Getting a Divorce

While there is no such thing as a truly painless divorce, the divorce process itself does not have to be more stressful than the events that led to the breakdown of the marriage. Not everyone who gets a divorce in California goes to a divorce trial, and not every divorce case goes on for years. Although divorce with children may always take longer, it’s the best way to ensure that the custody of children gets handled well. This specifically applies to minor children in your marriage. The process of divorce with children may always require that both parties get allocated some parenting time for child custody. Therefore, child custody is an important aspect of the divorce with children process.

The divorce law in California states that the spouse needs to undergo mediation sessions that will enable the development of a proper agreement regarding the care for children after the divorce proceedings get completed. A divorce mediator can also be useful during such a process. If you and your spouse need help to work out parenting arrangements, you might want to consider a divorce mediation collaborative family law. Also, if you are of modest means, you might not need to spend thousands of dollars on divorce lawyers or a divorce attorney, even if you do not agree on all the terms of your divorce.

For many couples, the best solution is to hire a California non-attorney legal document assistant to prepare your divorce documents. A legal document assistant can help with any type of divorce. Apart from fee waivers, the divorce filing fee will significantly reduce. A legal document assistant such as A People’s Choice can help you in filing the mandatory divorce forms and ensuring that you fulfill every residency requirement. The divorce forms will contain every detail regarding your quest for dissolution in marriage or the end of a domestic partnership. In this article, you’ll get to know every detail that needs to get fulfilled before getting a divorce.

 

What our Clients Say...
“I needed help understanding and filling out legal documents, but I didn’t have enough money to pay for an attorney. The staff at A People’s Choice was very professional and helpful. They took care of all of the paperwork and filings and kept me posted. I would highly recommend them. You will get outstanding service at an affordable price. “
Sharon B.
“My wife and I needed to have papers filed in court but found traditional lawyers were quite expensive. A People’s Choice did a professional job completing our paperwork and I might say, at a very reasonable price. You can bet I will contact A People’s Choice again if or when the need arises. “
D. Hileman
“I thought I could save money and file my own divorce paperwork. The court clerks offer no assistance whatsoever! The best advice I can give is to call A People’s Choice first. They typed up my paperwork and my divorce was final in two weeks! Would highly recommend them to everyone.”
L. Bayer
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C. Lazalde
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M. Rice
“When I first saw all of the documents required to file I was overwhelmed. Already dealing with the stress of everything else, I did not want to deal with the courts, a mountain load of paperwork and trips to file as well. I’m VERY happy that I went with A People’s Choice. They were very helpful, despite all of my questions. I definitely recommend.”
M. McCleod
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Debra H.
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Diana K.
“This team is efficient, professional, ethical and easy to work with. Any of my questions were responded to immediately. They did everything they could to help me. I highly recommend their services.”
Leigh A.
“Divorce is usually never pleasant but A People’s Choice made it much easier than it would have been if we tried to do the divorce paperwork on our own. They were very quick to respond to us and always took the time to answer all of our questions thoroughly, in addition to quickly. I would highly recommend them for handling divorce paperwork.”
Susan Z.
“Extremely satisfied with the performance of A People’s Choice. The communication was excellent and all was handled in a timely efficient manner. “
Pam T.
“I recently required the help of A People’s Choice, Inc. and found them to be entirely professional. Everything was done in short order yet all was explained to my satisfaction. They were friendly and courteous. I am happy and impressed.”
C. Zyobel
“This company is excellent! They helped me get through all of my paperwork, submitted it to the court, and now everything is complete. Everything was clear and almost too easy. I saved thousands of dollars!”
Seth M.
“Overwhelmed with my divorce, custody and child support paperwork, A Peoples Choice made everything so much easier and really put my mind at ease. I couldn’t be happier with their assistance and it really made all the process speed up for me. Thank you so much for all your help.”
Samantha R.
“I used A People’s Choice for filing divorce paperwork for an uncontested divorce. The price was very affordable and fair. Excellent service throughout. Not being able to call and talk on the phone worried me at first but they responded to every email extremely quickly. Directions were very easy to understand. Will definitely use them again if I need.
Frank M.
“Highly recommend A People’s Choice. The customer service and professionalism are exceptional. My documents were delivered to me quickly and accurately. Compared to using an attorney for complete paperwork, this service is only a fraction of the cost, more responsive, and better suited to quickly completing complicated court forms. “
Linda F.
“Made the process so easy for me. Also VERY prompt replies through email. So glad I used their services.“
Kristina C.
“Want to personally thank the staff at A People’s Choice for making my divorce process so simple and painless. From my 1st contact in the office, they were was warm and friendly and took the time to explain each step in a very simple and quick manner. Filing for a divorce can be a difficult and painful process and the staff was extremely professional and clear in all guidance and explanations. I highly recommend A People’s Choice.”
C. Hannon
“I used A People’s Choice to complete custody paperwork. No disappointment here. The service was easy and painless. It might have been nice to have a discussion by phone, but it was still quite easy and quick via email. Overall, the process was simple and I would use A People’s Choice again.”
Michael J.
“I’ve worked with A People’s Choice since September 2013.  They are very knowledgeable and experienced.  Their work is done professionally and timely.  They show a real concern for my situation.  I recommend you give them the opportunity to be of service to you.”
D. Echeverra
“I was very happy with the service received. They were extremely responsive by phone and email and completed the document in less than 24 hours! All questions were answered promptly. I would highly recommend this service to anyone needing a legal document prepared!”
M.D.
“I had contacted a lawyer and he wanted to charge me $1800.00. Then I found A People’s Choice. They got my paperwork started and at a much lower cost, and steered me, with the help of lots of paperwork, in the right direction. I am grateful for the company’s services and would recommend them to anyone that may need the services they offer.”
April R.
“I had the opportunity to use A People’s Choice again, Wow doesn’t say enough for the way the staff was able to get me in and out and all my answers answered. Very P-professional, organized and Friendly. I highly recommend!”
Debbie E.
“I would just like to comment on what a great job A People’s Choice did with my divorce. I could not be happier. They let me know how they keep the cost down by communicating through email. I also appreciated how when I had a question they got back with me in the day or in the evening. APeoples Choice is a good deal for the consumer.”
R. Leyva
“A People’s Choice prepares legal documents so you can represent yourself and still look like you know what you’re doing. I utilized their services recently and found them to be professional as well as extremely helpful. I couldn’t be happier.”
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Eric J.
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Gene A.
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Tar
“So glad I found this company to handle my divorce. They were very professional and detail oriented, answering all of my (many) questions and kept me informed. They handled everything for me from hundreds of miles away and made it pretty seamless. The pricing was in the exact range we were looking for. Very honest company and great to work with!”
Jessica J.
“A People’s Choice is a business that delivers what they promise. I was treated like a VIP by their staff. As for their services, they promptly delivered all of the official documents and fillings on my behalf and their price is more than reasonable. In short, this is a business that I will always recommend and continue to use. Thank you!”
Juan B.
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“The service provided by A People’s Choice was very professional and comprehensive. We have used A People’s Choice on a previous occasion and were completely satisfied. We would highly recommend A People’s Choice to anyone!“
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Get help filing a California Divorce!

