In The Business Of Divorce In Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Yes, we are in the business of divorce in Santa Clarita, but more importantly we are in the business of helping people.

We have been doing this business for a while now and word is getting out that there are better options to getting a divorce in Santa Clarita other than hiring a divorce attorney or trying to do your divorce on your own.

As 2013 winds down and we have a chance to catch our breath, I took a count of how many divorce cases we handled this year so far.  The count right now is 212 cases. That is 212 divorce cases we have handled this year so far.

We expect next year to be much more than this year and what is interesting about this number is how much in attorney fees we have saved people this year.

With the average cost of a a divorce attorney here in Santa Clarita wanting $5,000 to walk in the door, even for an uncontested divorce case, we have saved people a lot of money.

This year, we kept our pricing very competitive, with the average cost of using our Santa Clarita divorce service at $699.  We hope to keep our pricing strategy the same next year as well.  But you can see if our services did not exist, it would cost the average person an additional $4,301 to complete their uncontested divorce or have to complete their own divorce paperwork.

Now I know that not everyone would have used an attorney, but if they had those 212 cases we handled so far this year would have totaled a staggering $1,060,000 dollars.  Yes, that was millions and we were using a very low figure of $5,000 per case which is low.

This means we saved our clients more than $900,000.

Wait, maybe I should be a lawyer.  Those guys are making a killing!

So we are in the business of divorce in Santa Clarita, but we are also in the business of saving you money and providing an excellent service.

When you are ready to get started with your divorce or for more information, please feel free to give us a call at 661-281-0266.

 

4 Things Self Represented Santa Clarita Divorce Clients Need To Know

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Today I was reading a great article that came up while I was on my Santa Clarita Divorce Google Plus page that was called, “Top 4 Things People Representing Themselves Need To Know”, that I wanted to share and was relevant to my clients in Santa Clarita.

The article was written by a Family Law Attorney in Phoenix and gives some great information that applies to anyone representing themselves in Court, be it in Arizona or California.

You can click on the link now for the full article, “Top 4 Things People Representing Themselves Need To Know” and I will summarize below.

In the article they mentioned that you need to be aware of the fact that you are emotionally tied to your own case and this may make it difficult to effectively present your case.  I know that the clients we help prepare for court are also a little bit nervous about what will happen at the hearing and what they should say.

We have worked for the courts and sat in the Court rooms so we are able to  give you a good idea on how the proceeding are held.

Here are the 4 Things Self Represented Clients Need To Know, per the Hernandez Family Law Firm in Phoenix, Arizona.

First, you will be held to the same standards as an attorney.  You can simply not use the excuse that you did not know.  While this is true, I know of a lot of cases where this really depends on the judge and and some of our clients have gotten away with quite a bit that attorneys would never get away with.

Second, they say you should not file a ton of motions in your case.  I agree with this.  They provided some great reasons on why, but I would also add that you have to realize that the Judges are reading hundreds of declarations a day and the more clear and precise your motions are, the better chance the Judge will understand your point.

The third reason they mentioned, we briefly covered which was to keep your emotions in check.  This can prove difficult.  There is often a lot at stake.  That is why having an attorney is often more effective, because they are not personally affected by the results.

And finally, they say not to argue with the Judge.  Aside from it being unprofessional, as indicated in their article, I would add that you are taking a risk that the Judge holds it against you.  After all, they are human beings.

Thanks to Wendy Hernandez for providing this valuable information.

We specialize in California divorce and are headquartered in Santa Clarita, CA.

Santa Clarita Divorce Service Gearing Up For 2014

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

It is a usual occurrence every year that business slows down just a enough to start focusing on 2014 goals and getting ready for “Divorce Season”

Yes, I have to admit that there is such a thing.  It is caused by those folks who are thinking about getting divorced but hold off until the holidays are over.

Just about the first week of 2014 we will see an onslaught of new divorce cases in record numbers that will push all the way through September.

In October we start to see a slowdown of new divorce cases in Santa Clarita, but the call volume remains high as people are still gathering the information they will need to file for divorce in Santa Clarita in 2014.

