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The Bledsoe Firm JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551 JULY | 2020
Lake Forest, arriving at about 8:00 a.m. or arriving at the Lamoreaux Justice COVID-19 and the P ractice of F amily L aw T he world has changed a great deal Center in Orange or the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana at about 8:15 a.m. There I could since mid-March of this year. We are all wondering when, if ever, things will get back to “normal.” We were not totally surprised to see the courts close. The
be ready for one or more hearings that would take place between 8:30 a.m. and noon. Once I would get to court, I would be inside a courtroom waiting for the court to call my case. The courts usually have about a dozen matters they need to deal with in any given
Family Law courtrooms of the Orange County Superior Court have been closed since the morning of March 17. I continue to be reminded that as lawyers and litigants, we are totally subject to the government. For about eight weeks, the Family Law Courts were completely closed down except for emergency matters. Now the courts have had a “soft reopening.” Of course, emergency matters are being heard. We call these cases “ex parte” matters. That means that the person filing an ex parte request is able to put their matter before the court in a period of four to 24 hours. The matter must be a complete emergency that cannot wait for the normal four to six weeks. Ex parte matters are very limited because they essentially trample on the due process rights of a party to have adequate notice of the proceeding and an opportunity to be heard. Emergency matters typically include domestic violence situations where a party is seeking immediate protection from a significant other who has battered them. Judges who were operating out of their homes still evaluated and ruled on these cases on a temporary basis. The family law presiding judge has made it clear the only ex parte matters that will be heard (other than requests for temporary restraining orders based on domestic violence) are matters where the court must immediately intervene to prevent serious injury or death to a child. No other request is deemed a sufficient emergency for the court to act immediately. All of the above has had a considerable effect on my typical work day. Prior to the court closure for COVID-19, I would typically leave my home in San Clemente about 7:30 a.m. and travel to my office in
morning. You have to wait your turn. In the interest of efficiency, courts usually try and take the matters first that they think will use the least amount
of time. The time spent during the morning hours at court is almost completely out of the control of the attorneys. I can easily spend four hours in the morning traveling, waiting for the court to take my case, and traveling back to my office. Then when I get back to the office, I always have more than enough to do following up on the morning hearing, meeting with staff and clients, and preparing for future hearings and trials. I would be fortunate to leave for home by 6:00 p.m. These morning hearings took a substantial chunk of time out of the day. And, generally, I could only give that half day to one case. At the same time, to have a judge actually spend even an hour on the case, which I spent four hours for at the courthouse, was a very good day. This all adds up to an extremely inefficient system where the client pays for four hours of the attorney’s time and then is lucky to get the attention of the court for one of those four hours. Contrast that to hiring the services of a private judge. In that case, you show up at 8:30 a.m. and the judge is working with you the entire time. All four hours. The soft reopening of the family law court means the courts are still closed. You cannot get in the building except in extreme circumstances. The hearings are still being done remotely. The only hearings I have done in a courtroom are domestic violence hearings. Now, we sit
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JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
a room’s space. It allows you and your guests to utilize an entire wall without requiring much physical space.
SET UP SURROUND SOUND. Whether you’re using your entertainment room for movies, music, video games, or all of the above, investing in high-quality speakers will pay off instantly. You can set them up around the room for clearer, more immersive sound for movies and games, and by spacing out each speaker, you can eliminate cord clutter and tangle. SOUNDPROOF YOUR SPACE. Trying to impress your guests with great sound doesn’t mean that your entire neighborhood has to hear what you’re watching! Soundproofing not only helps shield your neighbors from action game explosions and booming movie scores, but it also improves the sound quality in the room. Thick curtains and carpets, wall-mounted foam panels, or freestanding acoustic panels work for basic soundproofing, but if you plan to utilize your space every day and night, then consider hiring a contractor to help estimate materials and cost for a more sophisticated soundproof space. HAVE GREAT LIGHTING. There’s nothing more inviting than a well-lit space, and this also applies to your entertainment room. Whether you’re playing a board game or putting together puzzles with the whole family, mood lighting can make the experience feel even more cozy and special. Try experimenting with different, stylish lamps or overhead fixtures to light up your space.
MAKE YOUR GAME NIGHTS EXTRA SPECIAL With a Family Entertainment Room
Families around the world are finding new ways to spend time with each other, and their homes are changing accordingly. Whether your family members are video gamers, movie enthusiasts, or board game fans, everyone can benefit from having a dedicated entertainment room. Here are some tips for putting one together. USE YOUR SPACE WISELY. Consider the advantages and challenges of your available space. You don’t want small spaces to feel cramped, and you don’t want large spaces to feel empty. If your room is small, then design the space to serve multiple purposes, like installing a bar with a TV on the opposite wall. If your room is large, then why not have two or more TVs to let visitors play multiple games or watch different shows? A projector can also be used to maximize
T elltale S igns of I nfidelity CHEATERS EXPOSED
With normal work, school, and family routines disrupted in recent months, tactics used by cheating spouses to hide their infidelity have been compromised. Cheaters struggled to maintain the facade during lockdown, and their families may have started to notice odd habits. Here are some signs of infidelity cheaters often exhibit — and not just in lockdown!
ill repute may also try to satisfy their lusts with camgirls, telephone sex, and other forms of sex for purchase online.
Never-Ending Long ‘Walks’ or Other Activities Alone Elsewhere
Intuition Tells You Something Is Going On
Of course, this could be entirely innocent. If you don’t already have suspicions, this is hardly a reason to be wary of your spouse. But assuming that you have other justified reasons to suspect infidelity, consider this may be the time where they are talking, texting/sexting, or just engaged in other behaviors. Try suggesting you join them at the last moment and see how they react.
