There are several reasons someone might decide to file their own divorce, especially in California. Those reasons include lower costs, simplicity in many cases, an amicable divorce when terms are agreeable to both parties, and a desire for privacy.
California’s divorce process makes it fairly easy for most couples to get an amicable, no-fault divorce without the expense of hiring attorneys. But, there are still requirements that need to be met, legal documents that need to be completed and filed and court dates to meet. We Help You Legal, providing legal document assistance service in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, has summarized the divorce self-help process from the California court system.
The steps for a self-help divorce in California are:
- At least one spouse must have lived in California for at least six months prior to filing for divorce.
- At least one spouse must have lived in the county of residence for at least three months before filing.
- Complete all of the required forms. The forms can be obtained from the nearest court or online. Double-check to make sure you have the correct forms and all of the necessary forms.
- File the forms with the court and pay a filing fee.
- Filing fee can be reduced or even waived under certain circumstances, which requires another form.
- Once the filing is done, hire someone to serve your spouse with the court papers by a specific date.
- A proof of service form has to be filed with the court once the papers are served.
- At some point you and your spouse need to reach an agreement about property, finances, and other matters and any forms associated with that agreement need to be filed.
- Complete and submit all final paperwork and your divorce becomes final in six months.
A non-contested divorce is usually the least complicated divorce to do yourself because both spouses agree to the terms of the divorce, including how property is divided. Visitation, custody and child support are also agreed to.
Because of the demands of work and daily life, people seeking to do their own divorce often find themselves overwhelmed with completing all of the required paperwork, making sure everything is correct and getting documents processed and filed on time.
We Help You Legal can provide document preparation services and help make the processes less stressful. With offices in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, help with divorce documents can accommodate your personal schedule.
In addition to assisting with an uncontested Paso Robles divorce, We Help You Legal can assist with:
- Legal Separation – In a legal separation, certain matters can be resolved but you and your spouse remain legally married and cannot remarry until a divorce (dissolution of marriage) is completed.
- Annulment – This designation declares a marriage void and not legally valid, certain qualifications need to be met in order to complete this type of dissolution.
- Divorce or legal separation with no children and no property
- Divorce or legal separation with children or property
- Divorce or legal separation with children and property
- Help finishing an existing California Divorce or Legal Separation case. We Help You Legal requires an initial review of all documents filed so far.
- Preparing a QDRO or Joinder to deal with retirement in a divorce or after a judgment has been entered.
Along with divorce, other Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo office services include living trust, LLC/corporation, and other legal document matters. The company brings over 22 years of experience and professionalism to every service and customize their support to your individual needs and concerns.
We Help You Legal is a “self-help” legal document assistance company that provides document preparation without the high cost of an attorney. We Help You Legal, Inc. is not a law firm. We cannot represent you in court, advise you about your legal rights or the law, or select forms for you.
