Divorce Law Questions

Hey all, long time.

So, my brother has decided to divorce his wife.  I'm not here to spill about him, but I was just wondering if anyone here has been through that state's system and may have some insight I could share with him?  I've looked through the different sites that I've Googled but I'm finding conflicting/poorly written info, and it's starting to confuse me.

Some facts:
There are no kids involved.
They DO own a house.  Not sure on the specifics of that.
He's already moved most of his vital possessions to an external location.

Thanks guys, you all rock.

Long story made quick...

Ex is military, decides to head overseas..Joint custody, one with him one with me. He needs me to sign passport papers for minor..I send small list of demands I want notarized and signed off on, things such as: child calls me no less than 2 x week for 10 min at time, I get all info on school system, daycare, addresses and phone numbers of work and home...Nothing outrageous. He decides not to sign and says he thinks it would be best if minor just lives with me--GREAT!!!  So, he says still needs me to sign papers so that she can visit him during summer vacations and to approve him having family there. I say ok...Sign papers, send them overnight etc. Now--2 months before he leaves and he says he never agreed to anything about child living with me and plans to take child and go since I signed all papers. I have email documentation but don't know what to do. I do not want my child overseas and have been adamant about this since the start. His decision to live there for 4 years, not mine! I don't know what to do. I have been concerned with him raising our child since day 1 and even more so recently. I don't know what to do now. I have our handicapped child, the one he DIDNT want, and don't have a lot of money to hire a lawyer. I love both my children and want them BOTH. I have never asked him for anything, not even child support.

My wife and I have been having too many problems that we decided it would be best to have a divorce. After being together for 20 years, it is very hard for me to go through this. We were going to handle the divorce ourselves, but after talking to some friends who have gone through this, I think it might be wiser to see a divorce lawyer. Not too sure how I go about finding one other than checking the yellowpages. I found http://www.wf-lawyers.net/ and http://www.legal-locator.com but I don't want to find just any lawyer. Does anyone have any good experience with a California divorce lawyer?

Hi guys! I havent been on the board for a while but I was hoping I could get some insight from you guys about a guardianship question I have:

Me and my husband have been together now for about 2 years and I have a 4 year old daughter from a previous bf. He is not in the picture at all.

I have not yet filed for sole custody of my daughter, which I'm in the process of doing now. Both my husband and I want for him to be the legal guardian of our daughter. He is right now medically, financially, and emotionally responsible for her and I want for him to have legal rights to her in case I'm not around. How do I go about doing the whole process? Will I need her biological father's permission to do this?

Any advice is helpful, thanks!!!!

Long story short, we designed and bought a custom modular. We went to see it last night and the builder put the right brand and model kitchen cabinets in, but not the color that we requested. In fact, they hung "natural" or bare cabinets that need to be painted.

We're saying that we told them exactly what we wanted. The itemized list that we signed has the right make and model number on it, but no color specified. The rep "thinks" she rememebers us telling her we wanted white but cant remember for sure.

Where do we stand in getting the right cabinets installed without paying for them again?

-trip

Here is my story married for 9 years have one child from prior marriage I just need a unbiased opinion I love my husband but i know its over we had the biggest fight 2 days ago he went and told my daughter it was over I don't blame him I am a former pain pill addict  and have had problems staying on track he has loved and supported me all the times I have been selfish and i am working on my character defects.  

Every time I would get sober i would get scared about growing apart and I did not want to feel well I have hit rock bottom and I am still sober and want to be forever.

 Here is the current situation I freaked out when he told my daughter he stated he needed time but I think he was planning it in the past 2 weeks I freaked out when he told my daughter i mad a bad decision and attempted to hurt myself to help with the pain i was feeling he made the bad decision of calling the cops and when trying to grab the phone he did get angry and took me down he has never done this before he is in law enforcement and because he called the cops he also was arrested I had to go to hospital or get involuntary committed i pressed charges was let out of hospital the social worker talked with me for an hour and released me.  

I did not know he was arrested until later on that night i dropped the charges that next day and then I heard that he was on admin leave and he can not communicate with me my daughter adores  him and do to my unstable behavior she wanted to go with him which was fine.  

Heres the issue today I find out they have an apartment with sister another long story my daughter wants her stuff and wants me to heal fine but she wants me to tag all the stuff Iwant a mediator this has happened to fast i can't trust him or his sister I can't talk to him I will give his stuff to him but I told my daughter she can come here as long as Im here i screwed the relationship i don't deserve her but I am going to work the program and in time I hope to develop a relationship with my daughter and maybe someday be friends with him I have to show both of them I am working a program.  

My heart is broken we did have a lot of good times do i get myself a lawyer we have a house together and we built the stuff together My first marriage I let everything go I don't want that to happen again i want to use what we make on the house to put down for my daughters college fund

I filed for legal separation, my husband responded as he wants divorce instead. We have not done anything after that. What will be petition called, a legal separation or divorce at this point. We live in CA. Will divorce happen automatically after this?

I've been asked to be a character witness for a custody trial.  Any tips or advice on what to expect? 

My wife is unstable, she took the kids and some things and went to Houston, now she is playing games with me, we never planned this to be anything other than a trial work thing for her. She is withholding the children from me, she did this in June 2006 and I rarely saw them for 18 months.

Plus that, she works till 10pm so they stay in a daycare until then, from school.
I want them back here with me, in a stable home.

Can I at least go get my son? And once he is here, he will stay with me.
How can I keep her from coming here? He name is in process of being off the lease. 

My husband and I have 2 girls, 4 and 2, I have filed for divorce and am wanting to be able to move a few hours away, which is back home for me.  We have lived in this city for 7 years.  I really want to be back with my family and friends, I know it might be a little selfish, but I think they would have a better life there as well not here.  With that being said, I would just like to know if anyone has experienced this and the judge actually did let you move where you wanted too with your children as long as vistitaion was followed.   Any input would be appreciated!
Stressed!

=== I moved this message into the right topic... oops ===

http://boards.ojar.com/index.php/topic,52022.0.html

I am meeting with a new lawyer next Thursday to discuss revising my existing custody agreement. 

In the interests of saving time (which as you may know with lawyer REALLY means money), I'm going to put together a wish list or proposed amendment before I go to the meeting.  Santa's coming...and he brought you a divorce...again!  Whee! 

I'd love to get your suggestions, preferably if you've gone through something similar. 

Right now I have joint legal/physical custody.  I want sole legal custody. 

My daughter spends MWF and alternating Sundays with her dad.  I think I want to make some kind of change to that arrangement because there's too much of back and forth.  Daughter stays up late at their house and then is tired and cranky the next day. 

More importantly, the ex-h lives in a one bedroom apartment - one bedroom, a living room with a semi-detached kitchen and a bathroom.  Tiny, plus did I mention that he and his new wife had a baby in March?  Daughter sleeps in the living room on a sofa bed.   I don't like that.

Right now, I would need to apply for permission to move more than 100 hundred miles away.  With legal custody, I'd like to be able to move wherever I want.

I don't get much child support now.  I don't know as I'd ask for more, but I would like to file for damages for the summer camp I had to pay for alone last summer, plus the mediation fees I had to pay myself...and maybe even the babysitting fees they charged me!

Those of you who have sole legal custody, talk to me! I'm especially interested in ideas regarding how to modify the physical custody arrangement to something that would be more beneficial and consistent for the child.