Filing for Divorce in California – Where to Start?

Hey everyone,

I’m navigating the process of filing for divorce in California and could use some guidance. What’s the best way to get started, and what should I keep in mind to make the process smoother? Any tips or steps to follow would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the help!

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The waiting period begins after you file and the state processes your documents. It’s a state-managed six months, and you also need to ensure the papers are served properly.

The formatting seems off, but it looks like you filed everything only a few weeks ago, right?

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In California, we also reached a peaceful conclusion and reached consensus on all issues. You can discover it by going to the family law office at the city courthouse; the person at the information counter can assist you. There, you may buy a packet for less than ten dollars. The courtroom offers online tutorials to help you complete the papers. After completing as much paperwork as possible, you can visit the courthouse’s workshop, where they will verify that it has been done correctly before filing it. They offer guidance throughout the procedure. I will admit that, like most city or public services, it did require a lot of asking about and waiting, but in the end, we only paid the almost

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I’m also in CA and went through a similar process. I would use something like legal zoom for all the paperwork. Each of you should come up with a list of what you want and then sit down and the negotiation table. I got a template for a marriage settlement and used that to draft the agreement. Courts will accept it as the judgement as long as you fill out the right paperwork. You may want to separate any shared debt prior to sending your paperwork so that the courts don’t have to deal with that. My ex let me keep the house as long as I refinanced within 3 years time of the divorce being finalized.

It’s totally doable if you’re amicable and aren’t fighting about anything major. My ex & I only communicated via text & went to a counselor anytime we needed to talk in person. It was important for me to have an unbiased third party present because my ex said some hurtful stuff and I wanted support.