018: Can I Finish My California Divorce That Was Started Years Ago (Podcast)

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

In this episode, we talk about the issue of starting your California divorce years ago and never finishing it and if you can complete your case using the existing case or if you case was dismissed by the courts.

We’re going to talk about how long in case will sit with the courts without ever being completed.

Because this is a question that we get not everyday but I’d say at least once a week where we will get a call from someone who stared their divorce case whether they started their divorce on their own or they had an attorney years ago or what have you.

People are calling to find out how they can finish their divorce case. make sure to listen to the latest podcast.

017: Why You Need A Legal Document Assistant And Not A Paralegal For Your California Divorce (Podcast)

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In this episode, we are talking about what exactly is a Legal Document Assistant. A Legal Document Assistant is what we are.

We discuss the major differences between a Legal Document Assistant and a Paralegal. We will discuss why you don’t want to use a paralegal for your divorce and the rules they violate when doing so.

The distinction is actually quite simple. The functions are essentially the same but there are specific rules. I would say more specific rules for Legal Document Assistants than there are for Paralegal.

Make sure to listen to the latest podcast.

016: Our True Value Is Our Knowledge Of The California Divorce Process And Procedures (Podcast)

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In episode 16 we talk about the true value of our service. Yes, we provide expertly prepared divorce forms in California. But completing the divorce forms is only half the battle.

Our true value is the information we provide the answers to your questions all along the way during your divorce as far as the process and procedure of getting your divorce finalized.

And it’s very normal. In most cases it’s everyone’s first time going through divorce. And you’re going to have lots of questions and we will be here to answer all of your questions.

And we can do just about everything a law firm can do. Except giving legal advice and represent you in court.

015: Providing Full Service Divorce Services Anywhere In California (Podcast)

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

In this episode, we talk about how we are a full service divorce firm and not some online divorce service or automated software program. When you work with our company you have real live people completing all of your divorce documents.

Being that we are full service divorce firm in California, we take care of everything from start to finish.

We’re not a company where you log in and you do all the work yourself and you have to go to court. We are a full service company.

Make sure to listen to the latest podcast.

014: Understanding Qualified Domestic Relations Orders During Divorce (QDRO)

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In this episode, we are talking about what a Qualified Domestic Relations Order or QDRO is. This is a legal document that you may need if you have a pension that needs to be divided as part of your California Divorce.

And we’re talking QDRO’s today because if you have a pension and you’re going through divorce there’s a chance, a high chance, that you’re going to need a QDRO if you’re to going to divide your pension.

Make sure to listen to the latest podcast.

California Divorce How To List Your Property Correctly On Judgment

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

California Divorce How To List Your Property Correctly On Judgment

In this article we are going to talk more about how to list your property when addressing your property on your judgment of your divorce here in California.

So we have a lot of folks when people call us, so they will call us at the beginning and just they’ve decided right upfront they don’t want to use someone service.

They’re going to do it on their own. I think it’s simple and so forth. Some people call us in the middle of their case where they have filed and done some of the paperwork. And then they get stuck and then they call us to finish things up forth.

And then some people try to get through the entire case and get stuck at the judgment phase or get the judgment rejected multiple times. And in regards of where at your case we can certainly help you.

But in this video I want to talk to you about how to list certain property. And a lot of issues we’re seeing with clients who argues in our service they later come to us, “How do we list some of that property?”

So what we’re talking about is the judgment. And we’re talking about the property or order form when you’re completing your judgment and the property.

So a couple of things when you’re listing your property on the judgment you need to identify specifically so it doesn’t leave any doubt in the courts mind or the other parties mind what property you’re referring to.

So for instance, if you’re going to list a car on the judgment, you should list the year make, model and license plate. So 1999, Toyota Camry, license plate blah-blah. That’s how you should list it.

What we’re seeing with these people are just listing Honda Ford and that’s it. Well that’s not sufficient.  That will be rejected by the court because it doesn’t identify the property specifically.

But you can also use the VIN but that’s obviously a lot longer number. So you’ll just be fine by just using the license plate.

Now for other types of vehicle like boats, trailers, off road motorcycles, there’s always going to be some type of identifying number.

For boat there’s a whole number. For trailers they have a license plate. There are identifying numbers for off road motorcycles. So just use those numbers to identify it specifically.

