Divorce can be a stressful and painful experience for everyone involved, but it can be especially hard on children. As a parent, you will want to do everything you can to protect your kids during this difficult time. While you probably won’t be able to completely insulate your children from your divorce, there are measures you can take to support them during the process. Here are 5 ways you can help your kids during divorce: Continue reading
During divorce, parents often establish a schedule that sets out how they will spend time with their kids. Generally, the expectation is that custodial parents will be with their children during their designated care periods. However, there can be situations when a parent may need to leave their children with someone else. Depending on the circumstances, you may or may not be comfortable with a third party watching your kids when your ex is away. If that is the case, you may want to consider adding the “Right of First Refusal” to your California parenting agreement. If you have not heard of this term, you may be wondering: Do I need the “right of first refusal” in my custody order? Continue reading
During divorce, everything you thought you knew about your relationship with your ex will change. Before, you were a couple planning for a future together. Now, you are legal adversaries preparing to live separate lives. It may be that you both started out agreeing to settle your case amicably. However, if your ex hires a divorce lawyer and you don’t have one, the process can suddenly seem less cooperative. In this situation, you may think: My ex has a divorce attorney. Do I need one for my California divorce? Continue reading
Going through a California divorce can be intimidating, especially when you don’t know what to expect from the court. If you are like many people, you may not be comfortable or familiar with court-related processes. The good news is that you can learn more about the court’s involvement with your divorce. Here are 4 ways California courts touch your divorce case: Continue reading
In California, the process of ending a marriage or a domestic partnership begins when you file a petition for divorce in your local superior court. The petition, Form FL-100, is a three-page document completed by checking boxes and writing in short answers to questions.
Whether you are ending a marriage or a domestic partnership, the petition for divorce requests the same information. To prepare for completing Form FL-100, gather or have ready the following information:
Your county and state of residence determine which court has jurisdiction to grant your divorce. For marriages, you must file the petition for divorce in the superior court of the county where you have lived for the last three months.
In addition to the information above, the form petition for divorce also asks the following questions:
You should consult with and have an attorney complete the petition for divorce. Form FL-100 may look simple enough to fill out, consisting only of boxes to check and short answers to fill in, but how it is completed impacts you divorce. Along with the petition for divorce, you must file a summons, which is Form FL-110. Yet another form is required if there are minor children. You must also pay a filing fee.
Additionally, the form does not tell whether other law may affect your particular circumstances. For example, if you or your spouse or domestic partner is in the military, your divorce may be subject to the provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act as well. The filing of a petition for divorce may also affect your immigration status. There are some differences in the divorce process depending on other factors such as whether there are children of the relationship or whether the relationship is a marriage or a domestic partnership.
If you have questions about how to complete the petition for divorce, about divorce in general, or about how your circumstances may affect the divorce process, contact an experienced California divorce attorney. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Judy L. Burger will provide authoritative legal support tailored to your specific situation. Make the call today to learn how our attorneys can help: (415) 293-8314.