5 Steps Guide to Getting a Divorce in California

Marriage can be a beautiful part of life’s puzzle.  It’s also a part of growing up some would say, becoming an adult.  It can be one of the most exciting things we humans experience. The courtship, those nervous feelings of butterflies and excitement that don’t come around too often.  But, things don’t always remain that way, in fact it’s probably a crap shoot in this day and age to make a marriage work for more than 10 or 15 years. Frankly if you can get a 10-15 year run of marriage and have most of them be decent then you’ve done well.  I won’t get into the specifics of why things don’t work out. We’re not here for that today. Today we are here to figure out what to do when the reality of divorce smacks you in the face, and how to go about getting a divorce in California.

Protection

• The number one thing you should be focused on when going through any kind of divorce whether good or bad is protecting yourself.  Perhaps your spouse it a bit crazy and or has violent tendencies, then you need to keep as much distance during the divorce process as possible
• Maybe you have kids? If this is the case then protecting them is equally as important as protecting yourself.  You need to take measures to ensure they are not kidnapped or used as a bargaining tool.
• Next, it’s time to worry about whatever property you may have.  The best thing to do is file for a court order preventing your assets from being taken.  In the case of tangible assets if you feel up to the challenge you can secure them yourself.  Just be careful and diligent.

Legalities

Now it’s time for the legal stuff.  In order to file for divorce in the state of California, you must have been a resident for at least six months.  Otherwise, the state won’t accept it. Also, you need to be a resident for three months or more in the county where you are filing.

2 Procedures

In California, there are two ways to go about getting a divorce.  They are Traditional Dissolution of Marriage and Summary Dissolution of Marriage.  As for the summary dissolution, you’ll need to qualify.  The summary dissolution is a more amicable split, and it can only be done if there are no kids involved.  Which is automatically and easier process. While the traditional dissolution can oftentimes be messy.

Paperwork

When you’re getting a divorce in California you will need to fill out several forms.  Then, you need to file them. You can obtain these forms from your local library or online.  Forms will vary depending on the type of dissolution you are filing and if you have kids or not.  

Divorce is never an easy thing and no one plans for it when they are leaving the altar.  However, it is a part of life sometimes and you need to take the necessary steps to protect yourself.