Do You Have A Short Term Marriage – Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Over the years, I have helped people that have been married for only a few weeks to folks who have been married almost 50 years. Is divorce any different for short term marriages? The answer is a resounding yes and no.

For the most part, there is no difference in the actual divorce process. Regardless of how long or how short your marriage was, the process and forms that are necessary to complete to get divorced are the same.

For instance, you still have to file for divorce. You have to complete a summons and petition no matter what the length of marriage is.

The main difference in a short term marriage is mostly about how much community property is involved. Just as a brief recap, community property is that which you accumulated during the marriage and separate property is that which you had before marriage.

So lets say you were only married for 6 months. The assets and debts you accumulated during those six months would be subject to being divided. The assets and debts you accumulated during those 6 months are going to be much less than say someone married for 20 years.

But what about that home you owned before marriage? Does your spouse have any right to your home? This is where we separate what is law and what makes sense. Should your spouse have any right to your home you owned before you were married if you were only married for 6 months? I don't think so.

Short term marriages, defined by the courts as anything less than 10 years, have some different rules surrounding things such as spousal support as well.

So there are some differences between a short term marriage and long term marriage as far as certain financial aspects, but the process, forms and procedure of getting divorced never change.

A short term marriage, you could say, may be slightly easier as there is less assets and debts to divide and list on the final judgment.

There is no shame in ending a short term marriage. Sometimes you just grow apart or were never meant to be. If you gave it your best shot and it makes sense to get divorced, then it is what it is.

What I tell people is that they are not setting any records by only being married a short time. We have seen it all.

Keeping Santa Clarita Updated About Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

The divorce process is confusing for most, we know that. That is why we are constantly keeping Santa Clarita updated about divorce.

On our blogs and websites, we write daily articles about some part of the divorce process. Sometimes we write multiple articles a day. It just depends on what happened recently in our business that inspires us to write and discuss specifics related to divorce.

Whenever we come across a questions we have been asked that we have not answered, we will often write about them so folks can find the answers online.

In addition to our blogs, we also upload at least one video per day that discusses divorce. This may be about how to complete certain forms or about a specific process. We plan on consistently producing videos that are helpful to folks attempting to learn about the divorce process.

So we have talked about our blogs, websites and videos. Did you also know we do a daily podcast? Yep, we also have a daily podcast where we discuss some of the issues people are running into when going through divorce.

We figure by having multiple channels for people to find out about divorce, we not only establish ourselves as the leader in divorce legal services in Santa Clarita but also provide a hub for information with multiple ways to get information.

If you are going through divorce or considering getting divorced in Los Angeles County, make sure to spend some quality time on our blogs, websites, watching videos and listening to our podcasts. There is a wealth of information out there and it is good to be informed.

As always, if you have a question you cannot find the answer to, simply ask us on our home page and we will make sure to answer it for you.

We are licensed and bonded divorce legal service in Los Angeles, CA. We are located in Santa Clarita and specialize in divorce in all of LA County Courts.

Don’t File A Summary Divorce – Los Angeles Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

I keep reading articles and watching videos from companies who say that summary divorce is the way to go. The fact of the matter is that you don't want to file for a summary divorce. I am going to tell you why.

But first, let's talk about why others in the industry say it is the way to go. Others will tell you that it is an easier way of getting divorced. That there is less paperwork, and it is a faster process. I totally disagree with this assessment.

The paperwork you need to complete in a summary divorce is no less than a regular divorce. The paperwork is just different. The paperwork is not any easier either. If you have never completed any of the divorce paperwork before, either way is going to be just as confusing and difficult.

And here is the kicker….

SUMMARY DIVORCE IS TWICE AS EXPENSIVE

That's right. Summary divorce is going to cost you twice as much money to file as it will if you just do a standard divorce.

Why? Because a summary divorce is what is considered a “Joint Petition”. This means that both of you are the Petitioner. You have Petitioner #1 and Petitioner #2. This is instead of there being a Petitioner and Respondent.

On the summary divorce, because it is a joint petition, YOU BOTH HAVE TO PAY THE FILING FEE!

This means that instead of paying the $435 filing fee, you now have to pay $870!

This is not the case on a standard divorce. In a regular divorce, only one party has to pay the filing fee. The other party will simply not file a response and not have to pay the filing fee.

If you were going to file a summary divorce, you know you have to be in total agreement from the beginning. If you are in agreement to get divorced and to the terms of the divorce, you can decide who is going to file and who will not respond and default.

It is called a hybrid divorce which simply means that one party filed, the other party did not respond, but you are proceeding by agreement and both parties will sign the judgment.

For more information about hybrid divorce cases, you can search our site or check out our youtube channel where we cover it in great detail.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation firms that specializes in divorce in Los Angeles County. We are headquartered in Santa Clarita, CA and serve all the courts in Los Angeles.

 

Do You Qualify For A Fee Waiver – Los Angeles Divorce Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

People are thrilled to learn that there is an affordable divorce service in Santa Clarita. Then, once they get started working with us realize how much value there really is when working with us.

