Santa Barbara’s Casa Serena just elevated HLG’s Executive Director, Erin Schaden, as its incoming new Chair. Casa Serena’s mission is to (1) provide effective treatment services and a safe, sober living environment to women seeking recovery from the disease of alcoholism or from substance abuse, (2) introduce them to the philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous and […]
While attending our annual AAML national meetings in Chicago in early November, we watched as my hometown of Paradise, California burned to the ground in mere hours. My 80-something parents lost everything. My sister’s, Christine, family saw their home singed but spared. They were all blessed to have been invited to evacuate to the home […]
Domestic violence (“DV”) is a potential game-changer in child custody contests. In 2014’s Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2089, the Legislature expressly declared, among other findings, “[t]here is a positive correlation between [DV] and child abuse, and children, even when they are not physically assaulted, suffer deep and lasting emotional, health, and behavioral effects from exposure to […]
As 2019 nears, the window is closing to timely advise clients about various family law considerations under the 2018 federal tax law overhaul. For instance, prospective payors of spousal support might be unhappy to learn too-late that it will no longer be deductible. Clients with pre- or post-nuptial agreements (“PNAs”) might wish to now become […]