Mark H. Karney, CFLS
Certified Family Law Specialist since 2010
CHILD CENTERED
and
Resolution Focused
Emphasis on Family
A passionate, empathetic yet aggressive approach to complex family law matters, with a strong focus on the best interests of children.
Services
"The best way to make children good is to make them happy."
Oscar Wilde
"There is no love greater than that a parent
has for their child, and vice-versa."
Anyone who has ever had a child
Children deserve both mom and dad and their extended family members.
Separation has lifelong effects on kids.
Children should not be weaponized.
But so often are used to hurt another.
Respected
Mark H. Karney, CFLS
Knowledgeable
Fierce Advocate
A FATHER
Tenatious
Investigative
Creative
A MOTHER
Tristina Cole, Paralegal
ABOUT KARNEY FAMILY LAW
Karney Family Law was created out of a desire to help. Mr. Karney, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, became a lawyer in 1994, out of his strong desire to assist people entering a difficult arena, who need strong advocacy and assistance, and has surrounded himself with staff who feel the same exact way. He is incredibly knowledgeable about family law. The Karney Family Law firm is dedicated to providing diligent, effective fair and affordable legal representation in complex and contentious family law cases. That's not to say they do not handle matters with less complexity, because they absolutely do. The firm's goal is to make a positive impact on the lives of the clients and their children by advocating for fair and just outcomes. Ensuring children get to spend time with both of their parents is a top priority of the firm, and they collectively will fight vigorously to ensure parents share an equitable if not equal timeshare, if possible. They understand the importance of your relationship with your children. If a case cannot be resolved because one party is difficult or suffers from some sort of mental health issue, the staff will work hard to prepare your case thoroughly so that the whole story is properly presented in Court. Mr. Karney's love of competitive sports and history of both playing and coaching them, shines through and takes center stage when it's time to fight for his clients. At Karney Family Law, a strong team is there waiting to help you through these unpredictible and emotionally painful times, with patience and unequivocal empathy as well as endurance. At the firm, they don't ever give up. You and your children deserve fierce, strong advocates who understand what it takes to prevail.
OUR FAMILY LAW SERVICES
Custody and Visitation
In divorce and paternity suits.
As is evidenced throughout this site, custody and visitation in our eyes, is one of the most important aspects of our work. Children grow, and when you or family members miss that crucial time with a small child, it is lost forever and can never be made up. Oftentimes, one parent will use children to hurt the other parent. Children are so innocent, they just want to play and have fun, but sometimes during divorce and break-ups, people lose perspective as to the children who are suffering from abrupt changes in the familial makeup. Thus, it is essential to move fast, file requests and get in front of a judge if needed, to ensure status quo orders can be made to avoid losing precious time and building resentment. We are ready with seasoned personnel, to file meaningful, strong requests which demonstrate the importance of your presence in the child's life as well as extended family members, including seeking sole custody orders when the other parent engages in alienation and interferes with the strong bond between you and your child.
Divorce and Separation
Property Division and Child/Spousal Support/Fees
In family law cases, we strive to ensure fair resolutions for our clients, especially in matters of divorce, child custody, and support. Our legal team is committed to protecting the rights and well-being of families. The problem is that sometimes these cases can become overwhelming, complicated and oftentimes involve deceit, lying, manipulation and attempts to hide income and assets by the party with superior financial means. Our team is creative and able to uncover much of the dishonesty and gamesmanship through processes like discovery including conducting depositions and issuing subpoenas. Our team will make sure we uncover as much information as possible about all financials including assets, income, and hidden sources of revenue, so that request can be made to the Court to divide accounts and assets properly and evenly.
Legal Consultation, Mediation & the Karney Family Law Pro Se Clinic
Consultation, Mediation and Dispute Resolution
We provide expert legal advice and guidance to help our clients navigate through difficult family law matters. Our approach includes mediation and dispute resolution to minimize conflict and prioritize amicable solutions. Our firm provides a pro se clinic-styled guidance course for those in socioeconomic disadvantaged positions who have no choice but to represent themselves. We can assist in drafting documents, providing samples for preparation, offering guidance and advice through your proceeding. Although it is best to have representation for these important moments in yours and your child(ren)'s lives, we understand that sometimes it is simply not possible especially considering the fact that over 85% of people in the U.S. cannot afford a lawyer. We are here to help regardless of your station in life, and if we are able to assist you in your family law fight, we will do what we can to help. Although we cannot work for free, we will provide documents and advice to help you through the process. Contact us for more information.
