Completing California Divorce Petition [Podcast] Tutorial

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We strive to get our self help divorce information out to as many people as we can by as many means as we can.

Our latest efforts are in our weekly live radio show and daily Podcasts.

This podcast will detail how to complete the California Divorce Petition form FL-100.  We will walk you step by step through.  And don’t forget, we are a full service divorce document preparation firm.  If you are looking for assistance, we would be happy to discuss completing your California divorce for you.

Here is the podcast we recorded on our radio show.

Listen to internet radio with Tim Blankenship on BlogTalkRadio

This divorce podcast will walk you through the entire divorce form. We cover:

  • Which boxes to check
  • Determining the date of separation
  • What to list as separate property
  • What to list as community property
  • Help on legal custody
  • help on physical custody
  • What termination of spousal support means
  • what termination of jurisdiction means
  • and much more…

The California divorce Petition form is just one of the documents you will need to complete in order to file your divorce case in California.

You can also join us live on our weekly radio show broadcast on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.

Here we will be discussing many different topics all related to California divorce.  In fact, we will be taking live callers who are looking for assistance in completing their California divorce.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation firm that specializes in California divorce. We are not attorney and are not a law firm so we will not be answering any questions related to the law or legal type questions.

We focus on providing divorce self help services.  This means cases where you are representing yourself during your divorce.

Please join us on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. and make sure to tell your friends that may need our service.

 

California Divorce Document Preparation Firm Now On The Radio

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We are excited to announce that we are now broadcasting live on BlogTalkRadio every Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.  The news was recently announced on our show this morning.  Here is the show where we made the announcement in case you wanted to learn more.

Listen to internet radio with Tim Blankenship on BlogTalkRadio

Our goal is to get the word out about our California Divorce Self Help Radio show so we can help folks throughout California who are representing themselves during their divorce get the the help they need.

If you are going through divorce in California or thinking of doing so, then you are aware how little information is out there.  And what information is out there about divorce is so hard to understand.  Everything seems to be written in some type of code.

With our Radio show we are hoping to cast a wider net than we have with our blogs.  We are using the paid service which gives us impressions which should help our California Divorce Self Help radio show found by the folks looking for help.

We will be taking callers on the show and answering questions related to the divorce process, divorce procedure and divorce forms.  We want folks to call us and ask us their specific questions so our listeners can learn from those going through the divorce process as well.

The questions we get asked about divorce everyday are pretty much the same.  There is always a little twist in that each person has a little different issue that can change the advice we would give however.

While we hope that people take advantage of the free information we will be providing, we also hope that folks decide to use our divorce legal service as well.  Either way, we feel we are providing a valuable service and at the same time getting our name in front of potential clients.

Make sure to tune into our show at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays to listen to us live!

I Received A Notice Of Status Conference For My California Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

If you are in the divorce process in California and representing yourself, you may get a letter that is titled, “Notice Of Status Conference – Family Centered Case Resolution”

This is a hearing that is set by the court and are used for specific purposes.  They are using this procedure in many cases to advise the parties that certain actions must be taken prior to a hearing.

Here is a link with a sample of the Notice of Status Conference.

notice of status conference sample

The first such Notice Of Status Conference you may receive will be one which states that your divorce case is not complete.  You will receive this notice if you have not served your spouse the summons and petition within about 60 days from filing.

If you receive this notice, it will give you specific instruction on what you need to do prior to the hearing date.  In the example above, you would need to serve the summons and petition and complete your Declaration of Disclosure and file the Declaration Regarding Service of Declaration of Disclosure.  Both of these need to be filed with the court.

If you file the proof of service and Declaration of Disclosure, you will not need to go to the court date for the Status Conference.  The clerk will review your file on the date of your status conference and see that the appropriate documents were filed and take the hearing off calendar.

If you won’t be able to have the other party served by the time of the hearing you will most likely want to attend the hearing and advise the court why you have not done so and perhaps what problems you are running into.

The divorce courts have been taking a more proactive approach this year and setting status conferences to keep the cases moving through the court system.

Make sure to read any Notice of Status Conference you receive and make sure you comply with the courts requests.

If you have any questions about what you need to do about a notice you received in the court, please feel free to contact our office.

California Divorce | What You Need To Know About Divorce In California

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

There is a lot to know about California divorce. This article will discuss some broad aspects about divorce and what you need to know about divorce in California.

We specialize in divorce in California so we know what questions you have about divorce.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation firm that specializes in divorce.  We help people everyday with their divorce, so we have a pretty good idea of the information you want to know.

If you have searched and found this page, you are most likely at the beginning stages of your research on the issue of divorce.

So let’s discuss some of the considerations you should be thinking about at this stage.

The Divorce Process

One of the first basic questions about divorce is the divorce process itself.  Let’s talk about a few key issues regarding the California Divorce Process.

How Long Does Divorce Take in California?

California has what is called a “cooling off period”.  This cooling off period is 6 months.  This means that your divorce cannot be finalized until 6 months have passed since one of you have been served.  The 6 month clock does not start ticking until the papers have been served.

How much does it cost to get divorced?

