Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Is All We Do In Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Every day, Day in and day out, we deal with folks facing divorce.  After years of working for the divorce courts in Los Angeles County and Santa Clarita area law firms, our experience continues to grow.  And experience is crucial when it comes to divorce.

Because we speak to so many people every day, we sometimes get a question that we have not had before.  Or a question about divorce that is just slightly different because the person asking has a slightly different scenario.  When this happens, we are able to give specific direction on how to tackle their particular situation because of our previous knowledge.

I am amazed at how much there is to know in this industry.  We have been immersed in the culture of divorce now for several years which allows us to provide our clients with an insight into the divorce process like nobody else.

When you are considering hiring a company to help you through the divorce process you need to make sure to use someone with experience.   Not just someone experienced with filling out the forms, but someone like us who can answer specific questions about the process of divorce as well as court procedure and navigating the court systems.

If we had not worked for the divorce courts or in a law firm setting as we have for all those years before opening this business, I don’t see how we could provide this service.  In fact, I don’t see how anybody else could hold themselves out as an expert in divorce without the type of experience we have.

When clients call us or come to our office, they have so many questions about divorce in Santa Clarita.  Many of the questions we answer are based completely on the experience we had with the family law court or while working for a family law firm in Santa Clarita.

I guess what I am saying here is that you need to use a divorce company with experience and not just someone who knows how to fill out the forms.

If you have questions about divorce, please give us a call.

 

Can I Mail The Divorce Declaration Of Disclosure? Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

I had another great question about divorce come through our “ask Tim a question” on our blog and, as I always do will answer by writing an article about it. Why? Because is one person has this question, so do others.

This question was in regards to who can serve the Declaration of Disclosure. This is referring to the FL-140 which essentially is the cover sheet advising the other party that you are serving them with the income and expense declaration and schedule of assets and debts.

I have talked a lot about who can serve what during divorce and which has to be personally served and which forms can be mailed. But i don't think I have ever answered this specific question.

So here is the question. Can you as one of the parties serve your own declaration of disclosure? As this person says, there is nothing on the form that says otherwise nor is their even a place for anyone to say who served it.

In regards to the Declaration of Disclosure, you can mail serve this yourself. You do not have to have someone else do this for you and you do not have to do it personally, but you can if you want. You can either mail this to your spouse or hand it to them.

But don't forget this one critical step that I find self represented clients make. Don't forget to file the FL-141 with the court. This is the Declaration Regarding Service of Declaration of Disclosure. This form needs to be filed with the court.

Here is the video on how to file the FL-141.

Make sure you check the appropriate boxes on the FL-141. For instance, if you are the Petitioner you will mark the box indicating that and that you are serving your forms on the other party either by mail or in person. Don't forget to put the date you served them or the form will be rejected. (everyone misses this) Then simply date and sign your form and file it with the court.

Keep this filed copy handy because you will have to re-submit it to the court when you file your judgment.

I hope this has been helpful. I have also recorded a video on how to complete this form. Now you will know how to serve your declaration of disclosure and how to file the appropriate documents with the court.

 

We Make Divorce Understandable – Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

The process of divorce is complex and has many moving parts. Even with all the information out there on the internet about divorce, it is still confusing to most. Even the Los Angeles Superior Court's websites attempt to explain the process of divorce, but even they have trouble making it clear.

Day in and day out we speak to clients who are trying to understand the divorce process. They are trying to wrap their head around how everything comes together. They have spent time on various websites and talking to friends who have been divorced, but still have lots of questions.

If you follow our blogs, you know that we write, talk and make videos about everything we can think about in regards to divorce. We have made the process of divorce just little more understandable.

But that can only take you so far. You see, the divorce process can change or be slightly different in each case. There is not a one size fits all process for divorce. There are lots of “what if's” that can drastically change the direction you need to take when going through your divorce.

That is what makes our divorce document preparation company so good. It is not just that we prepare, file and serve all your divorce documents, but the information we give you about how the divorce process works. When you work with us, you have someone in your corner, every step of the way, helping you understand the divorce process and answering all your “what if” type questions.

The information we give you, you just can't get out of a self help book. The information just is not specific enough to your exact situation.

People who call us or visit our office often say this. They say they have talked to an attorney and left their office more confused than when they walked in. When they leave our office, they say we made the divorce process understandable and took the confusion of the process.

We are licensed and bonded legal document preparation firm that specializes in divorce. We are headquartered in Santa Clarita and serve all the courts in Los Angeles County.

Need A Divorce Attorney In Santa Clarita? Start Your Divorce With Us Anyways

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We have been working on getting the word out that you can still use our divorce document preparation service in Santa Clarita even if you know you will later need a divorce attorney in Santa Clarita.  In fact, it might be one of the smartest decisions you make during your divorce.

