El Cajon, California

El Cajon, which means "The Box" in Spanish, is a city in San Diego County which derives its name from the fact that it sits in valley surrounded by mountains. Incorporated in 1912, El Cajon had a population of just fewer than 95,000 as of the 2000 census. El Cajon was once a flourishing center for citrus and other produce because of its sunny climate and rich soil. Today, El Cajon has the feel of a small town while still being conveniently located within the county.

El Cajon residents utilize the East County Regional Center which is located within the city of El Cajon. Specifically the Center is located on 250 East Main Street. The courthouse at this location hears family law and juvenile dependency cases.

An El Cajon family law firm can help you make informed and intelligent decisions regarding your pending family law matter. These cases can be complex even in what many believe are “simple” cases. How complicated the case will be depends on the issues involved. For example, if one of the issues is legal custody, this can be very complicated. Legal custody involves making decisions about the health, safety and welfare of the child or children. These can involve issues such as child neglect, child abuse, child molest as well as conduct such as being arrested or convicted or habitually using alcohol or illegal drugs. The norm, in San Diego Family Law Court, is for joint legal. This means that both parents must make decisions about welfare, education and health. Of course, there are times when sole legal is appropriate such as when a parent is in jail for some time or when a parent is deployed for a significant amount of time. Physical custody means where the children will live. This can be as easy as alternating days or weeks or any schedule that the parents can agree on. One such schedule is called a 2-2-5. This is where the children or child is with one parent on Monday and Tuesday and the other parent on Wednesday and Thursday and the weekends rotate. This gives both parents an equal timeshare which is beneficial for frequent and continuing contact as well as bonding and stability. In many cases, however, one parent is the primary physical custodian and the other parent has visitation time during the week or weekends or nights and days. All cases are different and it is best if parents can agree.

It is important that you have all the legal information you can get at this difficult time in your life. At Doppelt and Forney, APLC, we have experience and education in a variety of family law matters including divorce, legal separation, annulment, alimony, child custody, child support, child visitation, spousal support, father's rights, division of property, separation of debt, marriage settlement agreements, and judgment pleadings. You must know your rights in order to achieve your legal goals and that is why we provide a free in-person or virtual consultation where you can discuss these matters with one of our experienced attorneys. Reach our office at 858-312-8500 or schedule the appointment online. Our office is located in Rancho Bernardo on Bernardo Center Drive in the Clock Tower Office Complex. We look forward to meeting with you and discussing your legal matter further.