SCV Divorce Service Provides Free Chat Service | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

In an effort to make divorce information more available and easier to obtain, we are trying a new chat service.

While we do get a lot of calls and clients from our website, we know that there are many more people out there who are just not ready to pick up the phone just yet and are still gathering information.

We get several hundred visitors to our websites each day and we think that a lot of people will take advantage of the chat feature to get to know us a little better.

We wanted to use this chat service so folks can reach out to us to ask us questions about divorce, the process and perhaps specific questions pertaining to them.

We also realize that many people are at work and cannot call, but perhaps would be able to chat from their workstation.

It will be interesting to see how well this works out.  Within a few minutes of getting our divorce chat service online on our website, we had a new visitor.  It turned out to be a salesperson trying to sell us something.  Have to admit, I did not expect that as a problem.

We really hope folks utilize the chat feature.  There are some neat options on the user end.

We are able to redirect folks to to specific pages on our blogs while we are on the chat.  Folks can also take a screenshot of the page they are on if they want to save the information for later.  They are also coming out with a mobile version where you can chat with directly from your mobile device.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation firm that specializes in divorce.  We hope you find our Santa Clarita Divorce chat service helpful while looking for a service to help you with your divorce or the information you are looking for.

Another Scam For Cheap And Fast Divorce Services In California

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

I can’t tell you how many times I have written articles about folks being scammed by online divorce services.  But I swore to write a new article every time I get a call from another person telling me their horror stories.  So here it goes.

This person decided they wanted to get their divorce completed cheap and fast.  So what did she do?  She Googled “Cheap and fast divorce”

The company that came up, which I won’t go as far to say, told her that they would complete her divorce for a flat fee. The website said the cost was $150.  But when she was getting ready to pay, they told her it was going to be closer to $399.  So she paid the fee and thought all was well.

A few weeks later she received the divorce forms and they were totally blank.  I am going to say that again. The divorce forms were completely blank. Meaning not even her name was on them.

So what she was told on the phone and what she received were two different things.  She literally spent $400 on forms that she could have gotten for free on the internet.

To add insult to injury, she later found that they had charged her close to $600 for the divorce forms she received that were totally worthless.

When she called the company to let them know about the over charge, they informed here that there are regulatory fees that they have to charge by law that they don’t have any control over.

Are you serious?  Regulatory fees?  What a total scam.

I advised her to make a claim with her credit card company and to report the actions of the company.

Sadly, I had to tell her that the documents she received were not worth a single penny. In fact, a review of the documents she received were not even the updated or correct forms the Los Angeles Courts are using.

If you are searching for cheap and fast divorce services in California, just remember that there is a lot of fraud in this industry and on the internet.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation company that specializes in divorce in California.  Please give us a call for more information about our divorce services of just to share your story of how you were scammed when searching for cheap and fast divorce services.

 

How To Serve Your California Divorce Forms | Personal Service & Mail Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

One of the biggest misunderstandings and questions I get is about how and who can serve the divorce papers if you are divorcing in California.

We will discuss the process of service in this post and have also included a video of the different types of mail service and personal service and who can serve which forms.

Watch this brief video about serving divorce papers or continue reading below.

In the video we discuss who can file your divorce forms and how to file the proof of service forms.

Remember, that the initial divorce forms (summons and petition) have to be personally served.  They have to be personally served by someone over 18 and cannot be you.

The video above will walk you through how to fill out the California divorce proof of service of summons (personal service form).

There is a way that you can mail your initial divorce forms to your spouse as well.  Again, it cannot be done by you.  So you will have to have someone mail the divorce summons and petition to your spouse.  You need to complete and include a notice of acknowledgment of receipt form FL-117.  You spouse, once received, will have to sign the form which acknowledges that they have received the divorce papers.

When they mail it back to you, you will then complete the proof of service of summons and attach the notice of acknowledgment of receipt.  Both need to be filed together with the court at the same time.  Make sure to check the appropriate boxes on the proof of service of summons.

