LegalDocsA2Z

10/05/2026

Unfortunately, I haven’t been blessed with glamorous travel photos lately. Apparently, running a busy law practice while approaching the finish line of my CPA exams does not qualify as a vacation. 😂

So while everyone else is posting beautiful pictures from Europe, Hawaii, and exotic beaches, here I am making sure that Major receives his court-ordered QUALITY CUSTODIAL TIME. 🐾⚖️

As a family law attorney, I constantly remind my busy-mom custody clients: quality time with your children matters. When we are trying to establish or modify custody, it is not only about how many hours you have—it is about being present, involved, and building that relationship.

My boys are grown, so Major is now my 92-pound “baby.” And as these pictures demonstrate, he appears quite satisfied with the current custody arrangement. Belly rubs are apparently included in my parenting plan.

Meanwhile, please notice the dinosaur bone attempting to escape from my back. 🦖 Apparently I have become so skinny from working and studying that I am slowly transforming into a prehistoric family law attorney. No time to eat. No time to travel. But somehow there is ALWAYS time for Major’s custodial visitation.

Moral of the story: You may not have time for everything, but always make time for those you love—even if they have four legs, demand belly rubs, and contribute absolutely nothing toward attorney fees. 😂❤️

08/31/2026

The Law Office of Angela Schmidt is resuming its free legal-information posts — although what used to be a weekly tradition has temporarily become more of an “occasional, whenever CPA studying gives me permission” tradition. 🙂

This time, I am covering one of the most frequently disputed issues in California divorce cases: modification or possible termination of spousal support when the supported former spouse is cohabiting with someone else.

Cohabitation does not automatically terminate spousal support in California, but it can create a rebuttable presumption of decreased need for support. The article discusses what California courts mean by cohabitation, what evidence may be used to prove it, and how it can affect a request to modify spousal support.

Read the article here:
https://legaldocsa2z.com/blog/proving-cohabitation-to-stop-alimony/

As always, the post is provided for general legal information and education and is not legal advice for any particular case.

Law Office of Angela Schmidt
California Family Law Attorney
714-390-3766

Learn how cohabitation may affect California spousal support and what evidence may help establish shared residence, finances, expenses, and household conduct.

08/14/2026

🎂 MY BIRTHDAY, SHOELESS, AND WHITNEY HOUSTON 🎶

First of all, a million thank-you to everyone—friends, former and current clients, colleagues, and family—who called, texted, emailed, messaged me, or posted on Facebook with wonderful birthday wishes.

Your kindness and attention truly touched me. And now, to explain why this thank-you is slightly delayed, I must share a completely true story.

About two weeks before my birthday—and, importantly, only two days before the third section of my CPA exam—my husband called and asked:

“What do you want for your birthday?”

At that moment, my life consisted of practicing law, studying for the CPA exam, and jogging whenever I could escape from both. Coincidentally, one of my shoelaces had just broken.

So, after approximately twenty seconds of deep birthday reflection, I answered:

“Shoelaces.”

Very romantic. Very glamorous. Very me.

I had already ordered replacements from Amazon, but they arrived long enough to tie together a small family. My husband gently observed that perhaps I should have counted the holes in my tennis shoes before ordering.

Apparently, shoelace purchasing requires more due diligence than I had performed.

Nevertheless, he insisted that shoelaces were not an acceptable birthday present and kept asking me to choose something else.

Finally, perhaps to make him stop asking—or perhaps because two days before a CPA exam is exactly when the human brain makes its finest decisions—I gave him an unusual assignment:

“I want a dress like the one Whitney Houston wore while singing ‘I Have Nothing.’”

Then I immediately forgot the entire conversation.

My husband, however, took this assignment much more seriously than anticipated.

Within twenty minutes, I received approximately thirty texts and emails containing photographs of dresses. Suddenly, instead of studying auditing, I became deeply involved in a highly technical “compare-and-contrast project” involving necklines, waistlines, sleeves, fabric, elegance, and the precise degree of Whitney Houston.

Nothing quite captured the beauty I had imagined.

At that point, taking my exam in two days became nearly impossible—not because accounting is difficult, but because my husband and I had accidentally established an international fashion-search committee.

Eventually, after extensive research, vigorous negotiations, and the fullest exercise of male fashion imagination, we found the dress!

It was ordered directly from Germany and arrived exactly three days after my birthday—which, honestly, was perfect timing for this story.

So today, I publicly thank my husband for his heroic effort, patience, and willingness to conduct an international investigation into Whitney Houston’s wardrobe.

