Provinziano and Associates

06/05/2026

For those who navigated property division involving an inheritance, the asset that ended up on the table is often one that felt protected at the time. A house inherited before the marriage. An account kept in one name but used for joint expenses. Money from a parent's estate that funded a remodel or a down payment.

No legal advice in the comments, please.

🔗 Read the full article here: https://provinziano.com/blog/can-my-inheritance-be-taken-in-a-divorce/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=inheritance_divorce&utm_content=moore_marsden

06/04/2026

It's my inheritance, my spouse can't touch it" is one of the most common assumptions in California family law, and one of the most expensive ones to be wrong about.

The statute protects the inheritance. It doesn't protect every decision made with it afterward.

Full breakdown of how inherited real estate is treated in California divorceon our blog:

California Family Code § 770 classifies inheritance as separate property, regardless of when you received it. That classification holds as long as the

06/04/2026

When parents separate, one of the first questions is often: Who gets custody?

In California, there is no automatic preference for the parent who gave birth. If you are a legal parent — including being listed on the birth certificate — you begin with equal rights.

Custody decisions are not based on biology or who filed first. They are based on one legal standard: the best interest of the child.

That means courts look at stability, safety, caregiving history, and what schedule best supports the child’s well-being.

If you’re navigating a custody issue, understanding this framework matters.

06/01/2026

If you inherited a house in California, then used marital earnings during the marriage to pay down the mortgage, the community may have a proportional interest in the equity built during that time.

The rule is called Moore/Marsden. It doesn't convert the house into community property. It gives the community a share of the appreciation and principal reduction the marital effort helped create.

Routine payments — interest, taxes, insurance — generally don't create the same kind of claim, because they don't build equity. The distinction matters at division, and it matters before division if there's any plan to refinance, retitle, or renovate.

Full breakdown of how inherited real estate is treated in California divorce on our blog:

California Family Code § 770 classifies inheritance as separate property, regardless of when you received it. That classification holds as long as the

05/29/2026

California gives divorcing couples real choice in how their disputes get resolved. Court offers full appellate rights but a public record and a judge you don't pick. Arbitration offers privacy, scheduling control, and a specialized decision-maker, but limited ability to challenge a wrong outcome.

We're curious how people weigh that trade-off. General perspectives are welcome, but please don't post anything that amounts to legal advice.

05/28/2026

In complex divorce and separation cases, financial transparency is critical.

Attorneys often work with forensic accountants to analyze financial records, trace assets, and evaluate businesses where income or profits may not be immediately clear.

Techniques like financial tracing and detailed review of accounting records can help uncover the true financial picture — particularly when one spouse has historically managed the finances.

05/28/2026

A lot of people assume divorce arbitration in California is just a more formal version of mediation. It isn't.

A mediator helps both spouses negotiate toward an agreement, but doesn't decide anything. An arbitrator does decide. In binding arbitration, both spouses present evidence, the arbitrator issues a written award, and once the court confirms it, that award becomes enforceable as a judgment — the same as any family court order.
That distinction matters a lot, especially in high-asset cases where the financial stakes are real and the appeal rights after a binding award are narrow.

🔗 Read the full article here: https://provinziano.com/blog/divorce-arbitration-in-california/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=divorce_arbitration&utm_content=mediation_misconception

05/26/2026

Divorce arbitration in California can be a strong fit for complex financial disputes — business valuation, separate vs. community property tracing, stock options, deferred compensation, real estate allocation.

What's worth knowing before agreeing to it: custody and child support are treated differently. A judge still reviews custody against the best-interest standard and child support against the statewide formula, regardless of what the arbitrator decided. Parents can use arbitration to work through those issues, but the court has the final word.

The full guide walks through where arbitration works well and where its limits are.

🔗 Read the full article here:

Divorce arbitration is a private, binding alternative to a courtroom trial where both spouses submit contested issues to a neutral expert who issues a final

05/25/2026

Today we remember the service members who gave their lives in service to this country.

Our offices are closed in observance of Memorial Day. We'll be back tomorrow.

05/22/2026

Supervised visitation in California has no fixed end date. It ends when the original concern has been addressed and there's a record showing it.

That raises a real question for a lot of families: once a parent has built a consistent pattern of safe, child-focused visits, how much weight should that carry, and how quickly?

Curious how people see this. Thoughtful comments welcome — general perspectives only, nothing that amounts to legal advice.