• Jurisdictions Attorney is Licensed in: California
• Date Admitted to the Bar: 1975
• Colleges Attended, Degree & Year Graduated: California State University Northridge, 1971; University of San Fernando Valley College of Law (University of LaVerne), 1975

• State Bar of California
• United States District Court
• San Fernando Valley Bar Association
• Member of family law mediation panels in both Northwest District (Van Nuys) and North Valley District (San Fernando)
  
• Superior Courts of Los Angeles County, Martindale Hubbell “B-V” peer rating.

• Graduated UCLA, 1968
• Graduated Southwestern University School of Law, 1973
• Admitted to the Bar in June of 1974

• Past District Governor Rotary International, District 5260
• Past President of North San Fernando Valley Rotary Club
• Board of Managers of North Valley Family YMCA

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Divorce:
A court of law is the only way one can obtain a divorce decree, dissolution, legal separation, nullity or other form of terminating a marriage. Other than the termination of the marital estate, the court also has jurisdiction to resolve other issues that are intertwined in the existing marriage which include, but are not limited to: custody and visitation rights, division of property of the marital estate, spousal support, child support, restraining orders, etc.

Child Custody:
Custody is the charge and control of a child, including the right to make all major decisions such as education, religious upbringing, training, health and welfare. Custody usually refers to a combination of physical custody and legal custody. Many factors influence an award of custody and the way a case is presented in court can have a large impact on the result for you and your children. If you are awarded the children as a primary custodial parent, it has far reaching consequences both to you and to their well-being and development.

Child Support:
Child support is a periodic payment made to a custodial parent from a non-custodial parent to help compensate a child's living expenses, i.e. food, clothes, etc., and any other related debts. When one parent is awarded sole custody, as in the event of a divorce, the non-custodial parent is required to fulfill his or her child support obligation by making set payments, whereas the custodial parent meets his or her support obligation through the custody itself. When parents are awarded joint custody in a divorce, however, the support obligation is shared and is based on a ratio of each parent's income and the amount of time the child spends with each parent.

The obligation to support minor children cannot be waived by either parent and is a right enjoyed by the child, not the parent. Each state has guidelines that factor the amount of child support, such as the amount of time spent with the child, the income of both parents and the standard of living the child is accustomed to. ; The court may allow deductions for items such as catastrophic medical expenses and travel expenses for visitation.

Spousal Support (Alimony):
Alimony is temporary or permanent financial support paid from one separated spouse to the other, either in one lump sum or in installments. ; Alimony is designed to provide the lower-income spouse with money for living expenses over and above the money provided by child support.  Alimony differs from child support because it is at the discretion of the judge. Child support is usually determined by state-sanctioned guidelines.

There are several factors a judge considers when deciding whether to grant alimony. These differ from state to state, of course, but they usually involve things like the parties' relative ability to earn money, both now and in the future; their respective age and health; the length of the marriage; the kind of property involved, and the conduct of the parties. In general, about the only time a judge will award alimony in most states is where one spouse has been economically dependent on the other spouse for most of a lengthy marriage.

Property and Debt Division:
Marital property attained during marriage, regardless of whose name it is under, can be divided. Marital property can include real estate (including a home bought in contemplation of marriage), pension plans, vehicles, bank accounts, income tax refunds and/or household furnishings. However, property that is inherited by one spouse is not considered marital property, i.e. a family business or estate. If you are contractually bound with your ex-spouse on a debt, the creditor can require the entire payment of that debt from your share of the community property even though the divorce decree assigns the debt to your ex-spouse. Depending on the terms of your divorce decree, you may be able to have certain support obligations under the divorce decree determined to be non-dischargeable by the bankruptcy court or in state court.

Prenuptial Agreements:
A prenuptial, or premarital agreement (often referred to as a "pre-nup") is a written contract created by two individuals who plan to be married. This agreement lists all individually owned property, such as homes and businesses, family assets, stocks and bonds, savings accounts as well as debts, and specifies what will and will not remain individually owned property after the legalization of marriage. Prenuptial agreements also specify whether spousal support will be paid in the event of a divorce, and the intentions regarding distribution of individually owned property upon death.

A factor that cannot be stipulated in a prenuptial agreement is child support. A couple cannot lawfully agree in a prenuptial agreement that either part will in no way be responsible for child support. Also, a few states do not allow prenuptial agreements to modify or eliminate the right of a spouse to receive court-ordered alimony at divorce, although a prenuptial agreement can facilitate in the degree of compensation.

Adoption:
Adoption is the legal process by which a person becomes a lawful member of a family different from their birth family.  Once a final order of adoption has been ruled by a court of law, the adoptive parents gain the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them; subsequently, an adopted child gains the same rights as birth children in regard to inheritance, child support and other legal matters.  In most U.S. jurisdictions, at the time the adoption is finalized, the adopted child's name is legally changed and the court orders the issuance of a new, amended birth certificate.

Paternity:
Paternity covers all the matters related to proving the parentage of a child or children. For married couples, paternity of a child is assumed to be the spouse, unless there is a court order or judgment stating otherwise. For unwed parents, paternity can be established by signing an Affidavit of Parentage or by filing a paternity action with the court.

Legally establishing paternity or determining that someone is not the parent of child can have a significant impact on divorce settlements, property division, child custody, child support and the ability to move out of state. Determinations of paternity can also have a significant impact on interstate conflict between unwed parents.

If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced Los Angeles Family Law lawyer, call the Law Offices of Grossman & Mahan today at 866-632-4604, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule a free consultation.

Child Custody:
A court is guided by one principle when deciding the issue of child custody. That principle is the best interest of the child. The best interest of the child is determined by examining the child's relationship with the parents and important family members, the child's health and social development, and the child's general well-being. The Law Offices of Grossman & Mahan provides experienced legal representation in child custody cases.

Divorce and Community Property:
You probably know that assets acquired together during the marriage such as a home, vehicles, personal property and bank accounts are community property. However, did you know that businesses, life insurance, annuities, royalties, retirement pensions and other employee benefits may also be wholly or partially community property? These issues can be complex. The Law Offices of Grossman & Mahan will provide experienced representation to ensure that your right to receive your proper share of the community property is enforced.

Child Support:
In a divorce case or in any other proceeding involving minor children, the court must make orders for child support. These orders are based upon statewide mandatory guidelines which consider the number of children, percentage of time spent with each parent, both parents’ incomes, child care costs, and allowable deductions such as health insurance premiums and union dues. A non custodial parent who has 20% time with two children and earns $5,000 per month could pay over $1,200 per month to a custodial parent earning $1,000 per month. The Law Offices of Grossman & Mahan will provide experienced representation to ensure that you pay or receive the proper amount of child support.

Prenuptial Agreements:
To ensure that your property and income remain your separate property and do not become community property, you must consider the benefits of a prenuptial agreement before entering into a marriage. The Law Offices of Grossman & Mahan specializes in the preparation of prenuptial agreements and will advise and represent you in all aspects of a prenuptial agreement