For those with careers in film, music, television, or another branch of the entertainment industry, family law matters can be delicate, complex situations that require a special skill set in order to achieve a resolution that respects the realities of your personal life and career. For professional entertainers, it can be critical that you secure the counsel of an attorney who is experienced in dealing with income that may be derived from numerous projects.
We at Stolar Law Group know that those who have succeeded in the entertainment industry need effective family law representation that is able to deal with complex and substantial income and assets while being able to maintain a level of discretion that respects your privacy and your career.
CALL US AT (424) 421-0009 TO REQUEST AN INITIAL CONSULTATION REGARDING YOUR CASE.
Our Beverly Hills-based firm brings 40 years of family law experience to the aid of our clients. We bring the skills and knowledge necessary to create effective resolutions to even the most complex family law matters. We understand how to balance the need for effective and caring representation and the need to minimize public exposure of private matters.
ADDRESSING CHILD CUSTODY MATTERS
Ensuring that your voice is heard during the consideration of child custody and visitation is an essential part of your family law attorney’s responsibility to you.
Child custody issues are a priority for parents who are facing divorce because:
- You may have concerns about the parenting skills of your soon-to-be ex-spouse.
- You may simply want to be able to protect your relationship with your children.
Those with careers in the entertainment industry have unique circumstances that need consideration when the determination of child custody is taking place. In many cases, professional entertainers will need to travel out of state or abroad for possibly extended periods of time. It is critical that your child custody agreement recognizes and effectively addresses such exceptional circumstances. This makes it highly important that you secure the representation of a family law attorney who has worked with other entertainment professionals in the past. We understand how to deal with such unique circumstances as extensive travel for work and other factors that will be considered by the court.
NEED HELP WITH CHILD SUPPORT?
Child support can be an element that needs to be worked out during a divorce or it can be a completely separate issue. Given the fact that California utilizes state guidelines in the determination of child support levels, the process is more or less the same when it occurs as part of a divorce or separately. The state guidelines employ a formula that will dictate the appropriate child support levels for your particular circumstances.
Child support depends on several factors, such as:
- Your income
- Your ex’s income
- Healthcare costs
- Daycare / education costs
- Additional, necessary expenses
ENSURING THE COURT RECOGNIZES THE CHARACTER OF YOUR INCOME
For those who have careers in the entertainment industry, determining income can pose more of a challenge than for someone who has a single income source and can submit their W-2.
Entertainment professionals are likely to have:
- More than one income stream
- Varying levels of income from year to year
- Extensive expenses and particular financial benefits as part of their contracts
Professional entertainers need to secure the representation of attorneys who have experience with ensuring that the court fully understands the reality of your situation and the complexities of your income streams before it makes its final determination on child support. We are skilled in justifying the need for deviation from state guidelines and we can help you secure child support levels that are a fit for your financial situation.
GUIDING YOU THROUGH THE DIVORCE PROCESS
Divorce is always a challenge. Even when both spouses are able to agree on many of the issues at hand, facing such a thorough restructuring of their personal lives will place extraordinary stress on divorcing spouses and their children. This makes it all the more critical that you have representation experienced in dealing with the particular issues that are part of your divorce.
For professional entertainers and others in the entertainment industry, it is essential to have legal representation that has dealt with unique income streams and substantial assets, as well as the overriding need for discretion. Our attorneys are skilled in creating solutions regarding divorce that will address the extraordinary circumstances of your situation. We understand the concerns that entertainment professionals face when divorce becomes a reality.
UNIQUE INCOME DESERVES EXPERT FINANCIAL ADVICE
In typical divorces, the court will work to assess the income and assets of the spouses. For successful members of the entertainment industry, this may pose a challenge as income may vary greatly, and it may come from a variety of sources including overseas sources.
We bring in outside financial experts to help us secure the most favorable arrangements for our clients when the financial aspects of a divorce are being decided, including:
Another issue that arises is the need for securing deviations from state guidelines. Issues like child support are determined using state guidelines. Deviation from those guidelines can be a real necessity for those in the entertainment industry given the unique finances that often accompany such careers. Thorough justification is required for a judge to deviate from the guidelines. Our attorneys know how to present evidence that can provide a judge with sufficient grounds to justify the deviation you need.
ESTABLISHING PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS TO PROTECT YOUR ASSETS
Professional entertainers and others in the entertainment industry can lead dynamic lives. Your career can reach unexpected levels with the success of your next project. Careers in entertainment offer a number of truly remarkable rewards. Predictability, however, is not a characteristic that the careers of most professional entertainers enjoy. If marriage is a part of your future, take the time to consider the benefits that a prenuptial agreement can confer.
The benefits of a prenuptial agreement include:
- It allow you to set out in clear terms how a divorce would be handled.
- It minimizes what there is to fight over and the level of attention a dispute may draw.
- It forces a frank conversation between the couple, which can help them identify goals.
For entertainment professionals, the variability of income and career trajectory make it almost essential that any consideration of marriage be prefaced by learning more about the protections a prenuptial agreement can provide. Ensuring that all aspects of your prenuptial agreement are enforceable is a key element to the successful creation of such an agreement. Professional entertainers may relocate and the laws of each state can be different. Our experience can help you secure a prenuptial agreement that creates real security for you.
RESOLVING SPOUSAL SUPPORT ISSUES
Spousal support can be an extremely contentious element to any divorce. This can be especially true when there is dramatic disparity between each spouse’s income and earning potential. If one spouse is earning an exceptional income, one side can end up feeling taken advantage of and the other can end up feeling abandoned. Given the high emotions that can be generated by the question of spousal support, it is especially important for entertainment professionals and their spouses to secure the representation of attorneys who are skilled in dealing with the economic factors that are associated with a successful career.
What happens when a particular project has been completed during the marriage, but no income has been realized from it until after the divorce? How do you characterize that piece of intellectual property and the income it generates? There are many complex questions that surround the determination of spousal support in these situations. Experience is the key to successfully securing a spousal support arrangement that fully comprehends your situation.
MODIFICATION OF FAMILY COURT ORDERS
When circumstances have changed sufficiently that the agreements established during a divorce or other family court action are no longer adequate to govern the behavior and interaction of the former spouses one can petition the court to modify that failing aspect of the agreement. The lives of those in the entertainment industry can be quite dynamic compared to those in other professions. Your work schedule may require you to be out of town for extended periods. Income may fluctuate in such a way that deserves special attention.
Entertainers may sporadically receive substantial single-instance payments. This is an exceptionally different situation than most family courts and the applicable state guidelines were designed to accommodate. Our attorneys have the experience necessary to help ensure that the court recognizes the uniqueness of your situation.
CONTACT STOLAR LAW GROUP
If you are part of the entertainment industry and need a family or divorce lawyer, speak with a representative from Stolar Law Group today. We can provide the experienced, caring, and strategic legal help you need. Call our attorneys today.
CONTACT OUR OFFICE TO LEARN ABOUT HOW WE CAN ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR FAMILY LAW NEEDS.
