Child Custody & Support Attorneys in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Few parts of a family law case matter more than who a child lives with and how their life is supported after the household splits in two. Custody disputes involving demanding careers, frequent travel, relocation across state or international lines, and significant child support obligations require a different level of preparation than a standard case. BZB Family Law litigates these matters throughout Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Our founding partners are each Certified Family Law Specialists, a designation the State Bar of California reserves for attorneys who have demonstrated substantial experience and passed a specialized examination in family law. We bring that depth to every custody matter, from a straightforward parenting plan to a fully contested trial involving competing custody evaluations.
Some of our clients arrive already divorced, seeking a modification years after the original order. Others are unmarried parents establishing custody and support for the first time, a distinct process under California’s parentage laws. We can assist in providing solutions in whatever stage a family finds themselves.
- Our team brings expertise to provide insightful and clear guidance to this most important aspect of a family’s divorce.
- We are sensitive to the unique considerations specific to each family and in particular to the children affected by divorce. There are no cookie cutter solutions, but careful planning and direction to meet the needs of the children at the center of a contested custody matter.
- We provide tailored plans and strategic analysis of the issues.
- Our Team consults with experts in mental health, child development, substance abuse and family therapies to custom create a solution that bridges competing custody claims.
- No two cases are alike. We pay close attention to our clients’ concerns and work with our clients to define age appropriate goals for an optimal parenting plan.
- We draft agreements that anticipate common friction points, including how decisions get made when parents disagree, how schedule changes are requested, and how future disputes get resolved without returning to court every time.
- We also represent parents modifying an existing order once circumstances change significantly, whether a new job, a move, a child’s changing needs, or a parent’s remarriage.
Child Support in High-Income Families
California calculates child support using a statewide guideline formula under Family Code Section 4055, which accounts for both parents’ incomes, the percentage of time each parent has physical custody, and certain tax factors. Determining income for guideline child support purposes is often disputed. Depending on each family’s specific circumstances, a court may also deviate from guideline support upon a showing of good cause.
- We have expertise and experience to address child support when the income is complex, including executive compensation, equity grants, partnership income and distributions, trust distributions, bonuses, vested equity, deferred compensation, and business distributions.
- We understand how and when to effectively present legal authorities to justify the Court using its discretion to deviate from the strict guideline formula.
- We use discovery tools and work with forensic accountants to formulate complex income and child support.
- Families often require a plan to handle add-on expenses beyond base support, including private school tuition, extracurricular costs, and health care, which frequently become their own point of negotiation in many cases.
Schedule a Confidential Consultation
If you are facing a custody dispute, a contested support calculation, or a proposed relocation involving your children, timing matters. BZB Family Law offers confidential consultations to review your parenting situation and build a strategy suited to your family. Call (408) 541-1400 or request a consultation online to speak with our team directly.
