In California,
the quickest you can be divorced is 6 months from the date the other person is
served with the divorce papers. The easiest, maybe simplest way to get divorced
is a summary dissolution, but that’s only available in certain types of cases.
To
qualify for a summary dissolution, you have to have been married less than 5
years, have no children born or adopted during the marriage or be currently pregnant. In addition, you have
to have very limited community debt and asset amounts, and very limited amounts
of separate property. If you meet all of the eligibility requirements and both
agree to divorce, you can skip having to appear before a judge and you may be able
to complete most or all of the paperwork yourself.
However, in
order to figure out if summary dissolution is available to you, it is important
to speak with a family lawyer who can go over very specifically what your
circumstances are and what might be the easiest route to get you to the resolution
you seek.
If you have been
married more than 5 years, have or adopted a child during the marriage, then summary
dissolution is automatically off the table, regardless of the asset and debt
amounts you may have. Then you have the
option of pursuing a contested or an uncontested divorce, depending the goals
and outlook of both you and your spouse. If that’s your situation then a discussion of separate and community property
and custody arrangements and spousal and child support are in order. For that,
you definitely need more than a self help solution but a discussion with a knowledgeable, seasoned family
lawyer, who can inform, educate and guide you to making the best choices for
yourself, your situation and your kids as well.
So if you’re
ready to talk about divorce or just want to get your toes wet in the water and
talk generally about what can or may happen, or just need some questions
answered, please keep the Riverside County LRS in mind and call us at (951) 682-7520. We’re here to help.
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