Redwood City Family Law Blog

According to the American Sociological Association, women initiate roughly 70% of all divorces in California and throughout the United States. One of the key reasons why a woman would want a divorce is the feeling that marriage is holding her back. Despite the fact that they make up a majority of the workforce, most women haven't seen any change in their responsibilities at home as they take on more work outside the home.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report found that 49% of female respondents said that they did housework on a daily basis. Only 20% of male respondents said the same thing despite the fact that both partners were employed. Ultimately, a woman who is focused on her career may feel as if marriage is a burden and seek a split from her husband.

When parents in California make the decision to divorce, they may be concerned about how the changes to their relationship will affect their children. Absent a context of neglect or abuse, divorce does not have to interfere with either parent's relationship with the kids. By keeping some key priorities in mind, parents can help their children to navigate the changing home environment that comes with divorce successfully. While different concerns may arise for children of different ages, both parents have a role to play in supporting their children's emotional health throughout the process.

Both parents may want to avoid sharing any negative information or thoughts about the other parent with their children. Kids need to feel free to love and enjoy a close relationship with each parent without upsetting or angering the other. It is normal for kids at many ages to go to one parent over the other, but kids should not be afraid to share their affection for either parent at any time. It is also important for kids, especially younger children, to understand that they are not the reason for the divorce, and there is nothing that they can do to change their parents' decisions. This, of course, can also combine with love and reassurance of both parents' affection.

As some California couples begin the divorce process, retirement accounts, including IRAs, will be on the table for negotiations. Unlike other retirement accounts, which need a QDRO for their division, IRAs are divided based on the negotiations that lead to the divorce agreements.

When couples are negotiating the division of marital property, they might also negotiate how to split existing IRA accounts. Because IRAs are set up in a way that can lead to steep penalties if the established rules are not followed correctly, the division of IRAs and what each spouse does afterward with the money need to be carefully considered. As IRAs were originally set up to help people save enough for retirement, Congress created certain rules to encourage people to use funds for their intended purpose. Distributions of IRA funds are subject to regular income tax as well as a 10% penalty for early distribution unless at least one of the few exceptions are met.

As soon as the new year starts, one of the first things that many California residents do is throw away their old calendar and put up a new one. However, this may not be the best move to make if a person is considering filing for a divorce and wants custody of their children.

As a person goes through the divorce process and tries to get custody of their children, it is easy to experience brain fog. An old calendar can prove helpful when it comes to establishing dates and times and helping to jog a person's memory as far as when certain events took place, how much money was spent and how much time each parent spent with the children.