The other thing is a home. If you have a home and you’re going to be–if you’re going to address that in your divorce which of course you will. You can’t just list the property address.

You need to get the legal description of the property. Now the easiest way is to simply pull out your deed. And go to the appendix that gives the legal description.

It’s essentially a short paragraph that it describes those legal description Lot 4 of Track 9 and so forth.

Bank accounts and credit cards. So when you’re listing these items, what you want to list is the name of the bank and just the last four digits of the account.

You don’t want to put the whole 16 digits account number of your credit card. You don’t want to put all the digits of your bank account because essentially these documents aren’t public record.

So you’re not going to want to have your account numbers out there one more way someone can access your personal information. So for instance, your credit card Bank of America, last four digits 1234.

That’s all you need to say, maybe Bank of America Visa, 1234. And if it’s a checking account then Bank of America Checking, 1234. That’s how you’d list that type of property.

So regardless of what it is just adequately describe it. So there’s no doubt in your mind, the other party’s mind or the courts mind with that property.

This is Tim Blankenship divorce661.com. We specialized in providing paralegal divorce services here in California. Make sure you give us a call.

I’d be happy to help you anywhere in California with your divorce at any stage with your divorce in California.  661-281-0266 free consultation just let me know you watched our video and I’ll be happy to take care of you.

Thank you for watching.

California Divorce Court Acquired Jurisdiction Of The Respondent

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California Divorce Court Acquired Jurisdiction Of The Respondent

Today, we are talking about the judgment form. This is the FL-180 and specifically we’re talking about in area where people are having trouble in determining what date is placed in this specific field.

This is at number three. It basically says, the court acquired jurisdiction of the respondent on what date.  So the court wants to know when did the jurisdiction in this case started.

People don’t understand in a lot times what the court is asking for, what is the court’s—what is this jurisdiction date they’re asking for?

Well it’s actually quite simple. What they want to know is what is the day that your spouse was served? Or if you were served what is the day that you were served the documents, the summons and petitions in your divorce?

That’s the date the court requires jurisdiction and that’s what starts the clock on the sixth month process, on the 3o day process if you’re filling a default style divorce but that’s the date you’re going to want to use.

So what date are we talking about specifically? When you file your divorce case you have to then in the next step you need to serve your spouse. Not you specifically, it has to be someone other than you over the age of 18, could be a family member, a friend, a process server, a sheriff, anything like that.

So that date that they are served if it’s by personal service is the day the court requires jurisdiction. And that’s the date you’re going to place on the form. And again, that’s also the date that starts the six months process.

But what if you don’t do personal service? What if you don’t specifically hand the document to the other party and so you don’t know specific dates.

What we’re talking about specifically is what’s called the notice and acknowledgement of receipts. A lot of our divorce cases we won’t personally serve them. We will just mail serve them the divorce documents that been filed.

And we used what’s called the notice of acknowledgement and receipt. If you mail those documents to the other party, again, it has to be someone else that has to mail them. They mailed the documents to the other party and they basically asked them to sign acknowledging receipt.

And so for this date of jurisdiction the day they signed that notice of acknowledgement of receipt will be the date of service. Not the day you mailed it, the day they signed it because they’re required to sign it acknowledging receipts and then mail it back to you.

When you get it back take a look at the date they signed it that will be the date of jurisdiction. The other thing I want to talk about is if you are serving your spouse and your spouse lives out of state.

If they lived out of state you can use the notice of acknowledgement of receipt. But you can also use the service by certified mail. This is where you will certify mail the documents to your spouse.

You need to do it with return receipt and they will sign having received the certified mail. Sometimes the post office will sign having those received it. But the day they received it and you get that card back, as soon as you turned it over, it’s going to say the date they were served.

You can use that date as a date of service. That can be your date of jurisdiction for your divorce. So personal service would be day they were served.

If you do it mail service it’s going to be the day they signed it. And if it’s by certified mail it’s going to be the day they received it.

So I hope that makes sense because when you submit your judgment, if you have the date wrong on this line item your divorce will be rejected. Your judgment will be rejected simply for having the wrong date in there.

Do you have any questions on that, feel free to give me a call 661-281-0266. We are a full service divorce firm.

