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In this guide, We'll walk you through the essential steps to finalize your divorce in California by creating a divorce judgment. This judgment, also known as a Marital Settlement Agreement, is a crucial document that formalizes the dissolution of your marriage and outlines key aspects of your separation. Let's dive into the process and ensure you meet all the legal requirements without missing any important details.

Our next process is collaborative law or collaborative practice. You and your spouse, a mental health professional, a financial expert, and two attorneys, one for each of you, work together to reach an agreement using a “team approach”. The spouses and attorneys agree not to use any formal court procedures, like a judge, hearings, trials, or formal discovery...

Many couples have community retirement accounts. Any contributions made during marriage, whether 401(K)s, 403(B)s, IRA, Keoghs, military retirement benefits, or pensions, are community and each spouse is entitled to one-half.

A parenting plan details your responsibilities to care for your children. I’m a big proponent of detailed parenting plans and believe it’s the best way to set yourself up for co-parenting success...

With employee stock plans, the company offers the employee company stock, like stock options or restricted stock units, as part of the employee’s compensation. The company offers these benefits to attract talent and encourage employees to invest in their company’s growth. If their company does well, they do too.

There are common properties to divide in a divorce like the family home, retirement plans, employee stock plans, household items, and debts. You can divide these using the traditional divisions discussed, or use more creative strategies like holding the property jointly after divorce or constructing a payment plan for a buyout.

There are qualifying expenses that are in addition to the guideline child support amount. These are called add-ons, either mandatory or additional. Mandatory must be included in the child support order...

In litigation, a judge will decide your case based on the law. When you go before a judge, you must follow the court’s rules and procedures. You can actually represent yourself or have an attorney represent you...

During your divorce, your children will look to you for support and guidance as they deal with your separation. Although you are going through your own challenges, you still need to provide them the support they need...

The child support formula is in Family Code Section 4055. The formula takes the parents’ custodial time and their total net disposable income to calculate support. Net disposable income is the money you have after you paid taxes...

Divorce is unchartered territory. It’s a complicated and unfamiliar legal process that deals with very personal issues. You want to get it right, but if you don’t know what you are doing, it’ll take you longer, cost you more, and you can’t guarantee you’ll get a good result.

During your divorce, your children will look to you for support and guidance as they deal with your separation. Although you are going through your own challenges, you still need to provide them the support they need...

The Child Custody timeshare schedule details determine who your children will be with for the school year or regular schedule, the holidays, and the summer. You want to create a schedule that is age appropriate and well-suited for your children...

Child support in California is crucial. It guarantees that children get the money they need from their parents no matter how life changes. This applies to situations like divorce to parents who were never married.

Keep in mind, that doing your divorce on your own is the cheapest and most cost-effective CA divorce process. If you and your spouse agree and don’t have much, this makes a DIY divorce even better. Check out our program, The Complete Divorce, to get started and be done quickly. It works out to be the fastest way to get a California divorce.

In divorce, how assets and debts are divided is subject to a number of laws. Assets being what you own and debts are what you owe. Since laws are the same for assets and debts, I’ll refer to both collectively as property. How property is divided depends on its character...

When it comes to a divorce in California, the division of community property is a crucial aspect that needs careful consideration. Understanding the various methods for property division can help ensure a smoother process. Let's delve into some effective strategies for dividing community property and address the legal aspects associated with it.

Divorce is unchartered territory. It’s a complicated and unfamiliar legal process that deals with very personal issues. You want to get it right, but if you don’t know what you are doing, it’ll take you longer, cost you more, and you can’t guarantee you’ll get a good result.

The court requires that all divorcing parties complete a Declaration of Disclosure, FL-14O. These are a set of forms used to disclose all your financial information--even separate property. These forms must be exchanged with your spouse and are signed under penalty of perjury, so completing them truthfully and fully is very important; and if you don’t, or fail to provide these forms to your spouse, you can’t get divorced. Violating these rules can result in severe penalties.

While you work through your property to divide, remember to also work through your debts. Debts are assigned in the same way as property. If incurred during marriage, the debt is a community obligation, unless it was incurred in a frivolous or fraudulent manner.

In sunny California, where dreams often take shape, marriage can sometimes hit rough patches. Like any adventure, it might lead you to unfamiliar territory. If you're thinking about separating in California, it's crucial to know your options.

While you work through your property to divide, remember to also work through your debts. Debts are assigned in the same way as property. If incurred during marriage, the debt is a community obligation, unless it was incurred in a frivolous or fraudulent manner. If the debt is a community, you are each responsible for one-half.