Studies have shown that one in six children are diagnosed with a developmental disability. IEP meetings are the only way to get the special accommodations needed so that your child can have a proper education. Failing to prepare for these meetings can disqualify you from having important accommodations and services. Here is a typical IEP meeting checklist followed…
Family Code 3044 outlines the court’s power to not allow visitation to a parent who has been convicted of domestic violence. Rebuttable Presumption A presumption in basically an assumption that the court makes before hearing evidence. In simple terms, if you have a domestic violence conviction, the court is already going to assume that you…
What is an IEP Plan? An IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan for children who have disabilities. This is a plan that is a contract between the family and the school district that outlines what the child is expected to learn while at the current school. Any child who has a disability is eligible for…
Who Can Serve a Restraining Order? Anybody can serve a restraining order as long as it is not the person who filed for it. If you filed for a restraining order you must get somebody other than yourself to serve it, period. Typically people either get two types of servers to serve the restraining order:…
Family Court Mediation If you’re in an ongoing child custody case in court, chances are that you have been ordered to go to mandatory mediation. What exactly is it and what should you expect? Basics Family court mediation is an attempt to settle your case by a court appointed mediator. You get an appointment to…
What do I Need to put a Restraining Order on Someone Restraining orders are court orders that prevent an individual from communicating, harassing, or coming near you. In normal circumstances, if someone you fear comes near you but does not threaten or hit you, the police can’t do anything about it. If, however, you have…
Do I need a Special Needs Trust? A special needs trust is a vehicle that is made for the benefit of special needs children. It gives better support and care than government benefits such as SSI. It also helps you maintain the government benefits that your child may already be receiving. Even if your family…
Joint custody schedules are the most common form of parenting arrangements. Courts have now recognized that it is in the best interest of the child to award significant visitation time with both parents. But just because there is joint custody doesn’t mean that parents equally share the time. The following are some examples: 50-50 custody…
Family Code Section 3042 gives the power of the child to tell the court which parent he or she wants to live with. It is a very powerful tool used very carefully by courts. There are a couple of steps to the law and I have given them below. Click here for the actual statute….
The California Highway Patrol just reached a $1.5 million settlement with the woman beaten at the hands of CHP officer Daniel Andrew. Video of the beating became viral last July when 51 year old Marlene Pinnock was apprehended by a CHP officer on the 10 freeway. Andrew, an officer with only two years of experience,…