And once again, thank you from my heart to every one of you for your beautiful birthday wishes, friendship, trust, and attention.

As a family-law and divorce attorney, I will finish with a little free professional advice:

Keep humor alive in your family.

It makes life more interesting, marriages stronger—and may save you from ever needing a divorce attorney. 😄

Although, if the humor fails completely, you already know where to find me. ⚖️

07/07/2026

Living Revocable Trusts and True Love ❤️🐾

Happy belated Fourth of July to my friends, clients, and future clients!

Some of my clients have gently complained over the years that my page contains too many "boring" divorce and estate planning articles. So, I'm trying to do a better job of sharing a little more of my life—and maybe a smile or two—along with legal information.

If you think this post is about true love between a husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, or even parents and children... wrong guess!

As a family law and estate planning attorney, I spend my days helping clients through divorces, restraining orders, custody disputes, and preparing living revocable trusts and wills. Sadly, I also see people disinherit spouses, children, siblings, and other loved ones. Beneficiaries on retirement accounts and life insurance policies are often changed after relationships end.

But there is one family member who almost never gets disinherited...

The family dog. 🐶

When our boys were little, my husband and I spent every July 4th trying to figure out how to entertain them. Now they're 19 and 22, and they certainly don't need us to plan their holiday anymore!

There is, however, one member of the family who still waits patiently for our attention every single day.

Major.

While I'm usually buried in legal files or studying for the CPA exam, and my husband is working in the Bay Area while the rest of us live in Huntington Beach, Major patiently waits for the next adventure.

So this year we decided to make a real commitment to making him happy.

We packed up the car and drove eight hours each way to the San Francisco Bay Area, where we rented a beautiful ranch surrounded by forests, wildlife, and complete peace and quiet.

For Major, it was paradise.

He finally got to:

🐾 Run through the forest.
🐾 Go jogging with me off leash (something that's practically impossible in Huntington Beach).
🐾 Ride the famous Roaring Camp Railroad through the redwoods.
🐾 Spend precious time with my husband, whom he misses while he's working in Northern California.

Of course... Major's wild side eventually made an appearance.

Let's just say his enthusiasm became a little too enthusiastic, and he briefly ended up in "jail." 🤣 (You'll understand when you see the photos!)

Fortunately, he was released on good behavior—and after paying his attorney's fee in belly rubs.

Working in estate planning has taught me something interesting.

I have prepared hundreds of living revocable trusts and wills, yet surprisingly few people include clear instructions about who will care for their beloved dogs or cats if something happens to them.

The clients who do include their pets in their estate plans never ask me to disinherit them.

Maybe that's because pets never care how much money you make, never argue over inheritances, never file restraining orders, and never forget to love you.

They simply remain loyal, innocent, and dedicated to making your life better every single day.

So while you're thinking about protecting the people you love, don't forget the family members who greet you at the door with a wagging tail instead of a legal demand.

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer from our family—and especially from Major! ❤️🐾

06/11/2026

What Is the Similarity Between Swimming During an Orange County Beach Hazard Warning and Going to a Divorce Trial?

Today I received a Beach Hazard Warning: "High rip current risk. Hazardous swimming conditions."

After 25 years of marriage, my husband knows me well. When I texted him asking if I should go swimming, he already knew the answer.

His answer: "Why are you asking me? No matter what I say, you're going anyway."

As I was getting pulled farther and farther from shore, I realized that a contested divorce trial is a lot like swimming during a beach hazard warning.

You start with confidence. Then after a while you start wondering, "Can I actually get back from here?"

The ocean pulls you farther out. A divorce trial does the same thing. What was supposed to take one day turns into continuances, more hearings, and more attorney fees while clients are running out of money.

Then comes the washing machine phase. The waves toss you around just like the judge, opposing counsel, and sometimes even your own client.

If you're lucky, you eventually make it back to shore — exhausted, soaked from head to toe, and wondering what just happened.

That is exactly why I am such a believer in amicable resolutions, mediation, and uncontested divorce.

(And yes, my son wisely refused to go into the water because the waves were huge. Smart kid. At least he filmed the evidence!)

03/09/2026

Happy International Women’s Day to all my wonderful female clients, dear friends, and every woman reading this post today.

Some friends recently asked if I had “disappeared” from Facebook. I promise I didn’t — I’ve simply been very busy with my legal practice and studying. I recently passed one of the most difficult parts of the CPA exam, Financial Accounting and Reporting, so for now my adventures mostly involve textbooks rather than travel photos.