This past Friday we started working with a new client that was looking for an affordable way to get divorced. She did not have a lot of money and was on a fixed income.

When people tell us this, we make sure to tell them that they can always use the courts self help center. When we advised her of this, she said she was aware of the courts self help center and did not want to stand in line all day to get help.

When folks tell us they are on fixed income, one of the first things we want to figure out is if they qualify for a fee waiver of the court fees. In certain circumstances, you can qualify for a fee waiver.

If you are unemployed or are making less than the prescribed amount of money per month listed on the fee waiver application, you can request the court sign a fee waiver which will save you the cost of the filing fee.

The filing fee for divorce in Los Angeles County is currently $435 so it is well worth your time to at least fill out the fee waiver and see if the judge will sign off on it.

In this case, we prepared the fee waiver form for her along with all her divorce forms. Normally, we will file all the new cases, but when a fee waiver is involved, the client must go down to court to file because the judge normally wants to speak to you.

We told here where to go in the court and who to talk to. When she called us she was excited to tell us that the court had approved her fee waiver. Yep, she just saved $435 dollars which almost covered her entire cost of working with us!

When going through divorce it is important that you work with a company that is experienced in the divorce process. I am certain, had this client attempt the divorce process alone or use a service who did not know how divorce works, she would have ended up paying that $435 filing fee.

We specialize i divorce in Los Angeles County and are heaquartered in Santa Clarita, CA. You can reach us at 661-281-0266.

Santa Clarita Valley Divorce Center

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We are your Santa Clarita valley divorce center serving all of Santa Clarita Valley.

Our divorce center in Santa Clarita does more than just provide legal document preparation services related to divorce. We provide you with all the information about divorce forms, the divorce process and even guide you on how to use the courts free services and set up appointments with you.

We have a complete understanding of how the courts work. This is because we have worked for the divorce courts for several years and, to this day, continue to volunteer with the Los Angeles Superior Courts as paralegal interns.

I will tell you, that you just can't get type of experience in family law if you don't work at the courts. We are the only divorce center in Los Angeles County who specializes in divorce and has this amount of legal expertise as it relates to divorce and the divorce process.

We can handle most any type of divorce case in the Santa Clarita Valley. We are not limited by complex cases or cases where you might need to meet with a mediator or get legal assistance.

We have an ever growing network of legal professionals such as attorneys, mediators, counsellors, facilitators and other professionals you may need to speak to during your divorce.

We are your one stop Santa Clarita Valley divorce center stop. When you call or meet with us, you will understand the type of experience we have and the amount of expertise in divorce we have.

We look forward to serving your needs in divorce in Santa Clarita.

We are a full service divorce center providing a variety of family law services such as:

  • Divorce
  • Separation
  • Paralegal Services
  • Child Support
  • Spousal Support
  • Modifications
  • Parentage
  • Motions
  • Request For Orders
  • Order To Show Cause
  • Declarations
  • and much more….

 

Divorce Not A Simple Open And Shut Case In Los Angeles

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

While we understand and know the divorce process inside and out, there are always cases that throw us a curveball. This just goes to show that sometimes divorce is not a simple open and shut case.

An example of this, is a client we have been helping for about 6 months. When he called us he had been working on getting divorced for about 5 years. They both had slacked off on completing the divorce, but he had found a new love and now wanted to get things finished up. (we get a lot of clients this way)

The problem was that the wife was just not as motivated to get things done. When this happens, where one spouse is not doing the necessary steps, it is just a matter of getting the court involved so the court can tell the parties what they need to do. So this is what we did.

We started off by filing a request for trial setting. This is what you do if you need to get the court involved to help move things forward. The form is filed and a court date will be set. The parties are notified of the court date. This date will be the first time you speak to a judge and he or she will see where things are at and tell the parties what is to be completed before the next hearing.

Several hearings later, we finally have the last court appearance coming up in a few weeks. The judge advised what documents were to be completed prior to the hearing.

The good news is that this last hearing should prove to be the finalization of the divorce. The judge asked that the final disclosures be completed and that the judgment forms be prepared.

When he appears at this last hearing, the judge will accept the judgment and the divorce should be completed.

When we first started with this client, it was supposed to be an easy uncontested case. It turned out not to be so easy, but we were able to get him through it.

That is our promise when you sign up to work with us. We know not every divorce case is going to be perfectly smooth. Whatever happens, we will work to get your through the process.

The reason we are able to do this is because we have worked for the court system before, specifically in divorce, and understand what has to be done to move a case forward.

Low Cost Divorce With Attorney Assistance In Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

While we have always been the place to provide affordable, low cost divorce services, we are also a company that can help you with attorney assistance.

We are not a law firm. I want that to be clear right away. We are a legal document preparation service that works without attorney supervision. We are our own entity.

However, when you work with us, one of the benefits is that you can obtain a free attorney consultation with a family law lawyer in Santa Clarita.