We are a divorce legal service that specializes in the divorce process.  We are headquartered in Santa Clarita, CA and serve all the courts in Los Angeles County.  Regardless of where you live in Los Angeles, we can help you.

We have the divorce process down to a science and and help many clients who do not want to drive to our office by assisting them via phone, fax and email.

Please give us a call at 661-281-0266 and we can discuss your specific divorce case and let you know how we can help you.

How To Start The California Divorce Process | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We have made several videos on how to complete your California divorce and are now making them available on our blog, divorce661.com.

The video below discusses the initial steps and divorce forms you will need to file for divorce in California.  It is a step by step guide on what the exact forms you will need to file to get your divorce case started.

We explain the divorce process exactly as we would complete it if you had our Santa Clarita Divorce Service completing your divorce for you.

We discuss how to fill out the California Divorce Petition form FL-100 and divorce Summons Form FL-110.  We will share with you the exact way to complete these forms on video.  You can literally watch as we type on the forms.  You could even follow along and complete your forms yourself if you wanted to.

We also go over some of the areas of the divorce forms where people have the most trouble and ask us the most questions about.

The video will also help you decide how to fill out the requests on page 2 of the Petition. You will notice that the forms says ” Petitioner Requests” and then starts asking about children and physical and legal custody and visitation, etc.

Now on the divorce summons, we discuss the automatic restraining orders that go into effect which are on the second page of the summons.  Make sure to read what that says.  The summons also advises the respondent that they have 30 days to respond.

Once you have watched this video on how to start the California divorce process and completed your initial divorce documents, you will need to file them with the court so your case number can be issued.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation service that specializes in divorce. We are located in Santa Clarita and serve all the Courts in Los Angeles County.  Please give us a call if you would like more information about our full service divorce process.

Are You Looking For A Santa Clarita Divorce Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Are you looking for a Santa Clarita Divorce Service?  Well, the search is over.  You just found Santa Clarita’s only legal document preparation company that specializes in divorce.

When we say divorce service, we are talking about our non-attorney divorce service.  We are licensed and bonded legal document assistants that specialize in divorce. What does this mean?

It means that we have the met or exceeded the necessary educational and experience guidelines to provide our divorce legal services directly to the public.  This means that we can operate without attorney assistance or supervision.

That is why we are able to provide much more affordable prices for our divorce services in Santa Clarita.

If you are looking for a Santa Clarita Divorce service, make sure to watch out for imposters.  Who are these imposters you ask?

Well, unfortunately the divorce legal services business is ripe with fraud.  That’s why there are licensing requirements.  To make sure we are capable and experienced so you are not taken advantage of.

Despite the rules and regulations, there are folks out there flying under the radar offering divorce services.  We have written an article about some of these divorce services that advertise on Craiglist that you will want to do your due diligence research on.

Sadly, we get calls that are lured into these fraudulently operating legal services who later have to come to us after they have lost their money to one of these companies.

As much as we talk and write about this in our blogs, there are simply too many of them out there.

When looking for a Santa Clarita divorce service make sure to do you homework.  Make sure they are legitimate and licensed.  Make sure they are operating out of a business establishment and not their home.  Make sure they specialize in divorce.

We guarantee that if you do these things, all roads will land you right back into our office.

We are the only licensed and bonded legal document assistant company specializing in divorce in Santa Clarita.

Should You Trust A Craigslist Divorce Service | Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We do a lot of marketing on the Internet by writing informative articles or blogs. This is how we get the word out about our Santa Clarita Divorce Service.

The other day, a friend of mine recommended we advertise on Craigslist.  He said why wouldn’t you?  It’s free?

So being the savvy Internet marketer I am, I decided to do a little research on Craigslist to see if this would be an appropriate place to market our divorce paralegal service.

So I went to Craigslist and researched the “Legal Services” section.

My first reaction was “I won’t be caught dead advertising my service on this site!”

