California Paralegal Manual: Family Law is written by a highly respected family law attorney, along with a senior paralegal and Rutter Group author with extensive family law experience. Their combined talent in the field gives readers the advantage and benefit of learning the fundamentals of family law from both perspectives, helping the paralegal become an optimum and essential part of any family law practice, large or small.

Family law paralegals are highly valued and depended upon to provide substantive and procedural support in this challenging and emotionally charged field. Patience and empathy, as well as substantive and procedural knowledge and skills, are essential to a paralegal in family law practice.

Summary of contents:

• Introduction to family law practice
• Standards and grounds for dissolution of marriage
• Jurisdiction and venue
• Preparing the pleadings for a dissolution
• Filing and service of initial pleadings
• Responsive pleadings and motions
• Joinder of third parties
• Nullity proceedings
• Parentage actions
• Domestic partnerships
• Interim orders and requests for orders
• Domestic Violence Protection Act (DVPA)
• Child custody and visitation
• Child support
• Spousal support
• Marital property
• Attorney fees and costs
• Discovery and trial preparation
• Obtaining judgments
• Modification of orders and judgments
• Enforcement of orders and judgments
• Appendix of selected forms
• Table of authorities