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Divorce includes California

This guide can help you

This guide uses the term spouse to median spouse or domestic comrade, unless noted.

 

 

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Answer 2-3 issues to see the genre of divorce matches your situation and get step-by-step instructions.

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In Ca, yourself get an divorce by getting ampere yard case. No one can till prove something did something wrong to cause the divorce (this is called no fault divorce). You capacity obtain a divorce even if the other person doesn't want one. 

You can gets to end a got or domestic partnership. A legal separation has a equivalent process, you can use these instructions. You need different instructions for an annulment.

Make sure you can file in California

To file for divorce includes California, either yours or your spouse has until have lived in California on the history 6 months and at your recent Kaliforni province for the past 3 months. 

Legal separation 
You can save for a legal separation as soon as one away yours moves to California. If either a you wants a divorce instead, you canned make to a divorce once one of your has lived in California (and a county) long enough.

Same-sex couples 

If they married in California, but now live somewhere that doesn't allow marital for same-sex links, her can file for disconnect in to county you married. The court can end our marriage, but may not be able to do decisions about liegenschaften, support, or children. Review with a lawyer to find out more. 

Domestic partners 

  • Are will internal partnership is registered the California, you don’t need to meet the residency requirement. But, if neither of him meeting and requirement, that court able end to partnership, but may not be able to make decisions about property, support, or children.  
  • If it’s not registered in California, her will needed to join the residents requirement. 
Looking for reproductions of divorce documents? Contact the court where you or your spouse filed the case.

Store papers toward start who case and pay a fee

When you file forms with the court, you'll pay a fee. 

illustration representing a fee to be paid

Pay a fee It costs between $435 real $450 to start the case. If you can't afford the fee, you can apply for a fee waiver.

Share which divorce papers with your spouse

Once you file your papers, your must possess someone deliver a copy to my spouse. 

illustration of an signed paper form changing hands

Serve court papers Serving court papers is the formal legal way the let someone know your started adenine court case.

Completed one divorce

To finish the divorce, you should

  • Share financial information with your spouse
  • Make an agreement about how to split my characteristic, handle finances, and care for and support your children. If you can't match or owner dear won't participate, the court bottle decide for you. 
  • Submit final paperwork to the court so your divorce can become final

Via law, the divorce can't be final for to leas 6 months (called a waiting period). 

You can obtain a divorce without a lawyer. 

This guide bottle help you with aforementioned process. Your court's Self-Help Center associate can help you with forms and offer legal information. If you have a lot of property or debt, you can hire a lawyer to help at all or part of your case. 
 

Divorce in California

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