A: Child Support is based on a Statewide Calculator, commonly referred to as “Guideline.” While parties sometimes disagree about what numbers should go into the calculator, once the numbers are decided by the parties or the Judge, the amount of child support is determined by the calculator. Only in extreme circumstances, the court can adjust the amount of child support.
Child Custody and Visitation
Leann K. Kaufman is a Certified Family Law Specialist.* She has practiced exclusively in Family Law since being admitted to the bar in 2007. Ms. Kaufman has a passion for helping families in transition, so practicing in the area of Family Law was a natural fit for her. Ms. Kaufman practices in all areas of Family Law, but has a focus in mediation and settlement oriented divorce. She is very effective at helping families handle complex child custody matters. Ms. Kaufman earned her J.D. from Chapman University School of Law, where she obtained an emphasis certificate in tax law. While at Chapman, she served as Vice President for the Family Law Society, and also volunteered in Chapman’s tax clinic and for VITA, assisting low income individuals with tax issues. She clerked for the Public Law Center in Orange County and interned with Legal Aid in Compton. Ms. Kaufman graduated cum laude from University of California, Irvine, with double Bachelor of Arts degrees in Social Ecology and Women’s Studies. Ms. Kaufman grew up in the Bay Area and travels there often to visit her family. Ms. Kaufman is also an Adjunct Professor at California State University, Long Beach where she teaches Child and Family Law under the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Paternity
Spousal Support
A: It depends on a variety of factors, including the length of the marriage. While there is no hard and fast rule for long term marriages (marriages that are 10 years or longer), generally spousal support (if it is ordered) for short term marriages (marriages that are less than 10 years) is half the length of the marriage. This is a rule of thumb and not definitive.