San Diego & Orange County Attorneys Blog

When couples decide to divorce, they must construct an equitable settlement agreement detailing how their assets, income and debt will be divided. In most states, agreements detailing division of property must reflect equitable distribution of marital assets. In addition, spousal support or alimony is often granted to enable one of the spouse's to remain at the standard of living that the couple had previously achieved.

There are many, many reasons to grant and to deny spousal support in any given situation. Only in rare circumstances may permanent alimony be granted. Nevertheless, many question if permanent alimony should ever be ordered by the courts.

When courts approach the subjects of child custody, visitation and parenting time, they are bound by a common standard. That standard is often referred to as the "best interests of the child" standard. This standard helps judges determine where children should live and what child custody specifics should entail for particular families. Young children may need their best interests determined for them. But older children and teens likely understand at least some of what constitutes their individual best interests.

As a result, courts increasingly pay attention to the opinions of children and teens as they age. The ages at which children's opinions may truly influence the outcome of a child custody dispute vary from state to state. But generally older kids may request to be heard by a family law court and teens must generally be heard if they request to voice their opinions.

Boyd Contreras is excited to announce our expansion in Downtown San Diego's iconic Emerald Plaza building. As we are currently located on the 12^th floor of the building, we are preparing to move up to the 15^th floor into a more expansive office space and the new home to Boyd Contreras, at 402 West Broadway, Suite 1500. We anticipate the doors of the new office to open this Spring!

Custom built for Boyd Contreras APC, the new office spans over 8,000 square feet, complete with ocean front views throughout, 3 conference rooms, a trial preparation room and state of the art litigation technology to continue to assist our clients efficiently and effectively. Our new headquarters offers cutting edge technology in a modern atmosphere and an incredible space plan.

We share pride in the Emerald Plaza's top-notch amenities and environmental values, making our choice to move within the same facility an easy one. Located in the heart of downtown, the building itself is a landmark, offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and the downtown cityscape. To compliment it's aesthetic beauty, the building is committed to green initiatives and energy efficiency, earning it the General Electric Energy Star Award in 2008.

As always, we continue to provide premier legal services for our clients in matters involving Business Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Entertainment Law, Family Law, Bankruptcy, and Trust and Probate Litigation.

Stay tuned for progress updates and photos as our contractors continue construction of our incredible new office!

To learn more about Boyd Contreras, APC's San Diego lawyers and Orange County attorneys, click here.

View the video (Spanish)

Dolores Contreras sat down with Abriendo Puertas's president and host, Claudia I. Ortega, to discuss details regarding bankruptcy.

Ms. Contreras states, "Some of the benefits of declaring for bankruptcy are: you can stop a foreclosure of your home, you can stop your wages from garnishment, you can remove all credit card debt and you can stop a lawsuit filed against you.

It is not very hard to qualify for bankruptcy, generally, everyone qualifies. It is important that you speak with an attorney about your specific situation and see if you qualify for a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13."

At a 2011 event, Ms. Contreras addressed the topics of shortsales, modifications, bankruptcy and which of those you should do first, the difference between 7 and 13, how to eliminate a second loan, what assets can you keep during a bankruptcy, and how a bankruptcy affects your credit.

To learn more about bankruptcy and how a Boyd Contreras, APC San Diego bankruptcy attorney or Orange County bankruptcy lawyer can assist you, click here.