Ashley was introduced by Brad Miller. She is a Red Badger. Ashley was raised in Monrovia and went through all the schools, locally. She went to UC Davis for undergraduate studies and then completed her juris doctorate at Loyola Law School. She is a lawyer

When she graduated from law school, there were no jobs available in her particular focus of Criminal Law, in fact, there was a hiring freeze. She finally did get a job with the Monrovia firm of Patten, Faith and Sandford and she became an Associate.. This firm handled a variety of different legal matters and Ashley was hired to take over the family law practice within the firm. What must you learn in handling Family Law cases? To handle the emotion that is deeply involved in these types of cases.

The firm of Patten, Faith and Sanford decided to close their firm for retirement and Ashley started her own firm with one of the partners. Her firm is now in Sierra Madre. She is a Family Law Attorney.

What types of cases are mostly involved in Family Law? Divorces which leads to (if children are involved) Child Custody, Child Support and Visitation Rights. It also involves Property Division and all of these areas of personal nature are very emotional on all parties and especially the children.

California is a community property state. However, there are separate property issues.

There are quite a few changes in the area of family law this year which should, in theory, make it easier for parties to represent themselves; but, in practice, make dependence of attorneys greater.

Today, it is common for dad’s to stay at home or work part time. There are more women working to support the family and this gives cause to where the mother may end up paying her ex-husband spousal support and child support as she is making the money, not him.

Everyone that enters a divorce wants it to be an amicable divorce. Ashley commented “that there is no true amicable divorce.”

About 50% of Ashley’s cases end up in litigation. She is in court a few times a week with divorce litigation. Most of these are over Child Support, Spousal Support, Visitation and Restraining Orders, which are very serious.

Her favorite cases are Child Custody cases; but, the worst is, that one spouse will bring a lot of hatred to the other ex-partner to be and this really hurts the child.

She likes her role in her profession and she does work 7 days a week. She is available at all times for her clients.

There are so many incidents these days that were not heard of in the past. Internet dating. A couple meets from across the country, one spouse leaves his or her home in another county or state, then they have a child. They then terminate the relationship and a move-away case results where the spouse that has relocated wants to relocate to his or her home county or state with the child. These are tough cases because they involve separating the child from the parent over county or state lines for significant periods at a time.

There are myths about family law:

When in court and the judge makes the decision regarding who should take the legal responsibility of the child. The myth is that the judge will always favor the mother. This is not true.

Only women get child support. Not true.

The one that stays in the residence will get to reside in the home. Not true. It is community property and, no matter who moves out first, the house remains community property subject to any separate property reimbursement.

Ashley told of a couple that was in the middle of the divorce. She got a phone call that the partner not living in the house filled the house full of natural gas and blew it. The house was destroyed and the husband was charged with arson and convicted. Ashley argued that the community property house, or what was left of it, should be awarded to her client in its entirety because spouses owe each other a fiduciary duty and the husband breached his fiduciary duty when he blew up the house. The judge agreed despite opposing counsel’s arguments otherwise.

Ashley did a fine job in describing her profession as a Family Court Lawyer. She has the ability to put the basic feelings aside and to get on with the case that she is handling.

Phyllis Corliss