Family Law Section

The juvenile court first asserted jurisdiction over parents’ four children in 2021 due to father’s alcohol abuse. The court terminated jurisdiction in 2022 with a custody order granting sole physical custody to mother, joint legal custody and monitored visits for father. Family court subsequently granted joint physical custody. In 2023, the agency investigated an alleged incident of domestic violence, during which father slapped mother after she suspected father was drunk and refused to allow him inside the home. Mother allowed father to return to the family home after the prior case because he showed her a court document he said allowed him to return. Mother was unable to read. While mother reported that the 2023 incident was the first time father struck her, the police received multiple domestic violence calls about father after the prior dependency case. Read more

In the published portion of this opinion, the court addressed Father’s respondent’s brief, which he prepared as a self-represented litigant using a generative AI tool. The brief contained fabricated case citations and quotations. The court extended to self-represented litigants the same warning previously issued to attorneys: no brief or other paper filed in any court should contain citations that the person responsible for submitting it has not personally read and verified. The court cautioned that its redress for false and missing citations is not limited to disregarding a brief; it may also impose monetary sanctions. The court declined to impose sanctions here, given Father’s admission of error and the best interests of the children. Read more

California family law is constantly evolving. New appellate decisions, statutory amendments, and rule changes can materially affect advising, strategy, and outcomes, often with little notice. For family law practitioners, staying current isn’t optional—it’s a professional obligation that directly impacts risk, efficiency, and client confidence. Read more

In the San Diego legal community, Anna M. Romanskaya is known not only for her work as a family law attorney, but for the way she shows up as a leader. A Partner at Stark & D’Ambrosio, LLP, Anna manages the firm’s Family Law Division and represents clients in all aspects of family law, including complex and high-conflict matters. With nearly two decades of practice, she brings a steady, thoughtful presence to her work, one that clients trust and colleagues respect. Read more

The family came to the agency’s attention after an altercation between mother and her daughters. Several days prior to the incident, mother told her 22-year-old daughter to move out of the home. The 16-year-old child left with her older sister. The two older children then briefly took the 12-year-old, who has special needs, without permission and proceeded to confront mother. A witness described the older daughters standing “like they were trying to fight” mother. Another witness reported the daughters “kept saying they wanted to get back in the house and they wanted [mother] to leave, like a take over.” Mother brandished a knife and made threats to her older daughters. The 16-year-old reported mother struck her with a shovel and injured her torso. The agency removed the younger two daughters. Following the initial hearing, the middle daughter recanted, reporting she caused the mark on her torso at her older sister’s direction and that mother accidentally hit her when she attempted to intervene between mother and the oldest child. At the jurisdiction and disposition hearing, the juvenile court sustained the petition and removed the children from mother’s care. Mother timely appealed. While the appeal was pending, the juvenile court returned the children to mother’s care and terminated jurisdiction. The Court of Appeal subsequently dismissed mother’s appeal as moot, despite mother’s argument that the jurisdictional allegation was reportable to the Department of Justice for inclusion in California’s Child Abuse Central Index (CACI). The Supreme Court granted review. Read more

The Court of Appeal reversed a date-of-separation order, holding that the trial court erred by treating the date of separation alleged in the wife’s amended dissolution petition as a binding judicial admission where the husband had not accepted the allegation and both parties had conducted themselves in litigation as if the date remained disputed. Read more

The following are the noteworthy changes to the Family Code passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Newsom over the past year. Please take special note of the effective dates. Read more

FLEXCOM gathered in Pismo Beach in February 2026 for an in-person working meeting focused on alignment, execution, and strengthening the relationships that make our statewide work possible. These meetings are where we move from ideas to action by setting priorities, coordinating across committees, and building the kind of shared momentum that strengthens the Family Law Section’s value for members across California. Read more

As Vice Chair of the Family Law Executive Committee (FLEXCOM) of the California Lawyers Association and Chair of its Education Committee, Bree is at the forefront of statewide efforts to elevate professional standards, expand continuing education, and strengthen collaboration among family law practitioners. Read more

Substantial evidence supported the court’s ICWA findings where the agency had inquired of all available family members except a sole maternal uncle. The trial court may infer that denials of ancestry were in response to questions about ICWA heritage even if the agency did not describe its inquiries. Read more