Information You Need To Start California Divorce

Information You Need To Start California Divorce

Today I wanted to talk to you about what you need to have to get started, to get your divorce process started.

Many people call me and they’re telling me that they’re going to hold off on starting their divorce because they’re still trying to figure everything out.

They’re trying to come to agreements on, on, money, and support, and children, and custody, and parenting plans, and everything regarding their divorce, and they’re having trouble coming to agreements and so they’re not filing the paperwork.

What I tell these folks is they’re kind of putting the cart before the horse. None of those things need to be determined prior to filing for divorce.

If you’ve looked online, and looked at the divorce process, it may appear that you need to turn in everything at once but it’s actually a process.

The initial forms you need to complete are very straight forward and the information you need is very minimal, and to be honest with you what I tell folks is to get the ball rolling, to get the case started. All you need to know is your name, your spouse’s name, your kids’ names, their date of birth, your date of marriage, date of separation, where you live, and where the other party lives, and a basic general idea, if you have children as to custody and visitation.

Meaning, general, like, do you want it to be joint? Or do you want to have primary? Or do you want the other party to have primary? That’s it.

We don’t need to know, you know, if you’re going to have them on Saturdays from three to five. That doesn’t matter at the initial filing.

It’s just a very general blanket statement regarding custody, and that applies to spouse support, do you want it or not? Yes or no.

It doesn’t have to be how much or when or frequency or anything like that.

Child support –yes or no? I mean, they’re very general basic information that you need to know to file for divorce. And so that’s what we recommend.

Don’t try and put the cart before the horse, and figure it all out.

Because how are you going to decide what is an even distribution of assets and debts when you haven’t yet done your financial disclosures which is kind of the second step of the process.

Need to get all of that laid out, do the disclosures. Let each other know what’s on the table. Here are all the assets and debts of the marriage, and then you can start working on that final agreement in what you’re going to decide.

Who’s going to get what, what’s support going to be, what’s custody visitation going to be, and that’s why we break it down into those steps.

File for divorce, do your disclosures, now you know what property and debts on the table.

Then you can work towards an agreement, and that’s how we recommend you do the divorce whether you’re doing it with us or trying to do it on your own.

And this is Tim Blankenship with divorce661.com. Please call me with any questions, 661-281-0266.

Thanks!