The average cost of divorce in California is estimated at $15,000.  I know, that is ridiculous.  Even if you have an easy, uncontested case, divorce attorneys want $5,000 just to get your divorce case stated.  That is why we started this company providing flat fee divorce services.  When you use our services, the cost to file for divorce starts at just $599.

Do You Need An Attorney For Divorce In California?

The answer is NO.  You do not need an attorney for your California Divorce.  You can represent yourself during your divorce.  However, the divorce process is long and complex.  While it is possible to do your own divorce, most people will fail due to the complexity.

We Are Your Solution To Getting Divorced In California!

We are your solution to this problem.  We are a full service divorce company.  We are not attorneys, but are licensed to assist those going through divorce by providing a full service divorce process.  We take care of your entire divorce for one low flat fee.

In all honesty, there is too much information about divorce that can be covered in one article.  The best way to learn more is to call our office and speak to one of our knowledgeable divorce specialists.  Everyone’s situation is just a little different.

We are the only company in Los Angeles County that specializes in divorce.  We have worked for the Los Angeles Superior Courts and large area family law firms and we have helped 1,000’s of people complete their divorce.  We are members of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and Santa Clarita Valley Bar Association.

Call us to learn more about the California divorce process and how we can help you.  You can reach us at 661-281-0266

Be Aware Of California Divorce Form Changes Effective 7/1/2013

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

If you are in the midst of going through your divorce, you need to be aware that the California divorce forms have been changed as of July 1, 2013.

Not all the forms are changed, but there were some significant changes that will cause you problems if you use the old California divorce forms after this latest update was completed.

The California divorce forms are updated approximately 2 times per year.  There is not generally much notice and we usually find out by receiving our software update disks from our forms provider.

Watch the below video where we discuss a couple of the changes surrounding the disclosures requirements.

I have not had a chance to go through all the California divorce form changes yet, but did want to discuss what we have found thus far.

This relates to the declaration of disclosures which are required to be done in all California Divorce cases.

The courts are now saying that when you complete your preliminary declaration of disclosure in your California divorce case, you will also need to serve 2 years of tax returns.  Some of the divorce courts in California had already required that, but this is a change for us in Los Angeles County.

Now onto the next issue with the changes.  This is addressed to anyone considering using an online divorce form preparation company.  I’m talking about the online divorce form companies that charge you a fee and say they will send you the forms.

In almost all cases, they never update their divorce forms.  They are trying to provide divorce forms to every state in the U.S. and it is too costly to keep up with all the form revisions.

So what they do is send outdated form to you. I can’t tell you how many people call me after being scammed by one of these online California divorce form companies and could not get their paperwork accepted by the court and were faced with multiple rejections of their divorce paperwork.

I have written many articles on the topic of why you should not use an online divorce form company.  I have literally beat it into the ground.  But I am just one person trying to get the word out.

If you’re reading this, please make sure to use a licensed and bonded legal document preparation company.  That is what we do.  This way you know that you are getting someone who is certified to provide legal services and has all the updated and proper divorce forms.

How To Fill Out California Divorce Summons FL-110 | California Divorce Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Are you planning on filing your own divorce in California.  If so, one of the forms you will need to know how to fill out is the California Divorce Summons Form FL-110.

We now there are lots of people trying to complete their own divorce in California so we are making available our video series on how to complete the divorce forms in California.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation firm that specializes in divorce in California. If you are looking for someone to help you with your divorce please give us a call.  We can help in all of California.

The California divorce summons is pretty straight forward and not a lot of areas to fill out.  You will want to take notice of the top of page one that talks about how the Respondent only has 30 days to respond.

(If you have an amicable divorce, your spouse does not have to respond which can save you $435 on your divorce.  Call us to learn how.)

If you are looking for a video which describes and shows you how to fill out the California Divorce Summons Form FL-110, you can watch the video below.

This is just one of the forms you will need to complete and file when completing your initial divorce papers in California.  They are necessary to get your case filed and get a case number.

One of the other forms you will need to complete is the California Divorce Petition Form FL-100 which you can link to here.

So you will want to make sure to read the top of page 1 which says the Respondent only has 30 days to respond.  The other thing to read and take not of is on page 2.  This is where the California Divorce Summons explains the Automatic Restraining Orders (ATRO’s) that go into effect.

Take special notice that the Automatic Restraining orders go into effect on the Petitioner when the case is filed and on the Respondent when they are served.

If you need help filing your initial divorce papers please give us a call,  we can help.

How To Fill Out California Divorce Petition Form FL-100 | California Divorce Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

For many of you who are thinking about attempting to complete your own California divorce, I have put together a series of videos you can watch to help you with this.

This blog post and video below will explain the process of filing out the California Divorce Petition (Form FL-100).  This is just one of the forms you will need to complete to file for divorce.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation firm that can help you file your divorce papers.  While we hope you enjoy the free information we have provided, if you are looking for an affordable professional divorce firm to complete your divorce, please give us a call.

Below you will find a step by step instructional video which will explain how to fill out the California Divorce Petition (Form FL-100)

The California divorce petition is not too difficult to fill out, but you need to make sure that you mark the correct boxes.

