community property Archives - Helene L. Taylor

Did your spouse acquire a community property interest in your separate property house? (Moore-Marsden)

You inherited or received real estate as a gift before or during marriage, or bought a house before getting married. You used your salaries, bonuses, commissions, or other income earned during marriage to make improvements or pay the mortgage principal on the property. You don't … [Read more...]

Are gifts or inheritance separate property in California?

Helene L Taylor

You received a significant gift or inheritance while married and living in California post-1975. Now you want to know, is the gift or inheritance separate property under California law? Property acquired during marriage by gift, will, or inheritance is separate property. … [Read more...]

Hello. I’m Helene. I’m an Ambassador of Compassion certified by Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. I’m an attorney who has guided thousands of clients through divorce in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. I’m the author of Making a Case for Self-Compassion as Core Curriculum in Law School, a chapter to be published by Information Age Publishing in the R.A.C.E. MENTORING Series, Healing While Studying: Reflections and Strategies for Healing, Coping, and Liberation of Graduate Students of Minoritized Identities (Summer 2023.) I mentor students, lawyers, and lay people who want to resolve conflict with compassion and navigate the courts with resilience.

"Helene understands human behavior, and has a gift for deescalating conflict. I felt safe with Helene representing me during a complicated divorce. We've been friends ever since my divorce sixteen years ago." ~Toni Wroolie, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry, Stanford University Medicine

"When I realized that I was getting a divorce I knew I needed to find a guide. She’d need to be smart, soulful, kind, and know her way around the legal system like nobody’s business. I loved working with Helene because she covered all of those bases beautifully, and she made it possible for me to move through my divorce with peace of mind and confidence" ~Laurie Wagner, 27powers.org

"Helene gently challenged me to consider which outcome would be best for my daughter and I, and gave me the courage and consistency I needed to pursue it successfully. I learned so much about myself as a result. Helene's is a compassionate and strategic approach. On a personal level, Helene is exceptionally positive and inspiring. I feel blessed to have received Helene's help through a challenging divorce during the pandemic." ~NC, Mother, Los Angeles Small Business Owner