California Divorce Steps

If you are considering divorce, or if you have been served with papers, then you need to know what is involved in the California divorce process. First, it is important to understand that in addition to the long time frame, there are many different issues that must be resolved, such as child custody or property division. If you are seeking divorce, then you need skilled representation on your side that can aggressively fight for your rights in court or help you through the process of divorce mediation.

Divorce begins with one spouse filing for divorce and serving the petition to the other spouse; the served spouse then has 30 days to respond. If the respondent does not respond to the petition, then the process move forward and the petitioner can file requests for various elements such as custody, visitation, and property division. Without a response, the divorce process is final six months and one day after the respondent was served.

Fighting for Your Rights

If the respondent does file a response, then the process continues with both parties exchanging information regarding assets and income. This discovery period is important as you could suffer from the dishonesty of your spouse, so it is crucial that you have legal representation through this process. If you need custody or visitation, then you may be able to have the court order these before the trial. Also, before trial, you may be required to meet at a mandatory settlement conference in order to attempt to resolve various issues of divorce before trial. At trial, you will be able to argue your case and fight for a favorable outcome.

The divorce process can be long and difficult, so for this reason it is crucial to your future that you have skilled representation on your side. Without the representation you need, you could find that you are left with highly undesirable circumstances for your life after divorce. We operate by providing our clients with information and advice regarding the future. Seek our legal assistance today to begin the process of pursuing your goals and desires in your case.