We are always working to provide a great divorce service here in Santa Clarita. To that end, we had some clients that could not afford and attorney, but were in need of an attorney consultation so they could get some off their legal questions answered.

We started to look for a local Santa Clarita attorney who would be willing to meet with our clients and provide a free consultation. Well, we found one and our clients have been getting free divorce consultations with a family law attorney ever since.

But here is the trick. You only get to have this free attorney consultation with this attorney if you are working with us.

Most divorce attorneys in the Santa Clarita Valley charge anywhere from $125 to $300 for a 1/2 hour or 1 hour divorce consultation. You won't have to pay those fees when you use our service. The best part is that the attorney is not only able to meet you at the beginning, but will also answer your questions (and mine) throughout the process, if needed.

This is just one more way we are bringing a valuable divorce service to Santa Clarita. The more services we can offer, the better value we bring to the table. This is especially true when it is free of charge.

For more information about our divorce services in Santa Clarita, please give us a call at 661-281-0266.

Divorce Is All We Do In Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Divorce Is All We Do In Santa Clarita

That’s right. Divorce is all we do here in Santa Clarita. And to be honest with you, we wouldn’t have time to do anything else.

The word is out that we are the number one divorce document preparation firm in Los Angeles County and are right here in Santa Clarita.

Things pretty much took off once we opened up shop. We are not bragging, we are thankful actually. Of course, not that people are getting divorced, but that we have established a business that has met a huge need.

When we did our due diligence research on this business model, we learned that there was a huge void in legal services. There are attorneys, of course, who charge their outrageous fees and who only 10% of people can actually, truly afford.

Then there is the self help centers who provide free legal services to those folks with low incomes.

But what about us in the middle. This 80% of families who realize that attorneys fees are too much and who don’t qualify for government free assistance?

That is when we discovered the huge demand for affordable legal services in Los Angeles. And not just another paralegal service that provides an “okay” service, but a major player in the legal industry that can go head to head with attorneys as far as the quality of service we provide.

When you go to get divorced, make sure to use a company that is experienced in the game. We have been doing this for years and have worked in the self help centers, major area family law firms and are one of the only companies who have also worked for the Los Angeles Superior Courts family law departments.

Give us a call when you are ready to get started or would simply just like some answers to your questions about divorce.

Terminating Child Support In LA County | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Terminating Child Support In LA County | Santa Clarita Divorce

Today I wanted to talk to you about how to terminate a child support order.   I had a call over the weekend from a gentleman who needed to terminate child support so he didn’t have any overpayment of chils support when his child turned 18.

So let’s discuss how you go about getting the court to sign a termination of child support order.  To get the court to sign a termination of child support order you have to do one of a few things. The form you’re going to use his FL – 195 income withholding order.  At the top of the withholding order you will notice that there is a termination of child support box at the top.  That’s the box you will use to terminate child support.  This is the same form that was used when child support was ordered and will be the same form you use to submit to the court to get the judge to sign to terminate child support as well.

Here’s what we recommend you do.  Because the income withholding order will need to be signed by the judge you’ll either need to get a hearing date set so you can go into court to have the judge sign the order or you can attempt to mail a letter to the clerk with the evidence of a birth certificate the judgment and perhaps even a diploma of the child to show he is 18 in order to get them to sign the judgment.

In you want to send a letter to the clerk, what you need to do is to mail a letter to the actual department your case is in, instead of just mailing to the Court.  What you would do then is mail letter to the clerk explaining the circumstances along with a copy of the judgment that shows the order regarding when child support can be terminated.  Then you can attach a copy of your child’s birth certificates so they can determine that your child is in fact 18 and a copy of the high school diploma if it was part of the judgment agreement.

If that does not work, the last thing you can do is file a request for order with the court.  You can file a motion with the court indicating you would like the termination of child support order signed and go to the hearing date  and explain the circumstances to the judge and hope that he signs the termination of child support at the hearing itself.

If you have any more questions about how to terminate a child support order or need assistance in doing so please give us a call if you happy to help you.

Helping People Solve Their Divorce Problems In Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Helping People Solve Their Divorce Problems In Santa Clarita

Our firm exists to help people going through divorce. We know that 1000’s of people read our blogs and articles everyday and are getting the answers to their questions about divorce from our blogs.

That is why we write and publish so many articles about divorce. So folks have an avenue and access to getting the hard to find information about divorce in California.

But what we know is that we are helping people solve their divorce problems. Whether it is a quick question they had or an involved process they were trying to figure out, we have the information out there for people to learn.

Divorce is on the rise it seems and effects over 50% of families in California. While we don’t promote divorce or hope people have to divorce, we do know that there is a need for affordable divorce services in our city of Santa Clarita, Los Angeles and California.

We hope you found the answers to your problems on our blogs. Where you are unable to find the answers to your problems, please feel free to give us a call. We welcome your calls and routinely spend hours on the phone every day with clients who have questions about divorce.

Please give us a call for more information about our affordable divorce services and how we can help you answer the questions and solve your problems about divorce.