Los Angeles Family Law Blog

It probably comes as no surprise that one of the top sticking points for couples who are going through a divorce is money. This can get especially complicated for large assets such as real estate. When two people divorce and the family home is going to one of the two spouses, many issues will come up that might not have been thought of before.

In some divorces, one person will continue living in the home but the title -- and the mortgage -- won't change. Unless a home is refinanced, both names generally have to stay on and be responsible for payments.

When most people in California who have children get divorced, child support is often one of the issues that is likely to come up. For people of modest incomes, the amounts can be significant. In many cases, parents need just about every dollar they can to make sure their children have enough to get by.

It might be tempting to think that people with gigantic incomes and assets don't have to endure the same kind of jockeying for position and squabbles like the rest of us might -- but a recent case among some of the nation's wealthiest people shows that this isn't necessarily so.

Divorce is a big step for people in Los Angeles to take. Once a divorce has been finalized, it might be the end of a marriage but it's the beginning of a new life living apart from a partner who may have been a companion for decades.

For people who were fortunate enough to come away with a large divorce settlement, decisions will have to be made about what to do with the windfall. For some people, they may be presented with a choice between putting money away for retirement and immediately paying off a mortgage.

One of the consequences of having a so-called reality television show about one's life is that every aspect is fair game for public consumption. This is exemplified by the "Real Housewives" franchise, which has two versions in Southern California: the original series, which focused on Orange County, and a second version featuring women from Beverly Hills.

One of the other versions of the show, from Atlanta, has made household names out of its stars, including Porsha Stewart, who is married to former NFL quarterback Kordell "Slash" Stewart. It was reported recently that Kordell Stewart filed for divorce recently, which could throw a wrench into the plotting of the show -- let alone the lives of the two people involved.