When you are completing the California divorce Petition, remember that you are letting the Court and your spouse know what it is you are requesting in the divorce. You will notice on page 2 of the Petition that is says “Petitioner Requests”.

It is important to indicate what you are requesting.  Especially if you are going to do a Default Judgment.  (A default is where the other party does not Respond). This is because you can only ask for what you included in your Petition (and nothing else ) in a default style divorce judgment.

The thought process is that you filed your Petition in which was served on your spouse.  If they don’t oppose anything, they can choose not to respond.  The court knows that they have been advised of your requests.  So you can’t later change what you want without notifying the other party by filing an amended Petition.

So make sure you let the other party know exactly what you are requesting when filing your California divorce petition form FL-100.

I Filed For Divorce In California But Did Not Serve My Spouse Yet

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

I had a good question come up on our divorce chat service today.  This individual was searching for “how to dismiss your California divorce case”

The specific issue that they were facing is that they had filed for divorce in California, but had not served the divorce papers.  The divorce courts are now setting a case status conference if the divorce papers are not filed timely.  You can usually expect a hearing to be set within 2 months from the time you filed the divorce papers.

This party had the status conference hearing coming up pretty soon and did not have time to serve her spouse.  She wanted to know if she should go to the hearing and if her husband would have to attend.

If you have a case status conference coming up at the beginning of your divorce, in most cases it will not be with the judge.  It will be with the Facilitators office and they just want to see what is happening with your case.  Sometimes the letter regarding the hearing states that your case will be dismissed if the Respondent has not been served prior to the hearing. So make sure to read the notice of motion closely.

I advised her that she should go to the hearing to avoid potentially having the case dismissed. If this were to happen, she would have to refile her divorce.  This means filing out all the paperwork again and paying the filing fee again.

I also advised her to simply explain what was going on.  In her case, she was not sure if she wanted to continue with the divorce.  Since her husband already new she had filed, I told her it would be best to have him served and then just let the case sit with the court.

There are other reasons you may not have served your spouse.  I get a lot of calls from folks asking what they should do when they don’t know where their spouse is and that is the reason they have not been served.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation service and are a full service divorce firm.  We can assist you with your entire divorce start to finish anywhere in California.

 

How To Serve Your California Divorce Forms | Personal Service & Mail Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

One of the biggest misunderstandings and questions I get is about how and who can serve the divorce papers if you are divorcing in California.

We will discuss the process of service in this post and have also included a video of the different types of mail service and personal service and who can serve which forms.

Watch this brief video about serving divorce papers or continue reading below.

In the video we discuss who can file your divorce forms and how to file the proof of service forms.

Remember, that the initial divorce forms (summons and petition) have to be personally served.  They have to be personally served by someone over 18 and cannot be you.

The video above will walk you through how to fill out the California divorce proof of service of summons (personal service form).

There is a way that you can mail your initial divorce forms to your spouse as well.  Again, it cannot be done by you.  So you will have to have someone mail the divorce summons and petition to your spouse.  You need to complete and include a notice of acknowledgment of receipt form FL-117.  You spouse, once received, will have to sign the form which acknowledges that they have received the divorce papers.

When they mail it back to you, you will then complete the proof of service of summons and attach the notice of acknowledgment of receipt.  Both need to be filed together with the court at the same time.  Make sure to check the appropriate boxes on the proof of service of summons.

We are a divorce legal service that specializes in the divorce process.  We are headquartered in Santa Clarita, CA and serve all the courts in Los Angeles County.  Regardless of where you live in Los Angeles, we can help you.

We have the divorce process down to a science and and help many clients who do not want to drive to our office by assisting them via phone, fax and email.

Please give us a call at 661-281-0266 and we can discuss your specific divorce case and let you know how we can help you.

How To Start The California Divorce Process | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We have made several videos on how to complete your California divorce and are now making them available on our blog, divorce661.com.

The video below discusses the initial steps and divorce forms you will need to file for divorce in California.  It is a step by step guide on what the exact forms you will need to file to get your divorce case started.

We explain the divorce process exactly as we would complete it if you had our Santa Clarita Divorce Service completing your divorce for you.

We discuss how to fill out the California Divorce Petition form FL-100 and divorce Summons Form FL-110.  We will share with you the exact way to complete these forms on video.  You can literally watch as we type on the forms.  You could even follow along and complete your forms yourself if you wanted to.

We also go over some of the areas of the divorce forms where people have the most trouble and ask us the most questions about.

The video will also help you decide how to fill out the requests on page 2 of the Petition. You will notice that the forms says ” Petitioner Requests” and then starts asking about children and physical and legal custody and visitation, etc.

Now on the divorce summons, we discuss the automatic restraining orders that go into effect which are on the second page of the summons.  Make sure to read what that says.  The summons also advises the respondent that they have 30 days to respond.

Once you have watched this video on how to start the California divorce process and completed your initial divorce documents, you will need to file them with the court so your case number can be issued.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation service that specializes in divorce. We are located in Santa Clarita and serve all the Courts in Los Angeles County.  Please give us a call if you would like more information about our full service divorce process.