I am a Family Law Attorney practicing in the Indio Branch of the Riverside County Superior Court. I handle cases involving Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Spousal Support and Division of Debts and Assets. In addition, I have handled numerous cases involving Grandparent Visitation (See Biographical Information below).
This Home Page has been designed to allow easy reference to most of the areas of law involved in a Family Law case. I have also tried to make it easily readable and understandable by the people who will be going through their own case. Much of this information deals particularly with what's going on in the Indio Branch Courthouse. I believe that if my clients read these pages they will be better prepared to understand the issues and help me obtain a favorable outcome.
At the bottom of each page I have provided my E-Mail address. Write me if you have any questions about the contents of these pages or if you have any simple questions about your court case.
Here is the list of pages with a summary of the information available on each. Click on the logo.
THE ATTORNEY FEES PAGE discusses the costs involved in a family law court case. It explains how attorneys charge for their services and gives some suggestions about keeping the costs down.
THE CHILD CUSTODY PAGE discusses the law and procedures in a child custody case.
THE CHILD SUPPORT and SPOUSAL SUPPORT PAGE explains the basis on which child and spousal support are determined. I give several hypothetical examples to show how the various elements interreact.
THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and FREQUENTLY MADE MISTAKES PAGE gives answers to some of the questions most often asked. In addition it points out some of the mistakes people frequently make in family law litigation.
THE FAMILY LAW INTERVIEW FORM can be printed and filled out to bring to a first consultation. It itemizes additional information to bring which will assist the attorney to appraise your case.
THE CHILDREN'S BILL of RIGHTS helps parents realize that divorce has an effect on the children. This is really the most important page in here.
THE DISSOLUTION PROCESS PAGE takes you from the first interview with your attorney through the court process to a final judgment.
THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE PAGE discusses the procedure for obtaining temporary court orders pending the entry of a final judgment.
THE LOCAL COURT RULES are set out in full. These rules must be followed in family law litigation in the Indio Branch Courthouse.
Some Internet and Other Resources
There are a variety of Internet resources dealing with the general subject of Family Law -- Divorce, Custody, Support, etc. In addition there is quite a bit of information in books and pamphlets. In general it can be helpful for family law litigants to become acquainted with this material -- but it is NOT a substitute for the advice of a competent family law attorney. I strongly recommend that anyone doing his own divorce -- even in the simplest case -- should consult an attorney just to make sure that something hasn't been left out. Here is a short list of some links to other Family Law pages and some other good references:
I am a local boy. I was born in Indio and grew up here. I was in the Indio High School class of 1963. I attended UCLA -- graduating in 1967 with a degree in Business Administration. While at UCLA I earned a varsity letter on the Bruins' 1967 NCAA Championship Track Team.
Following UCLA I went to Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. I returned to the Coachella Valley in 1970 and ultimately became a partner in the law firm of Erwin and Anderholt. When the firm merged with Best, Best & Krieger in 1986 I left and opened my own practice.
I was President of the Desert Bar Association in 1985. I am a charter member of the Palm Desert -- Palms to Pines Rotary Club and was its president in 1987. I was on the charter Board of Directors of the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center and I have been on the Board of Family Service of Coachella Valley for 37 years during which time I was Board President for about a decade.
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