When I searched for divorce services I found all kinds of hole-in-the-wall divorce services.  What I found interesting is that the major idea behind advertising on Craigslist is to say how cheap you are.  Everyone is talking about price.  You would think they are selling used tires.

I also found that non of the people advertising divorce services actually have a website, business address or even a business phone number.

I looked up a phone number that was listed on one of the Craigslist ads for divorce services.  I Google’d the phone number which was tied to a someones home.  I dug a little deeper and found that not only was this company not a company at all, but that they were not even licensed to provide divorce document preparation at all.

This is the biggest problem with this industry.  There are too many people saying they are paralegals when they are not even allowed by law to provide services to people.

This is most likely why they advertise on these underground sites so they can stay under the radar.

If you are going to do business with a Santa Clarita Divorce service, make sure they are licensed to perform divorce document preparation.

You can find our Santa Clarita Divorce Document Preparation Service license right on our website.

These folks out there give a bad name to us reputable companies.  We end up having to fix everything they do wrong and they have zero accountability.  Don’t fall prey to the low cost hole-in-the-wall-won’t-be-there-tomorrow divorce services.

Give us a call.  We would be happy to help with your divorce case in Santa Clarita.

Our executive offices are located at 27240 Turnberry Lane, Ste. 200 Valencia, CA 91355 and you can reach our business at 661-281-0266.

Santa Clarita Divorce | Santa Clarita Divorce | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Santa Clarita Divorce

Welcome to our site all about Santa Clarita Divorce.   If you are looking to learn about divorce in Santa Clarita and how the process works, you will find all the information on this website.

We continue to work hard to explain the Santa Clarita Divorce process in plain English so that people like you and me can understand how the divorce process really works.

We have had many people call us to say that our divorce website was the first site they came across that really helped them understand what is going to take to get divorced in Santa Clarita and helped them answer all their questions about divorce.

When you are considering getting a divorce in Santa Clarita, it is important that you are familiar with the process and understand all the ins and outs of what is going to happen.

That is exactly why we write so much about divorce.  We have now written over 1000 articles about divorce.  From “how to” articles with related videos to writing about our experiences and things you can expect when going through divorce.

Santa Clarita Divorce

We are the first place you should call when deciding on getting divorced.  We are not attorneys, so we are not going to blow a lot of smoke you know where. We just tell you how it is, plain and simple and in a language you can understand.

We have had people call a divorce attorney in Santa Clarita and then call us.  They said they had absolutely no idea what the attorney was saying.  This is not because the attorneys are not smart, it is because they speak in a language that only attorneys do.

Because we are not divorce attorneys, we speak the same language as you do when it comes to explaining the divorce process.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation service that specializes in Santa Clarita Divorce. Give us a call for more information about our Santa Clarita Divorce service.

Will Divorce Mediation Work For You | Santa Clarita Divorce Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

The process of divorce mediation where you and your spouse will sit down with a neutral third party to resolve the issues in your divorce.  Divorce mediation can be good options for many couples going through divorce.

But is divorce mediation for you and will it work?  A lot of this comes down to you and your spouse.  Here are a few things to consider:

  • Is the decision to divorce mutual?
  • Have you considered the financial benefits of mediation?
  • Can you sit in a room with your spouse?
  • Will both of you work towards and amicable agreement?

These are just of few of the questions you will want to ask yourself before deciding on using a Santa Clarita mediation company for your divorce.

We feel mediation should be attempted in all divorce cases, regardless of what your relationship is with your spouse.  We are not mediators so it is not to our benefit to tell you that you should try mediation.

We have seen the downside of spouses fighting it out with their attorneys.  Let me tell you, nobody wins except the your lawyers.

As a legal document preparation firm that specializes in divorce in Santa Clarita, we sometimes have clients that are having trouble coming up with a solution to a particular issue.  Perhaps it is financial or perhaps they need help coming up with a suitable parenting plan.

When this happens, we often refer them to get some professional mediation.  Mediation can handle a single issue or they can help you come up with an agreement on all issues related to divorce.

