Speak to an attorney now!
(866) 521-8249
Call today for a free phone consultation.
Se Habla Español
(866) 521-8249
Call today for a free phone consultation.
Se Habla Español
Paul E. St. Amant
California Family and Criminal Law Attorney
Latest News
1/23/2008
Lessons to be Learned from the Randy Moss restraining order filing
12/14/2007
Yet more locations to serve you!
RSS NewsfeedOffice: (866) 521-8249
Fax: (714) 680-9982
Se Habla Español
Paul E. St. Amant
California Family and Criminal Law Attorney
Services
Family Law
AdoptionWhether you are seeking to have a new step-parent become the adoptive parent or you are trying to terminate the rights of a 'dead beat' parent, the adoption process may be the appropriate route for you - Call us now for a free adoption consultation!
Annulment / Nullity
An annulment or nullity proceeding is a Court finding that the marriage at issue never even existed! Not all marriages qualify for a nullity. If you want to find out if you qualify, call us now for a free consultation!
Child Custody / Child Visitation
Child custody and visitation in California is undoubtedly the most fought over area of a family law proceeding. The presumption in California family law is that each parent has an equal right to the child(ren) unless there is an argument to be made otherwise. Mr. St. Amant has litigated this issue to trial on numerous occassions in an effort to fight for what the parent wants. If you need to put up a fight, call now for a free consultation.
Child Support / DA - DCSS ( Department of Child Support Services ) Involvement
There are many complex issues that face a parent who is having support collected from them with the assistance of the Department of Child Support Services. A parent delinquent in child support may have their driver's license revoked, their professional license suspended (e.g. Contractor License), or even be put in jail! If you need to get your license back or stay out of jail due to delinquent support or you want to lower or eliminate some or all of your old support debt, call now to learn more about how you can accomplish your goals efficiently with the assistance of an attorney who has dealt with the Department of Child Support Services for years with positive results.
Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
A civil harassment restraining order protects a person who is in fear of harm from another person. This type of restraining order is not designed for those who are seeking protection from a spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend (see Domestic Violence Restraining Order). If you believe someone is harassing you or someone has accused you of harassment, call us now, we can help.
Community / Separate Property Classification and Division
Generally speaking any property one acquires before marriage or after separation is the separate property of the person acquiring. Property acquired during marriage is generally community property (unless acquired by gift or inheritance and not "commingled" with community property). This can often be a very heated area of debate. Mr. St. Amant has taken virtually every type of property issue to trial on behalf of his clients. Call now to discuss your property questions!
Contempt Filings and Defense
Tired of your ex-spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend not complying with Court orders and not suffering any consequences? If so you may need to file a contempt action against that party. If you think you have such a case call now. If someone has filed a contempt case against you, you are facing the possibility of sanctions which may include large fines and/or jail, or an eventual change in the custody arrangement between the parties. You have a right to an attorney in either event - Call now to find out your rights, we can help!
Default / Uncontested Matters
Are you and your ex trying to resolve your split amicably and without spending an arm and a leg? Often times if there is little or no property involved in a short relationship and you can agree on child custody and visitation, a "settlement agreement" can be signed between the parties that drastically reduces your overall cost. Call us now to see if you qualify!
Divorce / Dissolution
Dissolution is the termination of the status of the marriage and as a compenent of the dissolution all the issues of the marriage are addressed - property, children, and support. Mr. St. Amant has taken to trial every one of these issues on behalf of his clients. Whether you believe you have an amicable divorce or you know difficult times are ahead, call now - we can help.
Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
Unfortunately one of the most common routes into the Family Law Courts is the Domestic Violence Restraining Order. These proceedings are very complex, can be very contentious, and have severe consequences to the parties involved. For example if a parent is found by the Court to have committed Domestic Violence upon the other parent, the Court must consider that when making orders regarding custody and visitation of the children. Whether you are a victim of domestic violence or have been accused of domestic violence, we can help - Call Now!
Legal Separation
Sometimes a party wants to accomplish all you can in a divorce but without terminating their status as a married person. This may be for insurance reasons, military status, or religious concerns, to name a few. These are settings where legal separation may be the preferred route. To learn more about whether legal separation is right for you call us now!
Mediation / Arbitration
In California Family Law, in order for the Courts to make orders regarding custody and visitation the parties must first be ordered to mediation. This is done outside of a Court room with an independent professional third party who attempts to bring the parties to an agreement on issues relating to child custody and visitation. In some counties, mediators also make recommendations to the Court on what custody and visitation should be like regardless of whether an agreement is reached in mediation. It is very important then to be fully prepared at mediation so as not to jeapordize your custdody and visitation desires. Call us now to learn how we can help with your mediation.
Minor's Counsel / Child Custody Investigations (CCI), 730 Evaluations
In todays more contentious child custody cases, the Court will often appoint an attorney to represent the children and the children alone. The cost of that counsel is borne by the parties to the case (or by one of the parties depending upon the facts). Other times the Court may order that a child custody investigation or a 730 evaluation take place. These types of evaluations are conducted by professionals who after a thorough investigation make a reccomendation to the Court regarding what they believe is in the best interest of the child. This process requires extensive preparation and if not handled correctly can permanently affect your child custody arrangement. Call now to learn how we can help!
Order to Show Cause Hearings
An Order to Show Cause (OSC) is a hearing wherein the parties appear in Court to request orders be made regarding whatever issues the parties cannot agree upon. Appropriate preparation of documents for filing with the Court prior to the hearing as well as preparation for the hearing itself is vital to getting the results you desire. Call us now to see how we can help you get the results you want.
Paternity Cases / Contesting Paternity / Parentage
Any case that involves children between parties that are not married is classified as a 'paternity case' even though there may be no dispute about actual paternity. If there is a dispute about paternity then a paternity case needs to filed and a paternity test should be done to establish parentage as soon as possible. The process can be a daunting one - call now for help from an experienced attorney!
QDRO / Qualified Domestic Relations Orders
If you were married to a person who has/had a pension/401k plan, that is an asset that should be divided equally between the parties upon dissolution. Sounds easy enough right? Wrong. The process of preparing a qualified domestic relations order, submitting it to the pension plan for approval, then submitting it to the Court for filing can be very difficult and time consuming. Call us now to find out how we can make the process painless.
Spousal Support / Alimony
Any time parties are married and upon dissolution/separation one party continues to make less then the other party, spousal support may be an issue. Whether you are seeking support or opposed to paying it, call now to learn more about what the Court may consider in ordering spousal support.