Free guides

Learn the traps before you sign

Short, plain-English guides to the issues that cost divorcing spouses real money in retirement division. Read the one that matches your situation — then call us before anything gets locked in.

Start here

How much am I going to get?

Pension time fractions, 401(k) share division, and tracing — how the math actually works, with examples.

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Urgent

Worried your ex will cash out?

The Family Code §755 notice that puts the plan itself on the hook if it pays out after your claim.

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Military

Three landmines in military divorce

NDAA 2017, Howell disability waivers, and the Blended Retirement System — and why the fix belongs in the judgment.

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Public pensions

CalPERS & CalSTRS: your three options

Shared interest, segregation, or cash out — the election belongs to the non-member spouse. Choose informed.

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401(k) plans

The 401(k) loan trap

"Pay off the loan equally" sounds fair — and routinely makes one spouse pay for the same loan twice.

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Settlements

The hidden cost of offsetting accounts

Skipping the QDRO to save fees assumes $1 in one account equals $1 in another. A worked example of who pays.

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For family law attorneys
Drafting

Judgment language errors that blow up QDROs

Catch-alls, dollar awards without valuation dates (Heggie vs. Janes), the word "half," and loan language — with fixes.

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Enforcement

When the other party won't cooperate

Find the accounts, freeze them, enter the order without a hearing, and shift the enforcement costs.

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Referrals

How we take referred matters

Neutral drafting in any appointment form, our suggested judgment paragraph, and the neutrality promise behind it.

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Tools & downloads
Free tool

Separate property trace calculator

Unlimited periods, Excel export — trace your pre-marital or post-separation interest yourself.

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Download

New client intro packet

Timelines, common questions, and what we need to get started — everything in one PDF.

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Listen

Podcast & article library

Every podcast episode and published bar journal article, organized by topic — free to stream and download.

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Your situation is more specific than any guide

That's the point of the free initial phone conference. Bring your judgment — leave with a plan.