Family Law
From Bud to Battle Part 1: Financial issues related to Cannabis Issues in Family Court
By Leslie L Abrigo, CLS-F
Cannabis businesses and related income available for support determinations can be complicated in divorce matters. With federal rescheduling efforts and congressional reforms evolving, cannabis cases require extra care because tax/banking constraints can change what income is realistically available for support, and divorce transfers can trigger regulatory ownership/financial-interest issues that may impact licensing and business continuity.
The rapidly evolving laws force lawyers to piece together the rules on the fly: What exactly is being divided? What can be transferred? What disclosures are required? And how do you build durable settlement terms when the “asset” lives inside a tightly regulated licensing structure?
To meet this moment, the California Lawyers Association Family Law Section/FLEXCOM is partnering with the CLA Cannabis Practitioner Group on a new, practice-forward, two-part CLE series: From Bud to Battle: Cannabis Issues in Family Court. Part one deals with financial issues surrounding Cannabis business interests and income derived from those business interests in Family Court.
Part 1 Webinar Details
From Bud to Battle: Cannabis Issues in Family Court, Part 1 will be held Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. (PT) via Zoom.
Part 1 is designed as a practical CLE for family law practitioners navigating cannabis assets in dissolution matters covering the “why it’s different” issues that can derail a case if they’re missed early.
Topics include:
- Cannabis business ownership in divorce and why these cases raise unique valuation, structure, tax, and income issues
- Handling cannabis assets, financial tracing, support calculations, and settlement drafting with a regulated-industry lens
- How California’s licensing ecosystem affects “what can be divided,” including state oversight and local control
- The real-world complication of transfers of ownership as to cannabis licenses
- Divorce-specific landmines like operating agreement provisions, transfer restrictions, buyouts, and the importance of early discovery to obtain governing documents
- Valuation realities in this space
Who’s Presenting
Kimberly R. Simms, Founder of The Law Office of Kimberly R. Simms, APC an experienced California cannabis attorney focused on regulatory compliance, business structuring, and licensing realities in a fast-evolving industry
Colleen A. Warren, Certified Family Law Specialist and Founding Partner of Genesis Family Law, bringing deep experience in high-asset cases, complex valuations, and sophisticated financial characterization issues
T.J. Hope, Managing Director at Stout, providing valuation insight for closely-held companies, including regulated and emerging markets like cannabis
Who Should Attend (and Why)
- Family law attorneys handling high-asset divorces or complex income scenarios involving a cannabis business, investor interest, or cannabis-adjacent revenue stream
- CFLS attorneys and litigators who want sharper issue-spotting around valuation, tracing, and settlement terms in regulated-industry divorces
- Mediators and settlement-minded practitioners looking to draft agreements that don’t collapse under licensing rules, local restrictions, or transfer limitations
- CDFA/forensic/valuation professionals who work with family lawyers and want a clearer framework for what data matters (and why) in cannabis valuations
MCLE Credit
This program will be 1.0 hour of Legal Specialization credit.
Register here: From Bud to Battle Part 1
Stay tuned for more information about From Bub to Battle, Part 2: Cannabis issues and Child Custody.