This was a big year for us.  We grew quite quickly as folks realized we were the best solution for getting their divorce completed.  We hired several new employees and expanded our offices this past year.

We are ready for 2014 to kick off as we have employees in place and sufficient office space.

Knowing that things slow down a bit starting in October, we take this time to catch up an wrap up the cases we started in 2013 in Santa Clarita.  We have been getting a lot of divorce judgments completed and approve by the courts these last few weeks and that will continue into December.

We have also been working on our 2014 marketing strategies which will continue to consist of blogs, video, podcasts and our radio show.

If I had to guess, I would say that this year we wrote over 500 articles about divorce in Santa Clarita and we know have 200 divorce videos on our YouTube channel. Our blogs and videos have been the cornerstone of our business.

Our clients and potential clients love that we provide so much information on our blogs for free.

If you are one of those people waiting until 2014 to file for divorce, you are not alone. Just keep in mind that you and everyone else will be filing at the same time and the process of divorcing will take longer with the courts as they will be very busy.

SCV Divorce Case Finished In Time For Wedding

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

This article is more to talk about our success in a recent divorce case here in Santa Clarita. One where we were able to pull off the unimaginable.

Okay, were not saving lives, but we were able to help our client finish their SCV divorce case just in the nick of time.

We had a client that had wanted to get divorced by a certain date.  I asked them what was so special about having the divorce finalized by this certain date.  He said he was getting married the day after.

I wrote a previous article which discuss the reasons you don’t want to plan your wedding until your divorce is finalized, and I still stick to that.

When we took this case on I made it very clear that we had no control over the courts time frames for approving judgments, but that we could ensure that the paperwork was done quickly and correctly so that we could get it submitted right away to get it in line to get reviewed.

And that is what we did.  We submitted the divorce paperwork as soon as we were allowed and we got the case approved by the judge!

We were filing what is called a “True Default” divorce case.  This is one where the other party does not respond and there is not going to be any agreement.  This are generally a little more harder to get approved in most cases.  But in this particular case, they did not have any property that the court had to dispose of.

On these types of divorce cases, you can actually submit the divorce judgment after 30 days have been passed.  You don’t have to wait 6 months to submit your judgment to the court.

The reason you want to submit your judgment as soon as possible (but not sooner than 30 days) is because the courts are so backed up.  It is taking the court as much as 9 months right now to approve judgments.

If you are having trouble getting your divorce approved or difficulty with the paperwork make sure to give us a call.  We specialize in divorce in California.

Lot’s Of Santa Clarita Divorce Cases With Young Children Lately

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We handle a lot of divorce cases in Santa Clarita and we pretty much see everything you could think of.  Lately, however, we have been getting an few divorce cases with very young children.

Two divorce cases this week were with children only 2 months old.  The youngest, I guess, would have been a divorce case where the mom was pregnant.

It is probably just a coincidence that these two cases came into our offices the same week.  But it was enough for me to take notice and the time to write this article.

When it comes to divorce, there is no right or wrong time I guess.  In both cases, the parties had talked and decided it was best if they divorced now.  What else were they supposed to do?  Stay married for the kids for 18 years?

In an earlier article this week, we discussed whether families should stay together or not for the kids. It just depends on the circumstances of what the right choice is.

When people come to our Santa Clarita divorce offices, we don’t usually get into the what or why people are getting divorced, especially when both are here in our office.  I am sure they know and we certainly don’t need to know.

Don’t want to open that can of worms in our office, or we wont get anything done.

Regardless of the timing or your divorce, it will never be a perfect time.  Sometimes it is just best to move on.  The hardest part is admitting it is over and taking the first step to calling our office and coming in to get the divorce process started.

If you are looking for an affordable way to get divorced, we can certainly help you.  Our office is located at 27240 Turnberry Lane, Ste. 200 Valencia, CA 91355.  We can be reached at 661-281-0266 and work by appointment only.  Feel free to give us a call to set up your appointment.

