Marriage of Erler CA1/2

BACKGROUND

The parties executed their premarital agreement in March 2009, about a month before marrying that year.2 Yashar was a longtime California resident, fluent in English and his first language, Turkish. He had adult children from a prior marriage, real estate holdings and other assets, and wanted to ensure that his children inherited his property and that he not have support obligations should the marriage not last. Ayla, a Turkish citizen, also had adult children from a prior marriage, and, while college educated in Turkey, could not speak or read English. She had moved into Yashar‘s San Carlos home in late November 2008, and, by January 2009, the parties were discussing marriage. Yashar told her that he wanted a premarital agreement, and she agreed, thus launching a chain of events that led to signing the written agreement signed on March 12. Ayla’s Support Motion and Issues The parties separated in March 2011, less than two years into the marriage, and Yashar petitioned for dissolution a month later. Ayla had moved in with her son in San Mateo after reporting domestic violence by Yashar and getting a restraining order against him. She retained counsel and filed a motion…