Domestic Violence
Whether obtaining protection or defending against accusations, we fight hard to ensure our clients are protected. We understand and believe that many individuals are real victims of domestic abuse. However, the growing trend today is for litigants who desire custodial orders on an expedited basis, to file false domestic violence requests in order to ascertain those orders, typically resulting in one parent being prevented from seeing his or her child for a period of time. We will ensure our clients are vigorously advocated for, whether that includes filing a competing restraining order, or putting together a strong prosecution/defense to the allegations in the matter. Again, if children are involved, they suffer the most so our focus is to prevent unnecessary findings and orders which can affect the child/parental relationship. A restraining order triggers Family Code Section 3044's presumption against joint custody. The invocation of such a finding can have devastating effects on a parent and the child. Become educated on the issue.
Negotiation & Settlement or Advocacy in Court
Settlement and Advocacy in Court
Our negotiation skills are aimed at securing fair settlements for our clients, while our court advocacy is focused on presenting compelling cases to protect the best interests of families. We listen to our clients but expect them to also listen to us when presented with difficult decisions and looming litigation. We always strive to do what's best for clients, but it has to also be what's right for the children, if any. We never lost site of the best interests of a child. When negotiating a case, kids matter. Their voice and opinions matter. We work hard to make sure children are heard.
Appeals
WHY CHOOSE KARNEY FAMILY LAW
CHILD-CENTERED REPRESENTATION
Every family is unique, and so is our approach. We prioritize the best interests of the children while providing dedicated, personalized legal support to parents throughout the legal process. We do everything necessary to make sure children are heard in the matter because California Family Law Statutes, strongly support this proposition and who knows better how a child feels in their own custodial tug-of-war, than that very child?
FAIR AND JUST OUTCOMES
We are committed to achieving fair and just outcomes for our clients and their children. Our strategies are tailored to pursue favorable resolutions through negotiation, mediation, or litigation. We do our very best to prepare for and meet those challenges in every contentious divorce/custody/DVRO case, because our clients depend on us to represent them as though this was our own case. Our approach is strategic, but thoughtful at the same time.
CLIENT-FOCUSED ADVOCACY
Our clients' needs are at the forefront of everything we do. We maintain open communication, transparency, and unwavering support to ensure our clients feel prioritized and empowered throughout their legal journey. You are not alone and we will have your back throughout the process.
LEGAL INSIGHTS & FAMILY LAW UPDATES
Judge Goldberg is a brilliant jurist and we respect his rulings in matters in which he decides issues. He is now in private mediation and completely understands the complexities of issues that arise in these types of proceedings.His website contains the above legal updates in appellate rulings and statutory changes litigation and conflict. Judge Goldberg is a judge we highly recommend be hired to mediate the issues in a private judge setting, if your case can proceed in such a venue.
Recent changes to California's Family Code include updates to child support calculations, including how add-on expenses are apportioned and how childcare costs are considered, as well as changes to domestic violence protective orders and the ability of courts to transfer family law cases.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of some key changes:
Child Support:
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Add-on Expenses:
The Family Code now presumes that add-on expenses (like childcare, healthcare, or extracurricular activities) will be apportioned based on the parents' relative net incomes, rather than a 50/50 split.
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Childcare Costs:
Childcare costs related to employment or necessary education/training will only be collected as additional child support if those expenses are actually incurred.
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Low-Income Adjustment:
New provisions under Family Code § 4057(b)(5) allow courts to reduce support amounts if, after applying the low-income adjustment, the support still exceeds half of the obligor's net income.
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SB 343:
SB 343 aims to better reflect parents' financial status, including more income sources in child support calculations, mandating that add-ons be divided based on parents' incomes, and establishing childcare costs related to employment as a reasonable expense.
LITIGATING AGAINST
A NARCISSIST
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