Family Law Section

SB 711 Taxation: federal conformity. Aligns conflicting state tax law with federal tax law. Repeals the spousal support deduction previously allowed for the payor who paid support pursuant to a divorce or separation agreement. Read more

The Court of Appeal affirmed the dismissal of Wife's petition for legal separation, holding that under Family Code section 2345, a court may not render a judgment of legal separation without the consent of both parties, and that the trial court has inherent authority to dismiss a petition for legal separation when the required consent is clearly unobtainable. 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

Mark your calendars for the 10th Annual Minor's Counsel Training, hosted by the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association. Read more

In a prior dependency case, the juvenile court removed A.M. from mother due to mother’s substance abuse.  The court placed A.M. with her father and terminated its jurisdiction. Read more

The Court of Appeal sanctioned appellant’s counsel $1,750 for submitting briefs containing fabricated case citations generated by artificial intelligence, including multiple nonexistent cases with false volume and page numbers. Read more

The State Bar of California is currently considering a proposed amendment to Rule of Professional Conduct 7.3, which governs attorney solicitation. Because this proposal directly affects domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) practice, FLEXCOM has been actively involved throughout the public comment process. Read more

The California Lawyers Association Family Law Section (FLEXCOM) is powered by leaders who bring both vision and dedication to advancing family law statewide. This month, we highlight two such leaders, Becky R. Diel and Shanon Quinley, CFLS, whose work is shaping both the future of committee structure and reach and statewide policy. Read more

The Court of Appeal sanctioned defense counsel $1,500 and referred him to the State Bar for submitting a brief containing fabricated case citations generated by artificial intelligence. He cited to a non-existent case and misrepresented quotations from actual cases. Read more

FLEXCOM’s ‘No Holds Barred’ seminar in Walnut Creek on October 25, 2025, brought together leaders from across California’s family law community for a day of genuine dialogue, laughter, and reflection. Read more