After six months of waiting, and possibly longer depending on your divorce, it’s time to finalize your divorce. In California, you may or may not have to appear in court. Since going before a judge can be a tense experience, you may feel better if you prepare for your final divorce hearing beforehand.
Preparing with Paperwork
The final judgment of divorce will not simply appear in your mailbox. Instead, you will need to file some paperwork with the court. However, you need to know which forms to file since there are several. Your attorney can advise whether exactly what you need to do to conclude your divorce proceeding.
You may not have to appear in court if:
- you and your spouse have reached an agreement, and
- there’s no problem with your final paperwork.
Otherwise, everyone may have to appear before a judge to discuss any unresolved matters. If so, a little preparation goes a long way.
Preparing at Home
Before your final divorce hearing, make sure you:
- Get a good night’s sleep. You will want to be alert and able to participate in your hearing.
- Plan your transportation to the courthouse. Carefully plan the route to the courthouse. Know where to park or where public transportation stops are located. Courts don’t like to be kept waiting so arriving on time is necessary. In fact, your attorney may plan to meet you at the courthouse well before your hearing time.
- Plan what you will wear. Courts expect people to comply with their dress codes. However, you can generally expect to wear clean clothes that fit. Certain types of clothing may be prohibited, like flip flops, tank tops, and shorts.
- Talk to your attorney. He or she can give you detailed information about the entire procedure.
- Review the documents filed in your case.
Every step of the way, your California divorce lawyer can provide much-needed advice to help you understand how divorce proceedings work.
We Can Help You Prepare for Your Final Divorce Hearing
At your final divorce hearing, you will get the document you’ve been waiting for: your Judgment and Notice of Entry to Judgment. However, before you reach this point you may have had to deal with child custody and support issues, spousal support, property division, arguments over separate property, and a host of other concerns.
If you think you want to file for divorce, please call us at (415) 293-8314 to schedule a confidential appointment with one of our attorneys. Ms. Burger is a California Certified Family Law Specialist and founder of the Law Offices of Judy L. Burger. We assist clients in California’s Northern to Central Coast, including San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Gold River, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura/Oxnard, and surrounding communities.