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…or continue reading the article below to learn more about filing for divorce in California.

Contested Vs. Uncontested Divorce

A divorce process in which both parties have a mutual agreement is called an uncontested divorce or collaborative divorce. However, if your spouse gives a response to your divorce petition, you’ll have a contested divorce. In a collaborative divorce, the divorce cost gets significantly minimized since grounds for divorce are well-stipulated. Most couples wish for a collaborative divorce although this is usually not the case. If forced to undergo a contested divorce before a county courthouse, you need to file all the forms needed for a regular divorce. Important aspects such as division of marital property and parenting issues will get solved before the county courthouse. Other aspects handled during an actual court hearing for contested divorce include:

  • Division of property
  • Child support guidelines
  • Division of debt
  • Declaration marital debt and marital assets
  • Medical expenses
  • Child custody arrangement
  • A parenting plan, and
  • Financial issues

Most of these issues are not a challenge during a no-fault, uncontested divorce. Therefore, you can get a quick divorce by filing a no-fault, uncontested divorce. If you and your spouse need help to work out parenting arrangements, you might want to consider divorce mediation collaborative family law. A no-fault divorce prevents the parties from blaming one another for the end of a marriage. In most states, a no-fault divorce gets accomplished by stating under oath in court or in papers that you and your spouse have irreconcilable differences or are incompatible.

What is the Process for Getting a Divorce in California?

There are several different ways that your divorce case can proceed. If you and your spouse have already agreed about the division of property and, if you have minor children, about parenting time and child support, you can get an uncontested divorce.  In that case, one spouse files a divorce petition, and then you both submit financial affidavits (financial documents) and a marital settlement agreement before asking the court for a final divorce judgment. The judgment will always get delivered after a particular waiting period. Your legal separation will then get formalized through a divorce decree. A divorce decree document gets presented showing that you and your spouse are divorced. If the judge orders your name changed in your divorce decree, your name will be legally changed.

If you and your spouse disagree about finances or parenting time when one spouse files a divorce petition with their requests for the terms of the divorce, and the other spouse files a response with their requests. After that, the parties usually attend mediation until they can agree on a marital settlement agreement. Couples who own very little property, do not have children together, and were only married for a short time can get a summary dissolution of marriage if their divorce is uncontested.

A quick divorce because of an irretrievable breakdown is therefore viable. Basic divorce procedures are followed during a quick divorce to accomplish everything within a short period of time. All the questions about divorce must get indicated in the divorce forms. The divorce records form must indicate the nature of your divorce. This enables an easy generation of a divorce certificate for both parties. Divorce coaches recommend that a fruitful divorce can get witnessed when property issues such as property declaration and property division are handled properly. Also, cases of legal custody for the children must get handled appropriately.

If your spouse ghosted you and you do not have current contact information for them, you can still file for divorce.  If your spouse does not respond to the default judgment within 35 days after you publish a notice in the newspaper about your divorce filing, you can request a default judgment. In this case, the judge will grant all the requests you made in the divorce petition.

After the Dissolution Case is Filed, How Long Does it Take on Getting a Divorce?

What I wish I'd known before getting a divorce | Reader's Digest Asia

Every divorce is different, but getting a divorce process in California can be over in as little as six months and one day. This means that, even if the parties have agreed on all the terms of their divorce, the earliest date that a judge can declare the marriage dissolved is six months and one day after the filing spouse served the non-filing spouse with divorce papers. This means that, if you served your spouse with divorce papers on January 2, your divorce can become final as early as July 3.

A People’s Choice Makes Filing for Divorce Painless

In most divorce cases, hiring a lawyer is an unnecessary expense. Contact A People’s Choice to get your divorce accomplished quickly, with minimal stress and expense.

Get help with your Legal documents today!

A People’s Choice can save you hundreds of dollars by preparing your legal documents instead of an expensive attorney!

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