You have probably heard the depressing statistic that most Americans do not have $400 in a checking or savings account that they could use in an emergency. It is even more depressing because it means that they do not have extra money for non-emergency, but still important expenses such as getting out of an unhappy marriage. Over the years, the divorce filing fees charged by the court have increased two-fold. From under $200 years past, a person filing divorce now needs over $400 to cover the divorce filing fees the court now charges to start the divorce process. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible for many unhappy couples to avoid the truth that they want to get divorced. If another stimulus check comes as the pandemic drags on, the amount will be more than enough to get your divorce process started. The good news is that the court will waive the fee if you can demonstrate financial need. The even better news is that you can avoid expensive lawyer fees by having a California legal document assistant, not a lawyer, prepare your divorce documents without charging too much money on top of the cost of divorce filing fees in California.
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…or continue reading the article below to learn more about how much the divorce filing fees are in California.
435 is Currently the Magic Number
The current divorce filing fees for most California courts is $435. This means that, unless you qualify for a waiver of the divorce filing fees, you will be out at least $435 to file for divorce in California. The current Statewide fee schedule can be found here, If you are saving your pennies for your California divorce filing fees, remember this little trick: Four is for the Fourth of July, Independence Day. Three is for the three U.S. presidents primarily affiliated with the state of California (Hoover, Nixon, and Reagan). Five is for the points on each star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The divorce filing fees are due at the time that you file Form FL-100, the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and Form FL-110, the Summons. If you and your spouse have minor children together, you will also have to file the Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (Form FL-105) along with Form FL-100 and Form FL-110.
Money Should Not be an Obstacle to Divorce
You do not have to be as rich as a president or a movie star to gain independence from your unhappy marriage. In certain instances, the court will grant of waiver of the divorce filing fees. You can obtain a waiver of the court fees if you can demonstrate financial hardship or financial need. If one of these criteria applies to you, then you do not need to come up with $435 to file for divorce:
- You receive public assistance, such as food stamps or cash benefits
- Your income is below a certain threshold, so you automatically qualify as low-income
- Your income is above the low-income threshold but your household expenses are high enough that you still cannot afford the $435 divorce filing fee
Even if you can pay the $435 filing fee, the costs associated with divorce can be intimidating. You can greatly reduce these costs by choosing legal document assistant services instead of paying a lawyer’s hourly rates.
Affordable, Accurate Court Documents for the Rest of Us
Having a professional legal document assistant handle your divorce documents can save you money and take the stress out of divorce. Contact A People’s Choice at 800-747-2880 and get started on your path to independence and feeling like a star.
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A People’s Choice can save you hundreds of dollars by preparing your legal documents instead of an expensive attorney!
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