That said, I’m constantly reminded how lucky I am to live just a five-minute walk from the ocean. Any time I swim, my heart fills with gratitude for this beautiful life and the incredible place we call home.

Today was one of those days. The weather was warm and beautiful, although the ocean was not particularly friendly — very cold water, strong currents, and it’s only the beginning of March. I’m not quite ready to become a mermaid yet! Still, I went swimming three times today and enjoyed every moment.

My son captured a few funny ocean videos and photos that I’m sharing here. After all, divorce attorneys must be brave — whether facing strong ocean currents, cold water, or sometimes even warnings about sharks and stingrays. Honestly, sometimes the ocean still feels more relaxing than family law court.

On this International Women’s Day, my wish for all of you is simple:
Enjoy what you love, keep growing, and keep your heart open with gratitude.

We truly have so much to be thankful for — the peace we have, the beautiful place we live, and the opportunities life gives us.

Wishing all of you a joyful and inspiring International Women’s Day.

12/26/2025

🎄✨ Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ✨🎄
from the Law Office of Angela Schmidt and my family

As we wrap up another year, I want to take a moment to thank all of my current and former clients for trusting me with some of the most important (and often most emotional) moments of their lives.

As a family law attorney handling divorces, child custody, and domestic violence matters—and as an estate planning attorney helping families with trusts and wills (including those moments when parents reconsider beneficiaries after being just a little upset with their kids 😉)—I see every day that life is… complicated.

This holiday season, my wish is simple:

fewer domestic violence calls during the holidays

fewer attempts to disinherit children out of holiday frustration

more patience, forgiveness, and peace in our homes

Life isn’t perfect for everyone, and one of its biggest challenges is learning how to forgive, love, and stay flexible enough to change our behavior so we can be loved in return.

I’m sharing a few photos of what really matters most to me:
my husband, our two sons (who make us incredibly proud as they work in cutting-edge high-tech companies while continuing their education), and of course our beloved dog, Major, who keeps us all grounded 🐾

Unlike many attorneys, I’m not big on polished, staged photos. Most of the time you’ll find me in jeans, sportswear, or whatever I wore that day (as you may recall from past posts 😄).
But for this special Christmas season, I even dressed up in a yellow dress—just to add a little holiday, party-like cheer and variety this year!

From our family to yours, I wish you a peaceful, healthy, and joyful holiday season, and a New Year filled with clarity, kindness, and hope.

12/11/2025

💼 Thinking about how a business is valued during divorce in California?
It’s one of the most complex and misunderstood parts of family law — and we’re here to help.
📌 The Law Office of Angela Schmidt is offering free guidance and resources to help you better understand how businesses are valued in a California divorce — whether you're a business owner or married to one.
With both a background in law and a Master’s degree in Accounting — along with ongoing CPA-level financial training — Attorney Angela Schmidt brings a unique perspective to these financially complex cases. She knows exactly where accounting meets the courtroom.
https://legaldocsa2z.com/blog/how-california-courts-value-a-spouses-business-in-divorce/

11/29/2025

Happy (slightly belated) Thanksgiving from the Law Office of Angela Schmidt — and from my whole family, including our loyal protection dog, Major! 🍁
As many of you already know, we like to make our holiday posts a little more entertaining and a lot more creative. This year, we took “digging for answers” to a whole NEW level…
because the entire law office (yes, including Major!) took a short Thanksgiving break to go gold mining! 🪙⛏️
And let me tell you:
If you ever wondered whether a divorce attorney and an estate planning lawyer can survive the wilderness—apparently yes.
But the real star of the operation was Major, who took gold digging VERY seriously. We have photos and videos coming, so prepare yourselves… I think he may have a future career in the mining industry if he ever retires from security work. 🐕💪😂
While we worked hard in the gold fields, it also gave me a moment to reflect on what I’m truly grateful for:
✨ Our clients and former clients
✨ Your trust in handling your most complex family law matters
✨ Your confidence in the estate plans we build to protect your loved ones
Thank you for allowing me to serve you. Thank you for trusting me with your stories, your challenges, and your hopes. And thank you for letting my practice continue to grow with purpose and heart.
From our entire family (and our gold-digging dog Major), we wish you a warm, joyful, and peace-filled Thanksgiving weekend.
May your homes be full of love… and your pockets maybe a little full of gold this year too. 😉
With gratitude and affection,
Angela Schmidt & Family
Law Office of Angela Schmidt
🧡🍂