. In other situations, a couple’s circumstances might complicate matters even though the spouses are willing to collaborate for a divorce settlement.
Complex divorce cases require the assistance of an aggressive, knowledgeable, and seasoned Los Angeles divorce lawyer. At Berenji & Associates, our California family law attorneys have more than 25 years of combined experience handling complex divorce cases. We have the experience you can trust to advocate for your best interests.
If you are struggling with a complex divorce case in Los Angeles, CA, it is crucial for you to understand your legal rights and options. Contact Berenji & Associates today, you can call us at(213) 463-1876 to schedule a consultation with one of our Los Angeles complex divorce lawyers.
How Our Los Angeles Family Lawyers Can Help If You’re Dealing With a Complex Divorce Case
The stakes are high when you are facing complex divorce issues. Reaching a fair and reasonable settlement could be a painstaking and lengthy process. Sometimes, the only option is to go to court to argue the issues before a family court judge.
At Berenji & Associates, our Los Angeles divorce attorneys represent clients who are going through complex divorces. We have extensive experience in all matters related to a complex divorce, including custody disputes, high-asset divorces, alimony disputes, and complicated property division cases. We’ll listen to your concerns and goals to develop a tailored strategy to protect your best interests and achieve your desired outcome.
Our Los Angeles complex divorce attorneys at Berenji & Associates have received numerous awards and distinctions. We are top-rated family law attorneys by Super Lawyers and are included in the Top 30 Matrimonial and Family Law Attorneys by America’s Premier Attorneys. Our family lawyers appear on the Top 100 list by The National Trial Lawyers, have a perfect 10.0 rating with Avvo, and received Avvo’s Clients’ Choice Award.
If you hire our top-rated Los Angeles family attorneys, you can trust we will handle all matters related to your complex divorce case. You can expect us to:
- Listen to you as you explain your situation and the issues of concern in your case
- Analyze the factors in your divorce case to determine how they impact relevant issues
- Work with leading experts to investigate and gather evidence to support your position
- Provide support, sound legal advice, and guidance through each step in the process
- Work diligently to negotiate a settlement to resolve the issues in your divorce
- Take your case to court and aggressively advocate for you during hearings and at trial
If you are concerned that issues in your divorce will complicate the process, schedule a case evaluation with an experienced complex divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, California. Your initial consultation is confidential.
Elements of a Complex Divorce in Los Angeles, CA
Many elements of a divorce case can cause complications in the divorce process.
Examples of aspects of a complex divorce include, but are not limited to:
- Uncovering hidden assets and offshore accounts
- Disputes regarding child custody and/or child support
- Allegations of domestic violence or abuse
- Valuation of the family business
- Division of stocks and financial investments
- Enforcing prenuptial/postnuptial agreements
- Disputes related to spousal support/alimony
- Dividing 401k accounts, pensions, and other retirement accounts
- High-net-worth divorces
- Divorces involving celebrities, politicians, and other people in the public eye
- Dividing antiques, artwork, jewelry, and other items that can be challenging to value
- A spouse dealing with a form of addiction
- One or both parents engaging in parental alienation
- A spouse’s mental health condition and/or psychological disorder
- Deferred compensation and/or benefits
- Substantial real estate holdings
These complications could result in costly and time-consuming litigation. However, working with a Los Angeles complex divorce attorney can help. Our lawyers at Berenji & Associates will strive to settle your case in a timely and effective manner to reduce the financial burden and emotional toll a complex divorce can cause someone.
Let’s review some common complications that arise during complex divorce cases in Los Angeles.
Property Matters Can Complicate a Divorce Case in California
Many of the complications listed above are related to dividing assets during a divorce. High-asset divorces become contentious when a spouse seeks a more significant portion of the marital assets, tries to hide assets, or argues about the status of assets as marital property or separate property.
California is a community property state for divorces. All marital property is divided between the spouses equally (50-50), barring an agreement between the parties or a valid marital agreement. Some couples aggressively fight to obtain a more significant portion of marital assets, including taking illegal and unethical steps to conceal assets, undervalue property, and use marital assets for their sole benefit to spend down the community property assets.
Another property division issue that often causes problems in a divorce is dividing the family business. If a spouse “married into” the family business, their partner and their partner’s family members may want the spouse to relinquish all rights to the business so they have no say in how it operates or profit from future success. However, the spouse might have a right to a portion of the business if they contributed to it during the marriage.
In a complex divorce involving issues related to the division of assets, our Los Angeles family law attorneys will work with appraisers, business valuators, forensic accountants, and other expert witnesses in highly specialized areas. These top-rated experts can help unravel and interpret complex financial issues so we can work to obtain your fair share of marital property.
Child Custody and Complex Divorce Cases in California
Child custody and visitation issues can be some of the most contentious and intensely fought issues in a complex divorce case.
Some issues related to child custody that could complicate a divorce case include but are not limited to:
- Relocations and move-aways
- Allegations of domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, and/or sexual abuse
- Parental alienation by a parent to try to “turn a child against” the other parent
- Allegations of alcohol or drug abuse
- Petitioning the court for emergency custody because a child is in imminent harm
- Visitation with grandparents and extended family members
- Blended families where children want to remain close to their step-siblings, step-parents, and/or their extended family, but the family members have no legal standing to demand visitation
- Issues related to paternity
- Arguments about the amount of child support and other financial obligations
Our Los Angeles divorce lawyers will work with you to protect your parental rights while protecting the best interests of your children. We may petition the court for a psychological evaluation to determine the fitness of a parent. We might also work with one or more experts to provide an analysis of the child’s needs and what would be in the child’s best interest for custody and visitation.
Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements in Complex Divorce Cases in Los Angeles, CA
A prenuptial/postnuptial agreement can help avoid some of the issues that cause a divorce to be complicated. However, disputes about the marital agreement can become a significant stumbling block to finalizing a divorce.
Either spouse might claim that the preputial/postnuptial agreement is invalid under California law for one or more reasons, including:
- A spouse did not execute the marital agreement voluntarily
- One of the parties did not have the capacity to enter into a contract or agreement
- The agreement has an illegal purpose
- The marital agreement was produced by fraud
- The agreement is unconscionable (grossly unfair to one spouse)
- The marital agreement covers issues related to child support or child custody that remain within the jurisdiction of a court during a divorce
- A spouse is not fluent in English, and the parties did not follow the rules in California Family Code §1615
- One of the parties did not have separate legal counsel
- The marital agreement covers personal behavior
A judge might find the entire prenuptial or postnuptial agreement invalid. In the alternative, the judge might find a portion of the agreement is invalid and void that portion from the contract while leaving the other terms enforceable.
Our Los Angeles complex divorce lawyers have substantial experience handling matters related to marital agreements. We understand the law and how it applies to prenuptial and postnuptial agreements in a divorce case.
Schedule a Consultation With Our Los Angeles Complex Divorce Lawyers
Going through a divorce can be overwhelming. The matters raised during a complex divorce might cause strong emotions. Our lawyers are compassionate, but we also provide unbiased, practical advice to help you focus on the primary goal – obtain a fair divorce settlement so you can move forward with your life.
At Berenji & Associates, our legal team is here to help you with all types of divorce cases. Contact our law firm to schedule a confidential case consultation with one of our Los Angeles complex divorce attorneys.