Are you looking for a divorce lawyer in Santa Monica, CA?

At Skarin Law Group, we are trusted divorce lawyers serving clients across Santa Monica and the surrounding area.

If you are filing for divorce in Santa Monica, or responding to a petition your spouse already filed, our Santa Monica, CA divorce lawyers handle both sides of that process. We have done this work for 15 years, in cases that settled in a conference room and in cases that went to trial.

Skarin Law Group represents spouses with a house, a business, or stock compensation to divide, and spouses with none of those things and a custody schedule to work out. All family law litigation runs through our firm. Reach out to schedule a consultation.

Divorce Lawyer Santa Monica, CA

A Santa Monica divorce attorney prepares and files the petition or the response, then manages every issue that has to be resolved before a judgment can be entered. Those issues fall into three groups: property and debt, spousal support, and the custody and child support orders needed when there are children. The attorney also handles the financial disclosures, requests for temporary orders, and the negotiation or trial that ends the case.

Median household income in Santa Monica is $114,885, according to the Census Bureau’s city profile. In a divorce, the number that matters is the gap between the two spouses’ incomes rather than the household total. That gap drives both temporary support during the case and long-term support after it.

Types of Divorce Cases We Handle in Santa Monica, CA

Divorce cases in Santa Monica differ mostly in what is contested and what is at stake. Our firm handles each of the situations below, and a divorce attorney in Santa Monica, CA at our firm will tell you early which category your case falls into.

• Contested divorce. When spouses disagree about property, support, or custody, the case moves through discovery and hearings toward a trial. We prepare every contested case as if it will be tried, which is often what produces a settlement.
• Uncontested divorce. Spouses who agree on all terms still need a marital settlement agreement the court will accept. We draft the agreement, prepare the judgment package, and make sure the terms hold up after the case closes.
• High net worth divorce. Business interests, real estate portfolios, and executive compensation such as restricted stock and options require valuation and tracing before anyone can talk about a fair split. We work with forensic accountants and appraisers when a case calls for them.
• Legal separation. Some spouses want the financial and custody orders of a divorce without ending the marriage. The differences between legal separation and divorce matter for insurance, taxes, and timing. We advise on which filing fits.
• Property division. Deciding what is community property and what is separate property comes first. Valuing it comes second. We handle both steps, including disputes over property that changed character during the marriage.
• Spousal support. One spouse usually asks for support and the other usually resists it. We represent either side, at the temporary stage and at judgment.
• Child custody and child support. Parenting schedules and guideline support are decided inside the divorce case, starting with Family Court Services mediation and the guideline calculation. We get clients ready for both before the first hearing.
• Military divorce. A spouse on active duty raises timing and service issues that most cases never see. We handle cases where one spouse is deployed during the divorce and cases involving military pensions.

Why Choose Skarin Law Group as my Divorce Lawyer in Santa Monica, CA?

Every divorce raises at least one custody, support, or property issue that outlasts the judgment. Those are the same questions we address as a family lawyer in Santa Monica, CA, which means the attorney who files your petition can also handle the modification request three years later.

Fifteen Years of Divorce Trials and Settlements

Matthew Skarin has practiced family law for 15 years. His undergraduate degree in business economics carried an accounting emphasis, and that training shows up in how our firm reads a profit and loss statement or a stock plan document. Most divorce cases settle. The ones that don’t get tried, and our attorneys have tried them before Los Angeles Superior Court judges on property, support, and custody. Clients get an assessment of which path their case is on, and why, well before the settlement conference.

Federal Court Admission and Peer Ratings

Matthew Skarin is admitted to the U.S. District Court in addition to the California state courts. That federal court admission is not something every divorce attorney holds, and it becomes relevant when a divorce intersects with bankruptcy or federal litigation. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer review rating that service assigns.

What Is Important To Understand About Divorce Cases?

What Are Important Aspects of a Divorce Case?

Three things decide most of what happens in a Santa Monica divorce. None of them is the reason the marriage ended.

• The date of separation. The date of separation. Income earned and debt incurred after this date are generally separate. The two spouses rarely agree on when it happened, and a bonus paid a week on either side of that date changes hands.
• The disclosures. Each spouse has to give the other a complete picture of income, assets, and debts through the required disclosures. We review the other side’s disclosure line by line and press for what is missing.
• Temporary orders. Support and custody orders made early in the case tend to become the baseline for the final judgment. We treat the first hearing as the most important one.

Grounds for Divorce and Property Division in California

Fault plays no part in a California divorce. To file, one spouse has to meet the state and county residency requirements. Proof of wrongdoing is never part of the filing.

Property is divided under community property rules. Assets and debts acquired during the marriage are shared, and each spouse keeps what they brought into it or received by gift or inheritance. The court divides the community estate equally unless the spouses agree to something different. Where it gets difficult is transmutation, the point at which separate property becomes community property or the reverse, and valuation, especially for a business or a home with a mortgage that was paid down with community earnings.

Spousal support after judgment has no formula. The court weighs a list of factors that includes the length of the marriage, the standard of living during it, and what each spouse can earn. The state’s own guide to long-term support lists those factors in plain language.

What Is the Divorce Case Timeline?

You can expect a projected timeline from a Santa Monica, CA divorce lawyer at the first meeting, then revisions as the case develops. The phases below apply to nearly every case.

• Filing and service. The petition is filed at the Santa Monica Courthouse and served on the other spouse, who then responds.
• Early advice on accounts and property. Moving money, changing beneficiaries, or selling property while the case is pending creates problems that are hard to undo. We go through what to leave alone at the start.
• Temporary orders. Requests for support, custody, or exclusive use of the home are heard within the first months.
• Disclosure, discovery, and valuation. Each spouse turns over financial records. Contested cases add depositions, subpoenas, and appraisals.
• Settlement or trial. Most cases resolve at a mandatory settlement conference. The rest are tried.
• Judgment. The court enters a judgment once the mandatory waiting period has run and all issues are resolved by agreement or ruling.

What Should You Bring to Your Divorce Consultation?

The most useful thing you can bring is a clear picture of what you own and what you earn, even in rough form.

• Your marriage date and the date you consider the separation date
• Tax returns for the last three years and recent pay stubs
• Statements for bank, brokerage, and retirement accounts
• Deeds, mortgage statements, and any business ownership documents
• A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, if one exists

At the consultation, a Santa Monica divorce attorney identifies the contested issues, explains what the court will require of you first, and gives you a candid read on cost and duration. Spouses who have already thought through the steps to take before filing tend to arrive with better questions.

Santa Monica Family Court and Local Resources

Santa Monica residents file their divorce cases in the Los Angeles Superior Court’s West District. These resources apply whether or not you have retained a divorce lawyer in Santa Monica, CA.

• The Santa Monica Courthouse hears family law matters for the West District, including divorce filings from Santa Monica residents.
• The Los Angeles Superior Court’s Family Law Division page covers divorce basics, forms, filing fees, and remote appearances through LACourtConnect.
• The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles keeps a Santa Monica office with a dedicated family law intake line for residents who qualify for free services.

Reach Out to Skarin Law Group to Schedule a Consultation

Talking to a Santa Monica, CA divorce lawyer before you file, or as soon as you are served, gives you the most options. Our firm bills hourly and works from a replenishing retainer, which we explain in detail at the first meeting. Contact us to schedule a consultation.