Cooper Gordon LLP

There are still a number of spending issues to be ironed out between Congress and President Obama. In particular, they will be working to extend the debt ceiling so government can pay its bills on time and keep our standing in…more

In the ever-evolving law regarding the appropriate standard to use when evaluating who qualifies as a “presumed parent,” the subject is particularly confusing with regard to evaluating the presumption among same-sex couples…more

Premarital agreements are not only for the wealthy. Kobe Bryant was not wealthy when he got married. Even if he had been, it may have been that the topic of premarital agreements was pretty low on the priority list of fun…more

Court of Appeal in California recently held that a bigamous marriage is void from its inception, even if it has not been declared void by a court of law. Because the second marriage to the man in Las Vegas was void from the…more

The development of the law with regard to standards for determining capacity has been of special interest of late to Cooper-Gordon LLP. Our firm is handling several interesting nullity cases with unique fact patterns supporting…more

Oftentimes, the decision to get a divorce is a slow and painful process for couples. Even more arduous and painstaking is the procedure of separating once-intertwined lives. This process involves time-consuming but necessary…more

In a recent case involving legendary lead singer of the Four Seasons, Frankie Valli, the characterization of a simple life insurance policy was anything but simple. This case is a perfect example of how one innocent transaction…more

In the recent case of Andersen v. Hunt (California Court of Appeal, Second District, B221077, June 14, 2011), the California Court of Appeal articulated the applicable standard by which to evaluate an individual’s capacity to…more

The possibility of undue influence opens an estate to extensive and costly litigation if the testamentary document was executed when the Testator was dependent on others. Most often, elderly clients, as a result of their age and…more

The very recent case of Marriage of Cadwell-Faso and Faso (2011) 2011 WL 72179 was decided by the First Appellate District on January 11, 2011. This decision reversed the trial court’s ruling. Now, Family Code §1615(c)’s…more

What do you do if you have been receiving benefits from your State and suddenly receive a small inheritance? How do you get to keep your assets and not lose the benefits? What happens if you want to leave your assets to…more

One of the most difficult and confusing issues in any , divorce or legal separation case concerns the issue of the Parties’ date of separation. In essence, the starting point in all marital dissolution proceedings begins with…more

When we appeared in Court on this matter, the Court, on its own motion, posed the following question: Whether, during the pendency of a nullity proceeding and before entry of Judgment, upon the death of a Party, does the Family…more

It is important to plan your estate carefully by considering these valuable assets so that they are appropriately transferred to your heirs according to your wishes upon your death...As intellectual property becomes more…more

In the recent case of In re Marriage of Dietz, 2009 Cal. App. LEXIS 1282, the court of appeal held that that the distribution to wife of her share of husband’s retirement plans and her eligibility to begin drawing from them does…more