 

Our Palmdale | Lancaster Divorce Clients Say We Are Worth The Drive

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

We have a huge online marketing presence for our Palmdale divorce and Lancaster Divorce service.  We also have lots of clients who have come to us to help them with their divorce in Antelope Valley and file a lot of divorce cases with the Lancaster Court.

I think the reason so many people turn to us for our divorce service is because there is not a whole lot of options for help with your divorce in Palmdale or Lancaster.

Don’t get me wrong, there are options, but they are not good options.  Why do I say there are no good options.  Just check the reviews on Yelp.

Here are some of the terrible reviews for Lancaster and Palmdale divorce services.

Here is a 1 Star rating on Yelp – Reviewer said, “I recommend a different service!”

Here is a another 1 Star review on Yelp about another company regarding bad customer service

These were the only paralegal offices that even had a Yelp listing.  Look, you just can’t have bad service in a service industry.

But why do we say we are worth the drive?  Here is a little secret…  While we have plans to expand our service into the Palmdale / Lancaster area, our local office is located in Santa Clarita.

Here is great review on our divorce services

You would only have to come to our office once.  We can also prepare your divorce paperwork right over the phone if you don’t want to come to our office.

Yes, we get a lot of clients from Palmdale and Lancaster who have realized that we are the number one divorce document preparation service in Los Angeles County and we are worth the drive.

Why We Are Worth The Drive

  • Great Customer Service
  • Professional full time receptionist so your call is answered every time
  • Knowledgeable staff
  • We Specialize in Divorce
  • Get your divorce completed correctly, the first time

We work hard to provide a good experience to our divorcing clients.  We are not perfect and we do make mistakes on occasion. When that happens we step up and make it right.

To this day we have received nothing less than a 5 Start rating on Yelp and we are grateful.

So when I say we are worth the drive to get your divorce paperwork completed, I mean it.  Come on down and let the professionals handle your divorce.

We Have Answered Every Question About California Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

I think we have answered just about every questions there is about divorce in California!  No, probably not possible, but we have written over 1000 articles about divorce thus far!

And we just keep on writing about California divorce, hoping to eventually hit every question you might have about divorce.

It is actually quite simple.  Ask us a question on the phone or via email and if we have not discussed that topic on our blogs, we will write about it. Even if it is a question we have wrote about, but has a slightly different twist to it, we will write about it again and explain the differences.

That is what is great about our blog.  There is so much information on it that it would blow your mind.  Between the articles we have written, the podcasts, the radio broadcasts and the videos we have recorded, you find out just about anything you need to know.

And if you could not find it, just call us.  We would be happy to answer. And then write about it if we hadn’t.

Whey do we do this?  For starters, because nobody else is.  It seems that lawyers, attorneys and the legal profession in mass want to keep you reliant on them.  The other reason is because by placing this information out there for our potential clients to read, well, brings us clients.

It’s not brain surgery.

But people always comment, “Tim, why do you tell everyone how to file for divorce and do their own divorce, etc., aren’t you shooting yourself in the foot”.

The answer is no.  There are those people that find our blogs, videos and podcasts and using those resources attempt to complete their divorce on their own.  These folks would have never used our services to begin with.  And I am glad that folks were able to use our resources to do so.

We are both providing a service by writing all these articles and it is also a marketing strategy we use.

It is simple.  People are looking for answers about divorce in California. They find us online with the answers. Then they call for our service.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation service that specializes in divorce in California.  We are headquartered in Los Angeles County and can help you anywhere in California with your divorce.

Should I Do My Own Santa Clarita Divorce?

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

It is possible to do your own divorce, but should you?  A fair question, and one just asked of me on the phone so I thought I would tell you what I told this caller.

I told him that technically, it is possible to do your own divorce.  I also said that “doing” and “successfully completing”  your divorce are two different things.

As self serving as this answer is, we don’t recommend you do your own divorce for several reasons.

First off, lets admit it.  This is your first time… And if it is not, it has probably been a while.  What I am trying to say is that your are not in the business of filing out divorce paperwork and the paperwork is very confusing.

