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Divorce and separation
Children
Words to know
- Community property
- Generally, property and debts acquired during marriage, which California treats as belonging equally to both spouses.
- Legal custody
- The right to make major decisions about a child’s health, education and welfare.
- Petitioner
- The person who starts a family law case.
- Physical custody
- Where a child lives most of the time.
- Request for Order
- The form used to ask the family court to make or change orders in an existing case.
- Respondent
- The other party in a family law case.
- Separate property
- Generally, property owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance.
- Temporary restraining order
- A short-term order that can be issued before a full hearing.