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.
