The Law Office of Stephanie White

10/29/2025

If you face financial hardships and consider borrowing against your home or against your retirement, please speak with a bankruptcy attorney before doing so. These items are largely protected against creditors in bankruptcy. Know your rights, your exemptions, and how to best protect your assets while addressing your debt.

01/23/2024

When you want legal advice, don't believe everything you read from a market advice columnist. Laws are different in every state, and there may be states where the advice in this article is correct, but California isn't one of them. If you have inherited (a.k.a. separate property) money in a joint (a.k.a. community property) asset in California, it is likely still very much yours. Even if you are NOT looking at a divorce, you should still know your rights and what you can do to best protect your separate property interest. A quick chat with a family law attorney can help you understand your situation MUCH BETTER than advice from a columnist with no legal training.

"My husband and I jointly own our home and have both equally contributed to the mortgage and household bills for the past 23 years."

08/20/2023

A marriage of less than a year doesn’t often see a spousal support order, but this one is different because of the disparity in incomes, so he might see 6 months of some spousal support. That can all change if there is a proper premarital agreement (“prenup”). A request for spousal support in the Petition is standard; the report doesn’t say he filed a post-petition request for support. This report seems to attempt to refute the date of separation he listed on the petition because there was no publicity about the break at the time, but 1) publicity doesn’t count and 2) an earlier date of separation (if it’s not the actual date) would work against his interest. Small pieces of information on the pleadings are important to the outcome of each case.

Britney Spears addressed her divorce from estranged husband Sam Asghari, whom she split from after one year of marriage: “I couldn’t take the pain anymore honestly.”

09/04/2022

Bankruptcy can help you get rid of most of your debt EXCEPT Student Loans. Please look into this program if it can help you ease that issue! Time is of the essence on this one.

If you have worked in public service (federal, state, local, tribal government or a non-profit organization) for 10 years or more (even if not consecutively), you may be eligible to have all your student debt canceled. Now, for a limited time, it is easier than ever to receive that forgiveness, or g...

05/03/2022

What do you do when one parent thinks vaccines will save their child(ren) and the other thinks it will cause more problems than it solves? Very frequently court is both the answer and a bigger problem. Judges HATE to stand in the way of a parent in making these decisions, but when two parties can't agree, someone has to be the deciding vote.

A divorced Pennsylvania couple could not agree on whether to vaccinate their children — and ended up in court. Since the vaccine was approved for kids, cases like these have skyrocketed in the state.

01/11/2022

VENTURA COUNTY COURT CLOSES FOR MONTH OF JANUARY. Due to Omicron Variant and its impact on health and safety of staff and the public, the Ventura County Superior Court has issued orders effectively closing down through January 31, 2022. Emergency Ex Parte hearings will still be accomodated, but all other calendared events will be rescheduled by the court.

09/12/2020

If you're unable to pay rent, you're not alone. In this episode, we explain how to qualify for the new eviction moratorium and what to know if you can't pay your rent.

05/30/2020

Some laws exist around filming in police activity. Primarily, follow directions and record respectfully. This article discusses many of the things you should consider BEFORE you are in a situation where you may want/need to record.

Know your rights.

05/27/2020

Pay Day Loans frequently lead to bankruptcy filings. Once you are in these, you are very often underwater and in over your head. If you can't get headway in one of these loans or if you are thinking of taking one out, a consultation with a bankruptcy attorney may offer you other routes to consider (not only bankruptcy).

Elliott Clark borrowed money to support his family but struggled to pay it back.

04/07/2020

Ventura County Superior Court issues Mandatory Guidelines for Custody during the Stay at Home Orderhttp://www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/orders/AO_20-09_AdminOrderCustodyVisitation.pdf
Summary: Local (non-airline) visitation continues as ordered unless there is an agreement or an emergency court order.

03/28/2020

Advanced health care directives (AHCD or "Living Will") appoint someone to make health decisions for you when you can't AND let them know what you're directions are. Without an AHCD, your spouse, children, or parents (generally in that order) will be making your health care decisions and not knowing whether it is what you really wanted. Often hospitals required something akin to this as you check in, but it is not always the case that someone checking in to a hospital is able to make those decisions ... or to have to do so on the spot. An AHCD is a vital stand-alone document, and it is an essential part of your estate plan.

COVID-19 is a good reminder for us all: If you haven't made an advance directive to guide life-or-death medical decisions, you should.