You see, when you start your divorce, essentially it is simply a lot of paperwork.  I say simply, with a grain of salt.  What I mean to say is that it does not take a divorce attorney to complete these initial set of divorce documents for you.  In fact, none of the divorce documents have to be completed by a divorce attorney.   It just takes a company like us that specializes in divorce preparation to take care of it for you.

So what we want to impress upon you is two things. First, if you absolutely without a doubt will need an attorney for one reason or another, why not start the divorce with out and save a ton of money.  No need to involve an attorney from the beginning if it is just paperwork, right?   Were not saying don’t consult with an attorney, but you should understand when you need an attorney and when you don’t.

The other thing we wanted to say regarding this was to those folks who start with us and then later needed to hire an attorney.  This happens as well.  People call us and start working with our divorce service in Santa Clarita and then something goes sideways and they need an attorney.  This is okay too?

I tell people that fall into either of these two situations that even if they ultimately need a divorce attorney after using our services, they have already saved countless thousands of dollars in the process by not using a divorce attorney up to this point.  It is a win-win either way.

We are headquartered in Santa Clarita and provide a superior divorce service.  We are here to assist you with your divorce either before, during or after you have hired and attorney.  Call us for more information.

Do You Qualify For A Fee Waiver – Los Angeles Divorce Service

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

People are thrilled to learn that there is an affordable divorce service in Santa Clarita. Then, once they get started working with us realize how much value there really is when working with us.

This past Friday we started working with a new client that was looking for an affordable way to get divorced. She did not have a lot of money and was on a fixed income.

When people tell us this, we make sure to tell them that they can always use the courts self help center. When we advised her of this, she said she was aware of the courts self help center and did not want to stand in line all day to get help.

When folks tell us they are on fixed income, one of the first things we want to figure out is if they qualify for a fee waiver of the court fees. In certain circumstances, you can qualify for a fee waiver.

If you are unemployed or are making less than the prescribed amount of money per month listed on the fee waiver application, you can request the court sign a fee waiver which will save you the cost of the filing fee.

The filing fee for divorce in Los Angeles County is currently $435 so it is well worth your time to at least fill out the fee waiver and see if the judge will sign off on it.

In this case, we prepared the fee waiver form for her along with all her divorce forms. Normally, we will file all the new cases, but when a fee waiver is involved, the client must go down to court to file because the judge normally wants to speak to you.

We told here where to go in the court and who to talk to. When she called us she was excited to tell us that the court had approved her fee waiver. Yep, she just saved $435 dollars which almost covered her entire cost of working with us!

When going through divorce it is important that you work with a company that is experienced in the divorce process. I am certain, had this client attempt the divorce process alone or use a service who did not know how divorce works, she would have ended up paying that $435 filing fee.

We specialize i divorce in Los Angeles County and are heaquartered in Santa Clarita, CA. You can reach us at 661-281-0266.

Divorce Is All We Do In Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Divorce Is All We Do In Santa Clarita

That’s right. Divorce is all we do here in Santa Clarita. And to be honest with you, we wouldn’t have time to do anything else.

The word is out that we are the number one divorce document preparation firm in Los Angeles County and are right here in Santa Clarita.

Things pretty much took off once we opened up shop. We are not bragging, we are thankful actually. Of course, not that people are getting divorced, but that we have established a business that has met a huge need.

When we did our due diligence research on this business model, we learned that there was a huge void in legal services. There are attorneys, of course, who charge their outrageous fees and who only 10% of people can actually, truly afford.

Then there is the self help centers who provide free legal services to those folks with low incomes.

But what about us in the middle. This 80% of families who realize that attorneys fees are too much and who don’t qualify for government free assistance?

That is when we discovered the huge demand for affordable legal services in Los Angeles. And not just another paralegal service that provides an “okay” service, but a major player in the legal industry that can go head to head with attorneys as far as the quality of service we provide.

When you go to get divorced, make sure to use a company that is experienced in the game. We have been doing this for years and have worked in the self help centers, major area family law firms and are one of the only companies who have also worked for the Los Angeles Superior Courts family law departments.

Give us a call when you are ready to get started or would simply just like some answers to your questions about divorce.

Santa Clarita Divorce Blog

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Santa Clarita Divorce Blog

We have become the go to source for information about divorce in Santa Clarita. We publish information about divorce in Santa Clarita everyday in an attempt to help folks understand how to get divorced and how the divorce process works in California.

We have been one of the first companies to freely provide information about divorce in an effort to make clear the divorce process in Santa Clarita so folks are not so reliant upon having to hire attorneys when they are not necessary in most cases.

Our Santa Clarita divorce blog provide at least daily updates regarding divorce, the divorce process and helpful tips. In addition, we have numerous divorce videos and audio podcasts where we talk about divorce and information that is helpful to people who are trying to figure out what to do when they are thinking of filing for divorce.

We even go as far as having a form on our website that allows you to ask a question. We routinely get multiple questions per day for people who are looking for answers to their questions about divorce related to their specific situation.

