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There are two important related issues raised by this question. The first is to know exactly what all of your assets are at the time of the divorce. It is not uncommon for one spouse to be responsible for and to manage most or all of the family’s finances. When you are faced with a […]

In general, virtually all debts acquired while married by either spouse are deemed community-property debts, so a creditor can seek payment from either spouse for the entire amount of the debt.People find themselves in this frustrating predicament all the time when they receive letters or phone calls from creditors after their ex-spouses fail to pay […]

California is a community property state. At the time of the divorce, the Court will generally divide in half all of the community assets and all of the community debts. Determining what is, or is not, community property in particular circumstances can lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings. Here are a few examples: My spouse inherited […]

An individual who is divorced must meet certain criteria in order to be permitted to collect benefits on his or her former spouse’s work record. The spouse that wants to collect Social Security must have been married for 10 years or longer. This does not mean 10 years from the date of marriage to the […]

Yes. You do have to share your pension if you acquired any part of the pension after the date of marriage and before the date of separation. You do not have to share the pension if you acquired it prior to the date of marriage or after the date of separation. Specifically, you have to […]

Having been married for 40 years, you are entitled to certain Social Security benefits in the event of the dissolution of your marriage. However, unlike almost all other retirement benefits earned during the marriage which are characterized as marital property, such as the Federal Employees Retirement System and military pensions, Social Security benefits are treated […]