How to Get a Cheap Divorce in California

Is a cheap divorce in California possible? As a professional legal document assistant for over 30 years, I have helped thousands of people get divorced in California and, of course, heard many stories along the way. The most heartbreaking story is when I hear from couples going through a divorce who have spent literally thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process for attorney’s fees. Exasperated and often broke, they come to A People’s Choice to complete their divorce proceeding, realizing what a big mistake it had been to get lawyers involved who ran up huge legal fees for each of them.

Cheap Divorce Options in California

People say is so easy to get married but so difficult (and expensive) to get divorced. It is possible to get a cheap divorce in California without breaking the bank. Individuals filing for divorce in California have several options available.

The County Clerk’s office should have information packets for people who want to file pro se, which is the least expensive way to do it.
There are several state-specific self-help divorce books specifically written for people who want to do their own divorce that are a big help, such as Nolo Press’s How To Do Your Own Divorce in California. With a cost of about $20, this is, by far, the second cheapest way to go. Most books even have the paperwork and guides for working out a settlement.
California also allows professional legal document assistants to help you with the divorce process and completing your divorce forms. Services are typically provided on a flat fee basis and range between $350 to $600 for a complete divorce depending upon whether the parties have children or property to divide. The services of a legal document assistant typically include:

providing customers with a self-help book that explains the California divorce process.
typing all the required divorce documents from beginning to end, including a marital settlement agreement if one is needed.
monitoring your case to make sure it is timely progressing.
filing the various divorce documents with the court at the proper time in the case until it is fully completed and a final divorce judgment has been entered.

Not every self-help divorce solution is ideal and a person looking for cheap divorce options should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each choice.

Using Court Clerk Forms Packages

Although this option may be the cheapest way to go through a California divorce, it is also probably the most difficult and stressful for a person who knows nothing about the California divorce process. When someone is going through divorce, stress and anxiety levels are usually high. Although most Courts offer a self-help center, I have heard from clients that these centers really offer little help and often make the divorce process more difficult that it has to be. Although they offer direction in the completion of the paperwork, since the California divorce process is multi-step, a person doing their own divorce will need to make multiple trips to the center at various junctions in the divorce process, and will be responsible for filling out all the various paperwork.

Using a Self-Help California Divorce Book

This process has similar downsides as using court clerk forms packages and the self-help center. Having a book that you can read and re-read is certainly more helpful that having to reply on sketchy notes or your memory, and a book is a useful tool in being able to fully understand the California divorce process from beginning to end. Unfortunately, these self-help books are published about every two years and often contain out-of-date form examples, making it very confusing when you are trying to match up court clerk forms with self-help book instructions. Obviously, you will also be required to prepare your own divorce papers and file them with the court throughout the various steps of the process.

Using a Registered Legal Document Assistant

A California legal document assistant should be familiar with the divorce process in the county where you live as well as well how to properly complete the required court forms. Most legal document assistants also file the paperwork with the court so you will not have to worry about which form to file, and your divorce case can quickly proceed along to a final conclusion. Hiring a legal document assistant to help you with your California divorce is certainly cheaper than using an expensive attorney, and will make your divorce easy and hassle-free without costing a lot of money.

Misleading Online Divorce Services

Believe it or not, there are misleading online divorce websites services. If you are going to try to tackle your own California divorce document preparation using one of these types of services, do your homework. These services often offer customers the same package one can get from the local court clerk’s office. The most surprising problem of many online services is the documents purchased are often not in compliance with your court’s local rules. In some cases, the documents are not even completed for you. Fees seem to be inexpensive until an unsuspecting consumer realizes they do not include everything one needs to finish the divorce properly. If you are searching for a cheap divorce in California, just remember that there is a lot of fraud in this industry and on the internet. Check out references and reviews before you pay any money!

Get a Cheap Divorce in California With A People’s Choice

If you are investigating how to get an inexpensive divorce in California and want to avoid the high cost of attorney’s fees, contact A People’s Choice for low-cost help. You can also visit our website for more information about filing a divorce in California. A People’s Choice is a legitimate self-help service that can assist you in filing for divorce in California. We have helped thousands of couples get a California divorce without having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars. A People’s Choice has been providing self-help legal document services for over 30 years and has established an excellent reputation in the community. You can start your divorce proceedings through our website or call our office to schedule an in-person or over the phone interview.