Areas of Practice
Divorce (Dissolution)/Legal Separation
Divorce, also known as dissolution of marriage, is the process of terminating a marriage or registered domestic partnership. This process includes canceling or reorganizing the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage under the rule of law of the particular country or state. There are three main ways to end a marriage or registered domestic partnership in California, which include divorce, legal separation, and annulment. Bray Family Law can help you file for divorce, navigate your case, understand your options and represent you as needs.
Spousal Support
Spousal support, also known as alimony, is a legal obligation to provide financial support to a spouse before or after marital separation or divorce.
Child Custody and Visitation
Navigating child custody can be an emotionally charged process in which we are happy to objectively assist our clients to provide the best outcomes possible. Child custody refers to the legal and practical relationship between a parent or guardian and a child. Child custody can cover both legal custody - the right to make legal decisions about the child - and physical custody - which is the right and duty to house, provide and care for the child.
Child Support
Child support is a legal and financial obligation to provide financial support for the benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or domestic partnership. Child support can be paid directly or indirectly, typically by a non-custodial parent.
Bray Family Law can support clients in Cases Related to the Department of Child Support.
Mediation
Mediation is a form of dispute resolution between two or more parties to result in in-concert effects. Bray Family Law can act as a mediator to assist two parties to negotiate a settlement. Mediation is a “party-centered” process in that it is focused upon the needs, rights, and interests of both parties. Our goal is to effectively resolve conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation.
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure that declares a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning.
Division of Property
Division of property is a legal division of property rights and obligations between spouses during divorce through an agreement, property settlement or by judicial decree.
Valuation of Business
Business valuation is a process used to estimate the economic value of an owner’s interest in a business. At Bray Family Law, we follow a set of procedures to estimate the value of a business as a part of the division of property during the process of a dissolution of marriage.
Support Arrearages
Child or spousal support arrearage refers to a case in which a child or spousal support order is not paid in portion or in full.
Missed Assets
If it is discovered or assumed that a former spouse had omitted or hid assets during the process of dissolving a marriage, Bray Family Law can help you ask the Court to reconsider the distribution of assets in an already finalized divorce. There is no statute of limitations on how long after a divorce an omitted asset may be found and properly distributed in the state of California.
Paternity
The rights and obligations of a father are managed under paternity law. This can apply to biological or adopted children and may be relevant in relation to issues such as legitimacy, inheritance and custody.
Domestic Partnerships
In California, domestic partnerships are defined as a legal relationship that offers same and opposite-sex couples "the same rights, protections, and benefits, and... the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law..." as married spouses.
Military Divorces
With the large military presence in San Diego, Bray Family Law is honored to support servicemen and women and their spouses through the divorce or legal separation process. Military Divorces often require additional requirements to be fulfilled and present a unique set of challenges including jurisdiction and presence during divorce proceedings.
Post-Judgment Actions
Post-judgment action is a process in which one may seek to force or alter the judgment of the Court and can come in two phases: post-judgment motions and appeals. A final judgment is the Court's ultimate decision in a case and signifies the conclusion of the action in Court.
Please note, Bray Family Law does NOT represent cases in matters of: Domestic Violence/Restraining Orders (unless connected with a case in an area of practice listed above – please contact us for more details), Premarital or Post Nuptial agreements, Guardianships or Juvenile Dependency Cases.
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