File & Serve Your Divorce Papers By June 28th 2017 To Finalize This Year
We come to this time each year where people rush to file their California divorce. Why? Because people realize that with the 6 months cooling off period before your divorce can be finalized in California, they have to have their divorce case started before the end of June. Keep in mind also, that it is the DATE OF SERVICE of the divorce petition that starts the clock on the 6 months, NOT THE DATE OF FILING.
This is a common mistake people make when going through a divorce in California. They think the 6 months starts at the date of filing of the California divorce, but it is the date of service that matters most.
For example, let’s say you filed for divorce on May 1, 2017, but for one reason or another you did not serve your spouse until June 1st. In this case the 6 months starts June 1st, not May 1st.
This is why I am writing this article. Because we get a lot of new clients wanting to finalize by the end of the year, they think they can wait until the end of June. This is not the case.
We need time to take your divorce paperwork down to court, get it filed and then get it served.
Why would people want to finalize their divorce before the end of the year? Mostly for tax reasons. People want to be able to file their taxes as single for 2017 and need to be single at least one day in the calendar year. So by starting their California divorce and having it SERVED before the end of June will result in a 6 months date for their divorce at the end of December.
Other reasons people want their divorce to finalize in the same year they started is simply to have a fresh start in the new year. I guess there is something to say about putting the divorce behind you in 2017 and starting fresh in 2018.
