California Sample Forms of Statements of Decision and
Tentative Decisions In Contested Divorce and Family Law Cases
Here are sample PDF forms of "statements of decision" that were used by some Los Angeles Superior Court judges as recently as 2008, for use in some form of a contested hearing, trial or bifurcated trial, or other evidentiary hearing. You should update and research the cases they cite before relying upon them, to make sure they remain good statements of the law, but since statements of decision can be challenging to draft these provide templates as a starting place if you are asked to draft one by your bench officer. LOL, maybe I can come back and update them myself in the future!
By the way, reviewing these forms are a really useful exercise - whether you are an attorney or a self-represented party - because they give you a frame of reference of what the family court bench officer needs to assess, and can therefore help you to present the evidence that is necessary to succeed in your marital dissolution or family law case.
In the meantime, please use them at your own risk - and remember, our website provides an educational service and we cannot give you legal advice if you are not actual clients of the Palm Springs Law Offices of Thurman W. Arnold!
This statement of decision exemplar is 32 pages and covers all the evidence and findings that are required in the typical child custody case.
This move-away sample statement is an exemplar that is 11 pages long, and covers the findings that are commonly required in the typical relocation context - however, this is one you will likely want to update by reviewing the reported appellate decisions subsequent to 2008 (some of which we've blogged!)
This is a 23 page statement of decision template, which likely needs less attention to updates (your risk, not ours!) and may give you some creative ideas about how to present your contested child support case at trial or a bifurcated proceeding.
This attorney fee findings (statement of decision) is 13 pages. The Family Code has been updated in some important particulars, which we blogged a couples back in our review of the "Elkins" changes. It is a good start, and can be cleaned up and brought current with a little effort.
This is an amazing sample statement of decision on judgment spousal support, and if you find this useful then the quid pro quo we ask is that you go to our Blog and click one of the pages that seeks your support of our efforts, through social media, blah blah, etc.!
This is a 44 page template for the Court to use in dividing marital property and separate property. It is a gem. Please see the comment to the preceding document!
Testimonials & Endorsements
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I am a Veteran and Retired Deputy Sheriff. My divorce involved complicated property distribution and spousal support issues. I spent considerable time looking for the best Counsel I could find before I negotiated with my ex-wife and her Attorney. In fact, my case was in another county, but that didn't matter. I needed the best analysis and advice possible. I found Attorney Thurman Arnold III in Palm Springs. Attorney Arnold is a BAR Certified Family Law Specialist. In my humble opinion the best! His review of my case and how "Moore Marsden" property division applied was invaluable. His guidance saved me $30,000 dollars. Thank you, Thurman!- Jeff Jones -
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“Mike amazes me by his knowledge of my case, made me feel like I was his only client.”
- Damaris M.I reached out to this law firm 2 years ago when my life was falling apart. My case was assigned to attorney Michael Peterson. I didn't know much about him except few reviews on google but I'm glad I hit the jackpot. Mike amazes me by his knowledge of my case, made me feel like I was his only client. He's very responsive, respectful and and goes above and…
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“He and Michael Peterson are truly masters of their craft.”
When my clients have family law issues, I routinely refer them to Thurman Arnold. He and Michael Peterson are truly masters of their craft. Family law can be an unwieldy beast, but they handle it with precision and finesse.- Edward Cross