Even if you think you have figured out how to file the forms properly, I can pretty much guarantee you will make a mistake.  I have met some of the brightest people who have struggled trying to complete their own divorce and failed.

Secondly, even if you can figure out the divorce forms, you still have to figure out the process.  For instance, what forms need to be filed?  Which forms need to be served?  Which divorce forms have to be personally served and which ones can you mail?  Who can serve divorce papers?  Do you file then serve or vise versa? These were just a few of the things that came to the top of my mind and are the most basic.

I can give you all sorts of reason why you should not do your own divorce.  But, it is a choice you will have to make.

Here is as simple rule…  If you are not working and have plenty of time to go down to the courthouse at least 10 times to the self help center and spend all day there, each day, then go for it and do your own divorce.

But if are working and don’t have the time and have a few extra bucks, have us complete your divorce for you.  It is that simple of a decision.

Seriously, you don’t want to go through the divorce process on your own.

 

 

Filing For Divorce During The Holidays In Santa Clarita

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Every year in this business it seems that folks in Santa Clarita who are considering filing for divorce may be deciding to hold off until the holidays are over.

As we slip into the latter part of October, I can definitely feel there is less people ready to move forward and start their divorce.  The volume of people calling is still in a normal range, but those ready to pull the trigger is definitely less.

When I worked for a family law divorce attorney here in Santa Clarita, we experienced the same thing.  I think it is just the nature of the business.

People still are filing for divorce, of course, but it is just not in record numbers as it is in the beginning of each year.  Some in the divorce industry say that January is the busiest time of year for divorce and others say that after Valentines day has passed, is when divorce season really kicks in.  The dates are pretty close together, so it may be a combination of both.

I’m sure there are reasons why people hold off from filing during the holidays.  I suppose it could be because they don’t want to ruin the holidays for their children.  Or it could be that they don’t have the money to file for divorce because they are spending it all on Christmas.

One thing for sure, all that goes away come January each and every year.

It seems once the festivities are over, the hangovers have gone away and the new years resolutions have already been foiled, that people file for divorce in droves.

Last year in 2012 it also slowed down.  I knew going into this year the same would probably happen, but hoped for the best.  I will spend the remainder of this year, gearing up for next year when things will literally explode in January and into February.

If you are considering filing for divorce in Santa Clarita and the holidays are causing you to hold off, I would be interested in you commenting below and letting me know what your reasons for holding off are.

We are a licensed and bonded legal document preparation service that specializes in divorce.  We are headquartered in Santa Clarita, CA and can help you anywhere in California with your divorce.

California Divorce Videos | We Explain Divorce In California

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

Now with over 200 videos about the California divorce process, we have become a go-to source for information.  Everyday we have new clients calling us because they have watched one of our videos about California divorce.

Not everyone searches YouTube directly for videos, so we wanted to write this article just so people are aware that we recorded hundreds of videos on the California divorce process because sometimes is jus makes more sense to be able to listen to a video than read one of our divorce blogs.

You can click on the divorce video navigation tab above or click this Link To Our California Divorce Videos .  You can also jump on over to our YouTube Channel Here is you would prefer to watch them there.  The benefit to being on our YouTube channel is that you can search our channel for specific videos to answer the questions you have.

We recently had one of our client whose California divorce was finalized leave us a nice review.  They even commented on the fact that she appreciated how much information we put out there for free with our California divorce videos.

She commented on the review that we had so much information on our videos that one could complete their entire divorce on their own simply by watching our divorce videos.

While this is true, it would take you some considerable time, but you absolutely could do it.

So if you prefer to watch videos rather than read our blogs,  we have you covered.  We also have recorded podcasts and have a radio show about California divorce which you can find on our “On The Air” tab above.

No matter how you like to get your information, we have a resource for you.

We specialize in divorce and can help you anywhere in California.  If you are just getting information now, that is great. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter where we send you information, tips and helpful advice about divorce in California. You can always call us for a free phone consultation as well.

Here is the sign up form.