HOw Does FAMILY Really Work?

Think family court will help when your marriage breaks up ? How about for a custody dispute? Wnat to make allegations of domestic violence ignored by police? 

In family court there are no juries, and you are probably going to need a lawyer to understand what is going on. For those who can't afford a lawyer, you are going to spend a long time in the self- help line. There are words you won't understand and processes that make no sense. If you have to represent yourself, a judge will tell you that you have to know the law, even if you have never been to law school.

The myth about community property ? That is easily avoided by claiming your ex is crazy or abusive. 

What matters most in family court? Your ex spouse's lawyer and the assigngment of the judge. It only takes one spouse with a secret, or disgrace so great, they will pay a lawyer their life time savings  just to keep that secret from coming out. In family court there is no jury, and rarely is the media or public watching. 

Think you can't afford a lawyer? They are going to get the money out of you someway. Retainers can run $50-100,000  and the lawyers are happy to put a lien on your house, bank accounts and paycheck to make sure they get paid. 

Any divorce or family law case will go the wrong direction with the right attorney. Divorce cases of lawyers and wealthy former spouses in Caliofrnia shows just how that looks. 

In San Diego, attorney Jeff Walker was overheard talking to his attorney buddy, Mike Young, about how to bury a domestic violence case and protect his law firm, back in 2015. Walker reportedly did not file for divorce until 2021. The six years of plotting allowed Walker to hide money from his wife through  his law firm. Money hidden in trust accounts and concealed files she would never find, or get half of. Walker told his lawyer buddies. 

In Silicon Valley, a former nanny married,  to wealthy real estate developer was approached by divorce attorneys Brad Baugh and Sharon Roper, claiming  they could get women more than their fair share in a divorce  by claiming a husband was abusive. The evil legal duo wrecked through the counnity. 

In Santa Clara County Jim Hoover was heard at WomenSV claiming he had billed $350,000 to a mother married to a a big real estate titan and never did any legal work as he threw her case. 

In Los Angeles, real estate attorney Reid Breitman was overheard telling  his attorney buddies how he would use his law firm to screw his former wife. For years before the divorce, Breitman reportedly set up slush funds with settlement money brought in by deals made with Thomas Giaradi. These deals included buying houses for attorneys and sitting judges and laundering money which the FBI did nothing about. Former Chief Justice Bigelow and divorce attorney Chrisphopher Melcher was in on the housing scam with Breitman from LA to Silicon Valley. 

These lawyers are drainig all the money from community estates and laundering much of it through their attorney trust accounts and equity found in the family homes of splitting spouses and their children. 

So how do these upper middle class families get wiped out in family court? This year, some folks have gotten together to explain how it works.