Our intuitive senses about other people should not be ignored. Our intuition has evolved over millions of years to read the countless quick facial expressions, voice inflections, body-language cues, and other signs evident in our interactions with other people. If you are feeling like something is wrong, don’t just ignore it. You have every right to know if your spouse is keeping their promises to be faithful to you. And if you have a strong feeling that your spouse may be hiding something, you might very well be right.
Unexplained Behaviors
This can include strange credit card charges, habitually staying up past bedtime to use the computer alone, and deleted browser histories. Men who were accustomed to visiting “massage parlors” and other places of
For more informative articles like this one, be sure to visit our blog at JustFamilyLaw.com/family-law-expert-blog!
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CHILD CUSTODY BASICS
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in our offices with or without our client in a virtual waiting room. The other side is at their office with their attorney. The judge and the court clerk are at their remote locations. We are doing mostly “status conferences,” which is more of a triage situation where the court tries to figure out which cases need the most help and which should thus be scheduled for remote hearings. As of now, I have not had any of the remote hearings. Several have been scheduled. All documents are to be exchanged three days in advance. There is much less travel. But it may be hard to really examine a witness and confront them with documents we might want to use to impeach them. In conclusion, we are all feeling our way forward. The two months of downtime has resulted in a huge backlog. How this is all going to work is still unknown. —John Bledsoe
F acts A bout V isitation and C hild S upport
H
ere’s one common question we get about child support and visitation: “Can I legally refuse visitation if my ex gets behind on child support?” When an ex-spouse falls behind on child support, regardless of the situation, sometimes the other parent takes it upon themselves to determine visitation. They decide to withhold
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visitation until the child support continues. It’s easy to rationalize — if your ex isn’t going to help support your child, why should they be allowed to interact with them? Legally, however, it is not that simple. Parents who refuse visitation because their ex falls behind on child support are, in fact, in violation of the terms of the custody agreement. If your ex stops paying child support, you must pursue legal action and take it to the court. It’s paramount for parents to understand what is required of them when a custody agreement is put into effect by the court. They shouldn’t take action on their own. Here’s why: Visitation rights and child support are not one and the same. Child support, for example, isn’t a payment one parent makes in order to see their child. Support is a means to do just that — to support the child and ensure their needs are met as best as possible. This includes education, clothing, food, entertainment, and everything in between. Ultimately, child support is a legal way for the child to have access to the benefits of both parents’ income. If one parent does fall behind on child support, the custody agreement remains in effect. One parent may determine the best course of action is to modify the custody agreement if the other is unable or unwilling to contribute. In this case, they can decide to take it up with the court. There, they can modify the agreement and make changes that reflect the current reality of the situation.
INGREDIENTS • 1 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning • 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced • 2 lbs assorted vegetables, trimmed and halved (asparagus, mushrooms,
red onion, red bell peppers, baby carrots, and yellow squash are great on the grill)
• 5 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. 2. Brush vegetables with olive oil and place in a large bowl. Top with lemon juice and seasoning mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. 3. Prepare the grill at medium-high heat. 4. Grill vegetables in batches, cooking 3–5 minutes on each side until browned and tender. (Carrots will cook longer, 6–9 minutes per side.) 5. Remove from the grill, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
23101 Lake Center Drive • Suite 310 Lake Forest, CA 92630
Inside
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COVID-19 and the Practice of Family Law
Planning a Family Entertainment Room
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Is It Infidelity? Signs to Look For
Can You Withhold Child Visitation?
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The Secret to Delicious Grilled Veggies
National Ice Cream Day Prompts Homemade Creations
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Dairy-based products like milk are the most common foundation for ice cream. Sugar adds the sweet, scrumptious flavor we all love, and gelatin aids in thickening the mixture. The eggs happen to be one of the most important ingredients because they give ice cream its classic texture while reducing the rate at which it melts. This ensures your ice cream remains in near “mint” condition as you enjoy it. Healthy Alternatives: Use bananas or almond milk for dairy-free ice cream. For vegan ice cream, use agar powder instead of gelatin and eggs. For those looking to avoid sugar, honey is a naturally sweet substitute. Get to work! You’ll need to heat your ingredients on the stove prior to churning and cooling your ice cream. An ice-cream churner is the easiest way to create a perfectly smooth texture, but if you’re looking for an activity to wear out the kids, then have them shake their own ice cream! Simply place all your ingredients in a small baggie, close it up, and place that baggie in a larger one with ice cubes. Shake firmly for at least 15 minutes for homemade creamy goodness.
CELEBRATE NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY B y M aking Y our O wn S weet T reat !
Whether you’re a fan of mint chocolate chip or just plain vanilla, nothing cools you down on a hot summer day quite like ice cream. It’s only fitting then that National Ice Cream Day lands on July 19 — right in the middle of the hottest month in the U.S. Ice cream’s history stretches as far back as 500 B.C. when Middle Eastern royalty combined sweet flavors with ice for a cool treat. Ice cream made its way to North America in the 1700s, and it remained a dessert for the wealthy and famous for years. George Washington even spent $200
on ice cream throughout the summer of 1790. (That would be $5,611.20 in today’s dollars!)
Thankfully, these days you don’t have to be rich to enjoy ice cream. In fact, you can even save money by making it yourself! Celebrate National Ice Cream Day by creating this everyday treat using these tips. Make it how you want it. You can flavor your ice cream however you’d like, but there are a few basic ingredients that are necessary for most batches: milk, sugar, gelatin, and eggs.
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