There are many benefits to going through divorce mediation as opposed to hiring an attorney.  You will save yourself financially and emotionally and end up with a better arrangement by using mediation for your divorce.

If you are considering divorce meditation, make sure to give us a call first.  Prior to mediation you will need to file for divorce and prepare you preliminary declaration of disclosures.  We take care of the document preparation and then you can move on to the mediation company if need be.  Once you are done with mediation, you simply come back to us so we can prepare your final divorce judgment.

 

Cheap & Online Divorce Services Actually Cost You More | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

I write pretty often about those cheap online divorce services you can find on the Internet.  And today I want to tell you how these types of services can actually end up costing you more money in the end and how you could have had our Santa Clarita divorce service handle the entire case for you for less.

I received  a call from a gentleman who used one of these online divorce document services.  They paid around $300 for the documents to be prepared by them filing out a questionnaire.  They received the divorce forms and were left confused by what they had to do next.

So they started following the 20 pages of directions they received along with their completed forms.  Step one said they should file the divorce summons and petition.  They did this and paid the $435 fee.

In step 2, the instructions said for the Respondent to file the Response.  So they went down to the courthouse and filed the Response and paid another $435 filing fee.

Filing this Response and paying this fee was totally unnecessary and a waste of their money!

When you are going through an uncontested or amicable divorce, there is no need to file a Response.  There is a process called a Hybrid Divorce in California which allows you to go through the divorce process and only have to pay one fee.

So let’s do the math.  Because they wanted to save money (which we all do) they used an online divorce document assembly service at a cost of $300.  Next they filed a Summons and a Response.  At $435 each that’s $870.    Combined, they have spent $1,170 on their divorce.

Not to mention that they had to do everything themselves.  They had to prepare all their own forms.  Figure out how to file and serve all the documents.  And they have not even prepared or filed their judgment which is the most difficult task!

They could have used our Santa Clarita divorce service and paid less than $1,170 including our fees and the court costs.  We would have prepared each and every document and filed and served them.  These folks would not have had to lift a finger or waste their valuable time trying to figure things out on their own.

Unfortunately, this happens all the time and I get clients calling me who have had trouble completing their divorce with these types of services.

Don’t get tricked into using these cheap online divorce services.

Use our licensed and bonded legal document preparation service that specializes in Divorce.  We take care of everything and will save you money and frustration in the end.

Different Types Of Divorce Mediators | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We are a company that specializes in divorce document preparation in Santa Clarita.  We are not mediators, but often work with divorce mediators in Santa Clarita and wanted to discuss these different types of mediators.

There are different types of divorce mediators out there and we wanted to share with you this information so you can make the best choice and understand what your money is paying for.

First off, let’s talk about divorce mediators that are actual attorneys.  These types of divorce mediators work as a neutral third party.  This means that they do not represent either one of the spouses, rather they work to assist both of you.

The divorce mediators will meet with you together, explain the law as it relates to your case so both of you can make informed decisions.  They will explain what a judge may or may not order if you go court as well.

Divorce mediators who are attorneys are able to draft a Marital Settlement Agreement or MSA for short.  This marital settlement agreement can be used to submit to the court and has all the legal language required in a divorce judgment.

This marital settlement agreement is then attached to the judgment forms and submitted to the court.

You are going to pay more for these types of divorce mediators because they are attorneys.  However, at the end of the divorce mediation process, you will have a completed MSA ready for submission to the courts.

On the other hand, you have divorce mediators that are not attorneys.  These non attorney mediators cannot provide you with a legal document used for court. Non attorney mediators cannot practice law and therefor cannot draft the MSA which is necessary to submit to the court.  So at the end of your mediation in these cases, you have little more than a written document which will later need to be translated to a marital settlement agreement.

Non attorney mediators are much less in cost than attorney mediators.  Essentially, this is due to the final product you receive.

Depending on what you are trying to achieve in your divorce mediation will dictate which type of divorce mediator you should chose.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation firm that specializes in divorce.  Please call us for more information regarding mediation services in Santa Clarita.