How To Get A Divorce In California Without A Lawyer | Los Angeles Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

 

How To Get A Divorce In California Without A Lawyer

Divorce can be a challenging and costly process, but what if you could navigate it without the hefty fees of an attorney? Many people don’t realize that in California, you are not required to have a lawyer to finalize your divorce. You can represent yourself, known legally as proceeding “in pro per,” and successfully complete the divorce process on your own.

My name is Tim Blankenship, and through my service at Divorce661, I help individuals across California manage their divorces without the need for expensive legal representation. In this article, I’ll walk you through what it means to get a divorce without a lawyer, how self-representation works, and how services like ours can assist you in a cost-effective and amicable way.

Understanding Divorce Without a Lawyer in California

Many people assume that hiring a lawyer is mandatory when filing for divorce, but that’s simply not the case in California. You have the option to represent yourself throughout the entire process. This is called going “in pro per,” which means you are self-represented. You can file the necessary paperwork, attend court hearings, and finalize your divorce without ever hiring an attorney.

While this may sound intimidating, thousands of Californians successfully complete their divorces on their own every year. The key is having the right guidance and resources to help you understand the steps and paperwork involved.

Why Choose to Represent Yourself?

  • Cost savings: Attorney retainers in California typically start at around $5,000, even for uncontested divorces. This can be a significant financial burden for many families.
  • Control: Representing yourself gives you direct control over your case without relying on a third party.
  • Simplicity: Many divorces, especially uncontested ones, follow a straightforward process that you can manage with the right preparation.

How a Legal Document Preparation Service Can Help

If the idea of handling your divorce entirely on your own feels overwhelming, there’s a middle ground. Services like Divorce661 provide legal document preparation and guidance without acting as your attorney. This means you remain unrepresented but benefit from expert assistance in preparing accurate court documents and understanding the process.

We do not represent either party in the divorce — our role is to help you and your spouse navigate the paperwork and procedural requirements as smoothly as possible. This approach is both cost-effective and efficient, especially if you and your spouse are on amicable terms.

Affordable and Accessible Support

Our fees start at $699, a fraction of what many attorneys charge. Whether your divorce is uncontested or you simply want to avoid the high costs of legal representation, services like ours can help you finalize your divorce anywhere in California. We work with all California courts and handle 20 to 30 divorce cases each month, so you can be confident that you’re in experienced hands.

Steps to Get a Divorce in California Without a Lawyer

  1. File the initial divorce petition: This is the official start of your divorce case.
  2. Serve your spouse: You must legally notify your spouse by serving them with the divorce papers.
  3. Complete financial disclosures: Both parties disclose assets, debts, and income.
  4. Negotiate terms: If uncontested, you and your spouse agree on division of property, custody, and support.
  5. Submit final paperwork to the court: This includes your marital settlement agreement and judgment forms.
  6. Attend court hearings if necessary: Some cases may require a brief court appearance, but many can be finalized without it.

While these steps may seem technical, having proper document preparation and guidance can make the process straightforward and manageable without a lawyer.

Need Help? Reach Out for a Consultation

If you’re considering getting through your California divorce without an attorney but want professional help to ensure everything is done correctly, feel free to contact me. At Divorce661, I’m happy to discuss how we can assist you in navigating the divorce process efficiently and affordably.

You can call us at 661-281-0266 or book a consultation online at divorce661.com. Our goal is to help you and your spouse move forward amicably and with confidence.

Conclusion

Getting a divorce in California without a lawyer is not only possible but can be a smart choice for many couples looking to save money and maintain control over their case. With the right preparation and support, you can successfully navigate the divorce process on your own or with the help of a legal document preparation service.

Remember, you don’t have to face this challenging time alone, and affordable assistance is available to help you every step of the way.

Wishing you the best on your journey toward a fresh start.

 

Should You Do Your Own Divorce | Santa Clarita Divorce

Posted by Tim Blankenship on

There are a couple of factors you can use to determine if you should do your own divorce or if you should hire a company to complete your divorce for you.

The first thing to figure out is if you have the money to hire a divorce service in Santa Clarita to help you.  When people call, this is what I tell them.  If you have more time than money, then you may want to consider attempting to complete your own divorce.  It can be done, however it will be a long frustrating process.

There are free services out there such as the Court’s self help centers, but the services are limited and they are extremely busy.  Using the self help centers will takes many  trips and you will experience a lot of frustration along the way.  But it is is free.  So if you are short on funds and perhaps unemployed, this may be your only option.

So lets assume you have the money and hiring our service is an option.  But you are still thinking that you could save the money and complete it on your own.  The next thing to consider is what your time is worth.  How much time are you willing to spend on the weekends and on the evenings, researching and trying to figure out what divorce forms to complete?

Some look at the initial divorce forms and feel like they can complete it, and you probably can.  The thing about the divorce process is that the paperwork gets more complicated as you go along.  Sure the initial documents are easy enough, but then comes the financial disclosures.  Those are a bit tougher to figure out, especially with how to serve them and what documents to attach.  Which forms to file and which ones get served.  You will have lots of questions, trust me.

If you get through the first two phases of the divorce paperwork, the most difficult part is the judgment.  The judgment consists of about 25 pages of attachments.  There is a lot of information you have to cover and it is easy to make mistakes.  Many people fail to complete the judgment correctly several times which causes significant delays and frustrations on your part.

I have clients that come to me at various stages of the divorce process.  Those just starting out that that immediately realize that they cannot or do not want to attempt this on their own.  Then there are those that start the process and later realize they need help.  Then there are those that attempted to complete the entire divorce process by themselves and submit the judgment.

I will be honest with you, there ends up being more work when clients come to us after trying to get all the way through the divorce process on their own.  Usually we will have to re file many of the documents from the beginning and amend the divorce forms that were filed because they were done wrong.

We recommend that you hire us from the beginning.  In most cases the cost will be the same, regardless of where you are at in the process.  But we can pick up where you left off.

Give us a call if you would like more information about our Santa Clarita Divorce Service.  We are headquartered in Santa Clarita, California and serve all the courts in Los Angeles County.