Los Angeles Spousal Support Attorney
Los Angeles Spousal Support Attorney
Top Spousal Support Attorney: Stephen L. Cawelti
No two spousal support cases are (or should be treated) the same. With divorce lawyer Stephen Cawelti, you’ll be assured of customized strategy for every aspect of your spousal support case.
At Cawelti Law, we represent clients seeking to collect spousal support and clients who want to defend against unfair or unmanageable spousal support obligations.
If you are seeking support from an ex, we will ensure that you are not taken advantage of. There are laws and limits on what a person should pay in alimony. As an experienced divorce attorney, Stephen Cawelti will see to it that you do not pay more than is required by law.
Types of Spousal Support
Factors that Determine Spousal Support
It is important to note that the purpose of spousal support is to ensure that both parties are able to maintain a standard of living similar to when they were married. The following are factors that a court will weigh when determining spousal support:
- Length of marriage
- The standard of living of the former couple
- Earning potential/current earnings for both parties
- Age & health
- Whether one spouse supported the other through school or vocational training
- Whether one spouse’s career was affected by the need to take care of children
Divorce attorney Stephen Cawelti, will help to strategically present the facts of your case in a way that will best set you up for security.
How to Calculate the Cost of Spousal Support
Unless both parties are standard W-2 earners (and sometimes even if they are), calculating the “correct” amount of spousal support can be very complicated. Depending on what county in California that you file your divorce, the judge may use a formula to assist him/her in calculating the cost. Above all, the judge must consider the factors in California Family Code Section 4320 listed above.
Do You Have to Settle in Court?
Court is not the only option. At the law firm of Stephen L. Cawelti, we specialize in negotiating agreements out of court. Our motto? Settle intelligently or litigate aggressively.
Many of our spousal support cases use the services of a retired family law judge to reach a settlement and enter the final family law judgment. This allows the parties to avoid trial in the court system, often avoiding long delays and great expense.
Once a spousal support agreement is reached, the order is sent to a judge to be signed. This ensures that the spousal support is enforceable in the future. We take pride in our successful track record of settling nearly all of the cases that commit to the mediation process outside of court.
Support Enforcement
Unfortunately, even after spousal support has been ordered (or agreed upon), it’s not always the end of the drama. At Cawelti Law, enforcing support (including calculating past due child support) is a critical part of our knowledge base.
Collecting past due support can be a hassle and confusing. For those who have gone years without collecting support, many don’t want to “bring it all back up again” after their case is over.
Too often, people forget that financial support can mean the difference between struggling and security. If you’re getting by without the full amount of your court-ordered support payments, that usually means you’ve had to use other resources that would have otherwise been available to you.
You should never feel guilty about enforcing your rights. You have many tools available to get the past due support. Often, this support is due with penalties and interest.
As an experienced child support attorney, Stephen Cawelti and his team are committed to helping you get the support that you, and most importantly your children, deserve.
Spousal Support Modification & Termination
Spousal support is subject to change. A court that denied spousal support in the past can reward spousal support in the future when new information surfaces.
Spousal support can also be terminated or modified. In California, spousal support is automatically terminated upon the death or remarriage of the supported ex partner. If the financial earning of either party change significantly, spousal support is subject to be changed.
Whether you are seeking support or looking to reduce/terminate unmanageable spousal support obligations, Divorce Attorney Stephen Cawelti can assist you.
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Stephen L. Cawelti
Stephen is a board certified divorce attorney who has specialized in complex family law matters since 2006 in California. His extensive educational background in child development and psychology uniquely qualify him to help parents navigate through the stress of child custody matters. Stephen has acted as the lead attorney on hundreds of divorce/child custody cases and argued before the Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura County Superior Courts. He was voted by Pasadena Magazine as one of the “Top Attorneys” in the area for the past 6 years.
Serving Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena & the Greater Los Angeles Area
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