What is Court Call? Court Call is a service that allows parties in a court case to appear at their scheduled hearing by the phone. If you are unable to personally attend the hearing as scheduled, some courts allow you to appear by phone through CourtCall. CourtCall is a service that allows parties to appear at a hearing by [...] By Sandra McCarthy|June 15th, 2018|General FAQs, Probate FAQs|Comments Off on What is Court Call? Read More
Can I return my signed documents by email? Many courts are converting to efiling. This, unfortunately, does not eliminate the need for our office to have original, signed documents returned to us. When returning signed documents, please make sure you mail the original, signed documents to our corporate office by mail. In some instances, we can start the processing with an electronic version [...] By Sandra McCarthy|June 15th, 2018|General FAQs|Comments Off on Can I return my signed documents by email? Read More
Is there a deadline to return paperwork that has been prepared? As a self-represented individual, the client is always in control of their own legal processes. Once our office has emailed a client completed paperwork for signature, it is up to the client when they want to proceed with the next step of signing and returning the documents for further processing. Clients should keep in mind, [...] By Sandra McCarthy|June 15th, 2018|General FAQs|Comments Off on Is there a deadline to return paperwork that has been prepared? Read More
When is payment for document preparation services required? As required under California law, all clients must sign a mandatory Contract for Service at the time we are hired. Payment in full for our document preparation services is required at that time. Third-party costs such as court filing fees, etc. are not included in our service fees and are paid as they are incurred. By Sandra McCarthy|June 15th, 2018|General FAQs|Comments Off on When is payment for document preparation services required? Read More
Do documents need to be notarized? Most family law documents that are filed with the court do not require notarization. The one exception is the Marital Settlement Agreement which will need to be signed in front of a notary by both parties. By Sandra McCarthy|June 15th, 2018|Divorce FAQs|Comments Off on Do documents need to be notarized? Read More
What should you bring to your probate hearing? This is a question that clients regularly ask just before their scheduled hearing. In probate cases, there is typically a court order that is issued by the court based on the outcome of the hearing. In this regard, if the Order can be lodged with the court before the hearing, we will do so. Unfortunately, [...] By Sandra McCarthy|June 13th, 2018|Probate FAQs, Probate Column 1|Comments Off on What should you bring to your probate hearing? Read More
I received a Notice of Entry of Judgment. Is my case over? If you received a Notice of Entry of Judgment, this usually means that the court has approved and entered a Judgment in your case. If you and your spouse signed a Marital Settlement Agreement, the Judgment will have that agreement attached which has now become a court order. Take a look at the Notice of [...] By Sandra McCarthy|December 3rd, 2017|Divorce FAQs|Comments Off on I received a Notice of Entry of Judgment. Is my case over? Read More
I am not a California resident. Can I file for divorce in California? California law requires a person to live within the state for at least six months prior to filing for divorce. If you do not meet this criteria, you may be able to for legal separation. Afterwards, once you have lived in the state for six months, you can amend your legal separation documents and file [...] By Sandra McCarthy|December 3rd, 2017|Divorce FAQs|Comments Off on I am not a California resident. Can I file for divorce in California? Read More
Does it matter who files for divorce first in California? In California, it does not matter who files divorce first; meaning, if your spouse filed for divorce first, it does not impact the case. Unlike other states, it does not matter if a spouse was involved in adultery or why a party wants a divorce. The majority of divorce are filed simply due to the [...] By Sandra McCarthy|December 3rd, 2017|Divorce FAQs|Comments Off on Does it matter who files for divorce first in California? Read More
Do I have to pay my spouse’s health insurance after filing divorce? If you were providing health insurance for your spouse before you filed for divorce, the answer is "Yes". In California, any existing health insurance policies must be maintained until a divorce is finalized. When a divorce is filed, a Summons is issued by the Court which specifically states, in part: "Starting immediately, you and your [...] By Sandra McCarthy|December 3rd, 2017|Divorce FAQs|Comments Off on Do I have to pay my spouse’s health insurance after filing divorce? Read More