And if you need assistance with your divorce, we’d be happy to take your case over. Or if you haven’t started I’ll be happy to get your divorce. I’ll start it and wrap it up for you.

Please give us a call. Looking forward to working with you. And thanks for watching.

Benefits Of An Uncontested Divorce In California 

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Benefits Of An Uncontested Divorce In California

Today, we’re talking about what’s some of the benefits are of going through an uncontested divorce in California. And when we say uncontested we basically mean the parties are attempting to work through their divorce.

And come to a conclusion or a decision on everything that’s involved with divorce on their own as opposed to allowing it to go the way of attorneys or in enough where in the courts in the divorce courts.

So I wrote down three notes here. Three kinds of topics I want to discuss and some of the benefits of going through an uncontested divorce in California.

The number one thing I wrote down was of course the cost of going through an uncontested divorce. It’s going to be far less than hiring an attorney at a very minimal cost.

If you end up with an attorney you’re going to spend at least $3500 to $5000 on your end. And your spouse is going to get an attorney as well and at the same cost.

And this is if there’s no court, no trials, nothing is contested and you each have your attorney of your own, you’re looking to spending $3500 to $5000 for an uncontested case with an attorney.

When you use a service such as ours that’s basically a paralegal service in California. We will book with both parties for the same fee. Our prices are very competitive and the value that you get in using our service is immense.

So that is the first thing I wanted to talk about is the cost. The next thing or the second thing that I want to discuss is that there’s going to be a less emotional tool in going through an uncontested divorce.

I have clients in my office many times both parties husband and wife show up to their appointment to talk through their divorce case.

And what I told folks is this that the fact that are they are even sitting in my office together,  the fact that they were able to agree to come in to our office and use our services for divorce is a step and a right direction in working towards amicable uncontested divorce in California.

Now what I tell folks is, I can pretty much gauge based on the conversation and the tone. And again this doesn’t mean you have to like each other. It’s going to be emotional.

It’s going to have, there’s going to be difficulties in getting through it. But basically what we’re saying is the parties are going to sit down together and attempt to work it out together. And in doing so, it will be a less emotional tool on both parties.

The third thing is if you have children this is going to be something where when you divorce if you have kids you’re still going to continue to see each other on either a daily or a weekly basis depending upon your custody and visitation schedule.

So it’s better to go through an uncontested divorce, work amicably or as amicably as possible through your divorce because you’re going to be seeing each other again either on a daily or a weekly basis in regards to custody visitation of your children.

And if that’s the case and your children are very young and there is going to be like custody visitation scenario playing out for years to come, it’s going to be better that you guys have a good working relationship so that doesn’t take a tool on the children because as you know the kids know more than they lean on to say they know or that we think they know.

So those are the top things, the cost, less emotional tool, and if you have children, young children what have you, you’re going to be seeing each other for some time in the future.

So it’s best you work through your kids amicably and it’s going to save you in those areas.

My name is Time Blankenship with divorce661.com specializing in California divorce. So feel free to give us a call. I’ll be happy to talk to you over the phone and see if you and your scenario is a good fit for our service here in California.

The numbers on the screen, feel free to give us a call or go to our website at divorce661.com for more information.

Thanks for watching.

013: Free Access To California Divorce Tutorial Videos (Podcast)

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

In this episode, we discuss why we have created now over 300 videos (and counting) about the California divorce process, the forms, how to fill them out and anything else you would want to know about divorce.

And also, we’re going to talk more about processes and procedures and things in that nature. But specifically we’re going to discuss another resource for you. If you’re listening to this podcast to get insights and information about divorce on a divorce process, I also want to let you know that we are on YouTube.

Make sure to listen to the latest podcast to know more how we can help you with your divorce.

012 : Ways To Serve Spouse During California Divorce (Podcast)

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

In this episode, we discuss the different ways you can serve your spouse during a divorce in California.

We’re talking a little bit more on detail about some of the specific processes and procedures when it comes to divorce in California.

We’re talking about the process of service. So this is what it means to get served or to be served depending on what side of the fence you’re on in that scenario.

We will also discuss topics like do you file first or server first, can you serve by mail, who can personally serve, can you serve your own divorce papers and if you should hire a process server. All of that in this one episode. Make sure to listen to the latest podcast.