Prenuptial Agreement

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Prenuptial Agreement

Under the California Uniform Premarital Agreement Act a prenuptial (or premarital) agreement is “an agreement between prospective spouses made in contemplation of marriage and to be effective upon marriage.” Under the act, marital issues which may arise in respect to real property, the parties’ business, income, pension plans may be allocated prior to the marriage in order to trump distribution under California law.

With California having a whopping 75% divorce rate a prenuptial agreement (prenup) may be wise if the parties have assets they wish to preserve. A prenuptial agreement determines how community property and separate property are distributed prior to marriage in order to preserve the parties’ interest in the asset.

It is best to contact an attorney prior to signing a prenuptial agreement for many reasons. For one, independent counsel is necessary as each party must be advised as to their rights to which they are entitled and are foregoing. Also, you would want someone to review the agreement and be on your side to ensure that you understand all the terms and conditions. A marriage is, amongst other things, a significant business transaction and legal counsel should assist you in the prenuptial agreement. The Atighechi Law Group provides a flat fee for preparing or reviewing a prenuptial agreement.

Postnuptial Agreement

A Postnuptial agreement is similar to a premarital agreement with one distinction which is the time the parties entered into the agreement. The parties enter into a post nuptial agreement after they have married. A postnuptial agreement places issues which may arise in a divorce proceeding with respect to real property, the parties’ business, income, pension plans in an agreement to trump distribution under California law. It is best to contact an attorney prior to signing a postnuptial agreement for many reasons.

For one, independent counsel is necessary as each party must be advised as to their rights to which they are entitled to and are foregoing. Also, you would want someone to review the agreement and be on your side to ensure that you understand all the terms and conditions. A marriage is, amongst other things, a significant business transaction and legal counsel should assist you with the postnuptial agreement. Tm>

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I hired Maryam for my very high conflict and complicated custody battle. She took an emotional, dreadful, and exasperating experience, handled it with expertise, professionalism, and calmness that made it possible for me to be calm and believe that everything would work out. Everything did work out, and I’m SO THANKFUL for her. She’s sharp, smart, confident, and a fighter, all while being reasonable and not making a complicated situation worse. I would HIGHLY recommend her. The best experience I’ve ever had with an attorney. Not for one moment did I ever feel like I was just a paycheck to her, and she was worth every penny. Thank you Maryam, you were awesome!

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Maryam was my divorce lawyer a few years ago. She is personable, punctual and got the job done… We got what we wanted in court as she fought hard for me and was aggressive. She filed all the paperwork that needed to be done on time and correctly. She was also very good at moral support in this tough period in my life but that was just a benefit of using her. I have also called her for legal advice a few times since and she always gave me good legal advice.

Attorney with compassion and conviction.

I really am not sure how I found Maryam originally, but I’m so glad that I did. My divorce and custody battle dragged out for over two years, but in the end I have full custody of my children and have been able to move on with my life. Divorce is emotionally difficult, but having Maryam navigate the legal waters made the whole situation easier. I highly recommend her if you need an attorney who will help you work through your family law matters with compassion and conviction.

Christina C.

I have had a few lawyers in the past 12 years and honestly lost faith in them until I met Maryam. She is absolutely AMAZING! She treats you like your family and makes sure she listens and answers all questions.  Her number one concern is what’s the best decision to be made during some hard times for families. Maryam is respectful of your feelings and helps you make the correct decision for you and your family.  I wish I would have found her years ago! This would have saved me lots grief and money.  She doesn’t want to take advantage of her clients by dragging things out, she gets the job done right and quick. I totally recommend her services to everyone and trust her to fight for my family always! Thank you Maryam for being honest, reliable, and taking care of my family!

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There has been no question. My child custody case has been the most trying, exhaustive and draining experience of my life. Apart from the light of my child, there has really been only one other bright spot to the whole experience. Maryam. I never (ever!) expected such compassion in hired legal counsel. Alternately, she has never sugar coated the situation and has been my leader, inspiration and true guide on a very complex and time consuming journey. She has put me to work, and the work has been hard. But her very matter-of-fact approach to why, and her ability to set the example and pace by working so incredibly hard herself, kept me going. As hard as this has all been, I can’t imagine how devastating it would have all felt without this very rare and special person making me feel like they are in my corner from a very genuine place. Words escape me to properly express my gratitude for the fact that lawyers like this really are out there, while rare to find. She’s never cut corners with her efforts and never lost patience with me during a very scattered and overwhelming time in my life. She has gone above and beyond for me, to the point of pleasant surprise which is something I so desperately needed going through this! We had a long, extensive child custody trial and she worked brilliantly both in and out of court to reach an outcome in our favor. Again, I’m at a loss to express my gratitude for her world class efforts so instead, I’ll recommend her from the most honest place in my heart.

Attorney with compassion and conviction

I really am not sure how I found Maryam originally, but I’m so glad that I did. My divorce and custody battle dragged out for over two years, but in the end I have full custody of my children and have been able to move on with my life. Divorce is emotionally difficult, but having Maryam navigate the legal waters made the whole situation easier. I highly recommend her if you need an attorney who will help you work through your family law matters with compassion and conviction.