Left to right: Ashley W. Edwards, Cynthia J. Ponce, Leena S. Hingnikar, Peter M. Walzer, Christopher C. Melcher, Kristina L. Hohne, Steven K. Yoda, and John B. Chason
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We are excited and honored that our founding partner,
Peter M. Walzer
, has been installed as president of the
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
.
His inauguration took place at this year's annual meeting on November 9th, 2018 in Chicago, IL at the Loews Hotel.
We thank all who were in attendance and look forward to a great year!
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John B. Chason
New Fellow of
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
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Walzer Melcher
is proud to announce that
John B. Chason
has been granted Fellowship in the
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
.
With over 20 years of handling family law matters, John has developed exceptional skills in litigating complex cases.
He is committed to expanding his understanding of nuanced, complex areas of family law.
This experience has given him the knowledge and ability to guide clients through each stage of their case, so they can reach the best resolution possible.
“It is truly an honor. I am humbled to be welcomed into this organization. Fellows of the Academy set the standard for the practice of family law that I believe all lawyers should embody, and I have strived to live up to their example of professionalism.” -
John
John
joins
AAML President Peter M. Walzer
and
Christopher C. Melcher
as fellow members.
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Christopher C. Melcher
Case Highlights
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Christopher C. Melcher
teamed up with
Alan Dershowitz
and successfully appealed an international child custody proceeding decision under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). The Court of Appeal held that our client was denied due process by a court in Belarus, so Belarus had no custody jurisdiction of the child of the parties. The opinion was published so it can be used as authority in other cases. You can read the opinion
here
.
Chris
teamed up with legendary paternity lawyer
Glen Schwartz
to defend the estate of movie star
Rock Hudson
in an appeal.
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Peter M. Walzer
Christopher C. Melcher
John B. Chason
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S E M I N A R S
*
January 21, 2019
Cross-Examining Statistical Analysis
Christopher C. Melcher, Judge
Christine Goldsmith, &
Garrett Dailey
AAML Trial Advocacy Institute
Balboa Bay Club, Newport Beach
*
February 28th, 2019
Bias: The Enemy of Persuasion
Peter M. Walzer
AAML Nevada Chapter
Bishop, CA
*
March 13, 2019
Legal Marketing: Three Views From
Around the Country
Peter M. Walzer, Ben Stevens, &
Jim Mueller
AAML Mid-Year Meeting
Fairmont Mayakoba, Mexico
*
March 15, 2019
Prenuptial Agreements: The "Do's"
and "Do Not's" to Remember Before
Your Client Says "I Do"
Christopher C. Melcher
AAML Mid-Year Meeting
Fairmont Mayakoba, Mexico
*
May 1-4, 2019
Is Your Prenup Safe to Travel?
Christopher C. Melcher
ABA Spring CLE Conference
Dominican Republic
*
May 8-10, 2019
Real Estate Holding Entities & Divorce:
Land Trusts, TICs and REITs, Oh My!
Peter M. Walzer
AAML/BVR National Divorce
Conference
Aria Hotel - Las Vegas, NV
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We are proud to announce that
Walzer Melcher
has been named to
Best Lawyers
list of Best Law Firms for 2019.
The firm ranked in Tier 1 for their Family Law section.
Partners
Christopher C. Melcher
and
Peter M. Walzer
were also selected to their list of Best Lawyers for 2019.
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Leena S. Hingnikar
Volunteers for
Project Angel Food
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This past November,
Leena S. Hingnikar
and the
CLA Family Law Section Executive Committee
donated their time to volunteer for
Project Angel Food
.
Project Angel Food
cooks and delivers over 500,000 nutritious meals each year, free of charge, to the homes of men, women, and children affected by life-threatening illnesses.
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Alimony As We Know
It Bites the Dust
By
Peter M. Walzer
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While most understand that the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
("the Act") has had a major impact on tax rates and deductions, it is important to note that it will have a significant effect on separating and divorcing spouses as of January 1, 2019. The Act repealed sections of the tax code which allowed for an above the line tax deduction for the spouse paying alimony and required the alimony recipient to declare it as income on his or her tax return.
Until the start of the new year, however, alimony can still be deductible to the payor and declared as income by the recipient. If an order is modified after January 1, 2019, alimony will still be deductible to the payor and included as income to payee as long as the post January 1, 2019, order or written agreement expressly states this.
Read the full article
here
.
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Donation
The Anniversary Dinner is a signature annual event that benefits
Advancing Justice-LA
through the generous support of many individuals, companies and foundations. It celebrates the organization’s accomplishments throughout the year and highlights its year-round programs and services.
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AAML Annual Meeting
Sponsor
This year's annual meeting welcomed our founding partner,
Peter M. Walzer
, as President of the
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
.
The
AAML
was founded in 1962, by highly- regarded domestic relations attorneys “To provide leadership that promotes the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law.” There are currently more than 1600 Fellows in 50 states.
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Leena S. Hingnikar
Tied the Knot!
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On September 29th,
Walzer Melcher
Partner
Leena S. Hingnikar
wed
Amaeya Kalke
in Santa Monica, CA.
We welcome
Amaeya
to the
WM
family and wish them a lifetime of happiness and community property!
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Ashley W. Edwards, Peter M. Walzer, Christina E. Djordjevich, and Cynthia J. Ponce at the LACBA Family Law Section Dinner Dance
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Maya and John Chason, Andrew and Ashley Edwards, Amaeya Kalke, and Leena S. Hingnikar at the Levitt & Quinn Stand for Justice Gala
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Happy Halloween from Our Team
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Winter Wonderland at Our Office
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Walzer Melcher Holiday Party at Trejo's Cantina
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