-Divorce is a difficult and often painful process frequently complicated by disagreements between the divorcing partners resulting in a lengthy process and expensive attorney fees. Fortunately, California law allows for uncontested, much simpler and affordable divorces and We Help You Legal, the documentation assistance service for divorce in Paso Robles, recently released a report about California uncontested divorce.
An uncontested divorce is a type of divorce where both parties agree to the terms of the divorce, including issues related to child custody, visitation, support, property division, and spousal support. In California, an uncontested divorce is also known as a “summary dissolution” and can be a relatively fast and straightforward process compared to a contested divorce or one that involves community property over a certain value.
The elements that make a divorce uncontested in California include:
- Mutual agreement: The most crucial element of an uncontested divorce is that both parties must agree, or be willing to work out terms, on all the issues related to the divorce. The parties must have reached a mutual agreement on the division of property, child custody, visitation, child support, and spousal support. This agreement must be in writing and signed by both parties. We Help You Legal can assist with completing the legal documents for an uncontested divorce. With offices in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, the divorce documents need not be a stressful venture.
- Children: Another element of an uncontested divorce in California is that when the couple has children under the age of 18, the issues of child custody, visitation and child support must be addressed.
- Duration of the marriage: To qualify for a summary dissolution in California, the marriage must have lasted for five years or less. If the marriage lasted longer, the couple must file for a regular divorce. This is not to imply that regular divorce must be adversarial. The couple can still agree on all of the terms and have an amicable parting.
- Minimal assets: The couple must have minimal assets and debts to qualify for an uncontested divorce. The high debt and value of assets can complicate the community property settlement aspects of a divorce. In some cases, even separate ownership of an asset can complicate a divorce.
- No pending lawsuits: The couple must not have any pending lawsuits involving community property or spousal support.
- No domestic violence: If there has been any domestic violence or abuse between the parties, an uncontested divorce is not an option. This type of situation would require a contested divorce, and the victim may be able to obtain a restraining order.
An uncontested divorce in California is a simpler and more amicable way to end a marriage. When the parties involved agree on all the issues related to the divorce, the Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo offices of We Help You Legal is ready to assist in completing the legal documents.
We Help You Legal has been serving Central Coast residents for more than two decades, assisting with legal documentation for uncontested divorces, legal separations, annulments and a variety of other matters.
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.
We Help You Legal, Inc.
720 10th St,
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 237-7770
