What To Do If You Are A Non-Citizen Arrested For A Crime In California
You are not a citizen, and you have been arrested, or someone you love has. On top of every fear a citizen would have – jail, charges, a record – you are carrying one more: what does this do to the visa, the green card, the pending application, the life you’ve…
Child Abuse Crimes And Immigration Consequences
You are a noncitizen, and you have been accused of a crime involving your child. Perhaps you were charged with child endangerment after a chaotic night. Or perhaps you were arrested after a corporal-injury allegation arising from a disciplinary incident. You…
Certified Documents And RFE Responses: Proving To Immigration That Your Criminal Case Is Truly Over
The letter arrived from USCIS, and it is asking about your arrest. Maybe the arrest was years ago and nothing was ever filed. Maybe the case was dismissed, or resolved and long since put behind you. It does not matter to the letter: your green card renewal, your…
Aggravated Felonies Under Immigration Law
Your immigration lawyer, or your criminal lawyer, has used the phrase “aggravated felony,” and the tone told you it was bad. Or you are a green card holder weighing a plea, and somewhere in your research this term surfaced as the thing above all others to avoid.…
Post-Conviction Relief Under Penal Code Section 1473.7
Years ago you took a plea bargain. Maybe a lawyer told you it was the standard deal, maybe you wanted the case over, and no one explained, in words you understood, what that plea would do to your immigration life. Now it has surfaced: a green card application…
What To Do When Filing For Divorce In California
You are thinking about filing for divorce. Maybe you have been thinking about it for months, maybe something happened last week that decided it, or maybe you suspect your spouse is about to file first. Whatever brought you here, you are in the most important…
Spousal Support In California
You are facing a divorce and you are worried about spousal support, from one side or the other. Maybe you left your career for a decade to raise children and you cannot see how you will live on your own income. Maybe you are the earner, staring at a monthly number…
Move-Away Cases In California: County, State, And International Relocations, And How They Are Actually Decided
Your ex has told you she is moving with your child, to another county, another state, or back to India, China, or England, and she has a list of reasons: a job, family support, better schools. Or you are the one who needs to move, and you know your ex will fight…
Contested Custody Cases In California
You are heading into a custody fight. Maybe the other parent is demanding a schedule that erases you from your child’s weekdays. Maybe there are accusations, abuse, drinking, instability, true or invented. Or maybe there is nothing dramatic at all, just two…
Child Support In California
You are separating, and you need to know what child support will look like, from one side or the other. Maybe you are the parent who will receive it, wondering whether it will be enough to keep your children’s life stable and when it starts. Maybe you are the…