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Skilled San Jose Area Lawyer

Consultation - Domestic Partnership - Paternity

In California, divorce and family law matters are complex and involve more than just the common issues. If you need assistance with family law issues beyond custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and property division, attorney Sandra J. McManus can help. The Law Offices of Sandra J. McManus can assist clients in Santa Clara County with a wide range of other issues, including consultant work, registered domestic partnerships, and paternity.

Counsel from a Consulting Attorney

If after your free initial half-hour consultation you still need information or want us to review or draft documents, Ms. McManus is available on an hourly basis. Ms. McManus can work with you as a consulting attorney, which allows you to still represent yourself but also have experienced counsel to guide you. At the Law Offices of Sandra J. McManus, our goal is to help facilitate the completion of work that parties are working on together.

Registered Domestic Partnerships

In California, registered domestic partnerships involve same-sex couples or non-married couples where one partner is over 65 years old. Domestic partnerships are registered with the Secretary of State, and they allow partners to receive insurance benefits, retirement benefits, inheritance rights, and other rights enjoyed by married couples.

Prior to the law changing in January 1, 2005, assets that couples had were not considered community assets. The law changed and currently, if you are in a registered domestic partnership, your assets are considered community assets retroactive to the day you registered your partnership. This means that if you decide to terminate your partnership, your assets are subject to community property law. You could also have issues of support and child custody and visitation. Until June 1, 2005, couples had the opportunity to enter into Partnership Agreements that are similar to pre-nuptial agreements; however, this option is no longer available.

Registered domestic partnerships are becoming similar to marriages in many other ways. Couples were previously able to simply send a letter to the state to dissolve a registered domestic partnership. Now, partnership dissolution requires more formality and adherence to the legal process. Contact us to speak with our attorney about registered domestic partnership issues.

Paternity

A paternity action is a legal proceeding to legally establish the father-child relationship when the child's parents are not married. Paternity attorney Sandra J. McManus can help with everything from establishing parental rights in order to gain custody or visitation rights to establishing paternity in order to collect child support. If you know who your child's father is, but you do not put it writing and seek an official judgment of paternity, the child will not be entitled to the father's Social Security benefits and will not have inheritance rights in the father's estate. Even if the father's name is on the child's birth certificate, it is very important to get an official judgment of paternity so that the child can get the necessary benefits if something happens to his or her father. Legal paternity is also required to establish court orders governing child support, child custody and visitation.

Contact Us

Sandra J. McManus has spent more than 13 years helping people throughout Santa Clara County with their family law matters. Contact us to schedule a half-hour initial consultation, which is free except in mediation matters.

Experienced, Compassionate Santa Clara County Family Law Attorney

Law Offices of Sandra J. McManus
31 E. Julian Street
San Jose, CA 95112

Phone: (408) 293-6383
Fax: (408) 292-8522
Email

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