In fact, whenever we get a question over the phone or via email, we try to connect with people by providing the answer to their question via video and on our blog.

Many people find out about our divorce paralegal service in Santa Clarita by searching online for answers to their divorce questions. Because we have answered many of these questions, our blog routinely shows up and helps them to understand divorce and perhaps even decide to use our divorce service.

Our Santa Clarita divorce blog is the only source of real information about divorce. If you have any questions about divorce we welcome your calls and emails.

Getting Divorced Is Not As Easy As Some Say – Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Getting Divorced Is Not As Easy As Some Say – Santa Clarita

This is to all those folks out there that were told by their friend, relative or even the Court’s self help center that you could represent yourself during your divorce and do it completely on your own.

It is true that you can represent yourself during your divorce. However, it is very unlikely that you will successfully navigate the court system and complete the divorce process on your own without some type of assistance.

I am not saying you are unable or incompetent. I am just saying that I have helped people get through their divorce, not because I am smarter, but because this is the area where I specialize and have helped do many people do.

It is like anything else in life. Lets make a sports analogy. Lets say you are really good at tennis. You have been playing for a while, maybe you played in high school and are very familiar with the game. You know your opponent and can figure them out right from the beginning and can predict what do to.

Now, lets say you are invited to play some other sport, maybe something less known like Lacrosse. I chose this because it is not very well known in Santa Clarita as it is in other countries but it is an up and coming sport out here.

Now, if you went to play lacrosse, you would probably make mistakes, be confused and have lots of setbacks. Eventually you will start to understand, but not be very sure of yourself. You might finish the game or perhaps you would sub-out and have someone go in for you.

What I am trying to say here by this analogy is that it is possible to do your own divorce. You will have setbacks, be confused, not understand and become frustrated at the process. You will have some understanding, but the time you invest in the process will not be well spent.

People who use our divorce services come from all walks of life and from various points in the divorce process. Some have sought our service from the very beginning while others have asked for our help after spending years trying to do it themselves.

Of course, in retrospect, it makes sense to come to us first. But regardless of what point you decide you need help, please understand that we can pick up where you left off and complete the divorce process for you.

How To Keep Your Divorce Amicable – Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

How To Keep Your Divorce Amicable – Santa Clarita

There are lots of benefits of having an amicable divorce in Santa Clarita. Probably the biggest advantage is cost. With an amicable divorce, you don’t need to hire an attorney which will save you a ton of money.

There are some things you can do to help keep your divorce amicable throughout the process. The common theme throughout this will be communication.

First, prior to filing for divorce it is a good idea that you try to discuss getting divorced. Try to have a few conversations with your spouse and come up with a plan. Those with a plan of action fare much better.

This means deciding on when to file, who is going to file and agreeing on a divorce document preparation company like us to meet with.

One or both of you can meet with us to make sure you are comfortable using our service. When you meet with us, we will explain the divorce process in full so both parties understand exactly what to expect throughout the process.

The next thing to do to keep your divorce amicable is to avoid hiring a process server. Nobody like having some stranger walk up to them and be handed divorce papers and told they are being served. We can help you avoid having to do this. In fact, you could simply have the spouse that needs to be served come to our office and pick up the documents. We will complete the necessary forms to tell the court that service was completed.

Most issues that come up will be about custody and visitation of children or about money. We will show you how to use the courts free services to help you understand the law so you can make decisions on any issues that you are having trouble coming to an agreement on.

Using the ideas in the article will help keep your divorce amicable. Give us a call so we can come up with a plan for you to keep things running smooth during your divorce.

Getting Divorced And Spouse Avoiding Service Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Getting Divorced And Spouse Avoiding Service Santa Clarita

It only takes one to get divorce and there is nothing your spouse can do to top you. But they can make it more difficult.

In most cases getting the other spouse served the divorce papers is a non issue. You either hire a process server or mail the forms following the guidelines on doing so.

But sometimes the process is not so smooth when a spouse wants to play games or be difficult. The issue with delaying the process of service is that you cannot move on until they are served.

I have two such cases currently. The first is a young couple who’s husband is playing cat and mouse with the process server. He was told wife was filing and for unknown reasons is avoiding being served.

All this is causing is a delay in the case and costing his wife more money because the process server is spending a lot more time trying to serve him. They now have to sit outside the home and conduct surveillance and get him somewhere between the front door of the house and the car.

They have already been to the home several times and he lives with room mates. He does not come to the door and they can tell they have been instructed to tell him that the husband is not home.

In the other case, the wife is being difficult in being served. The process server waits outside the house for her to come home from work. She knows there is someone waiting to serve her so pulls into the garage and closes the door.

Again, all that happens is more time is spent trying to serve her. Because she is doing this, husband decided to serve her at work which will cause her a bit of embarrassment.

When you work with us we try to keep everything going smoothly and explain the process in detail so you understand the divorce process. We try to avoid having these contentious issues in the beginning or at all for that matter.