MSL 86500 Domestic Relations

This course examines the laws relating to marriage and the creation of a family, separation, and the dissolution of marriage. Community property, parental rights, child custody, dependency and neglect actions, among other miscellaneous family law issues will be addressed. Learning Outcomes: - Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with Learners and Mentor - Examine fundamental underpinnings of the practice and ethics of family law - Evaluate premarital, postnuptial, cohabitation, and separation agreements - Evaluate traditional marriage and alternatives to traditional marriage - Examine the termination of marriage, including divorce and annulment and issues of child custody and support - Evaluate the division and allocation of property and the tax implications of a divorce - Evaluate the process of adoption - Evaluate issues of paternity - Examine miscellaneous but important issues tied to the practice of family law such as the legal rights of women and status of children as well as the interplay between torts and family law - Integrate course concepts in the form of a paper, mid-term assignment or movie critique by evaluating and analyzing selective, relevant material(s) and resource(s) This is a course offered within the Master of Science in Law program at California Southern University. To learn more, please visit: http://www.calsouthern.edu/online-law-degrees/

Domestic Relations

Attorney Mark Pugatch has been a business and legal professional and educator for more than 40 years. He spent the first part of his working life amassing over 25 years of progressive private, public and not-for-profit sector financial and marketing managerial experience with companies such as TWA and Pepsi Cola. In the second portion of his career, he earned his JD and has 20 years’ experience practicing business and child advocacy law in Orange County, California. Mark is an appointed board member and hearing officer of the Assessment Appeals for Orange County and serves on a number of boards and foundations. He also performs other county dispute resolution matters. As an educator, he has taught for several colleges and universities in both business and law. His focus is on student success and helping students receive a return on their time and investment and to make a difference in their working and professional lives.