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1. Complete our agreement and information sheet. Return it to us.
2. We will have your entire package of papers prepared and ready for mailing to you within 7 to 10 days and mail them to you for your signature. Included in the documents will be specific instructions as to where to sign and what to do. You will be asked at that time to enclose a check payable to the Clerk of the Court for the filing fee. That's about $200 depending on your county.
3. Upon receipt of your signed documents, we file them with the court and request copies. This will take about one or two weeks depending on the location of the court and how quickly they process the paperwork.
4. We will then serve your spouse by mail. Your spouse is asked to sign an acknowledgment of receipt of service. The date that this form is signed starts the six month clock ticking for finalization of your divorce. As required by law, we provide to your spouse a blank response form, in the event they wish to file, thus making it a contested divorce. If that occurs, we can help to mediate an agreement. If your spouse refused to sign the acknowledgement, you will need to engage a process server or have someone other than you hand them the papers and sign a form stating that they did so. If you desire, we can make arrangements for a process server.
5. Depending on your particular case, once the case is opened, you complete one or two more worksheets-- on requesting information about your children, the other requesting information about your property distribution. This information serves as the basis for your marital settlement agreement.
6. It takes us a few weeks to prepare your final documents, less if there is not marital settlement agreement. This doesn't delay the six month period since we've already established that.
7. You and your spouse are both required by California law to disclose your assets and liabilities, Income and expenses to each other twice during the process. The preliminary disclosures must be done within sixty days of filing the petition. Your final disclosures must be completed prior to returning your final paperwork to us. you will be asked to sign, under penalty of perjury, that you have disclosed complete financial information to each other, including income and expenses, assets and liabilities. You will be asked to the date you did that and the method of service used- personal, mail, other. You may use your own forms to provide the disclosure, however if you would like a copy of the standard Disclosure form, we will be happy to provide them to you at no additional cost.
8. You and your spouse will be asked to sign and notarize the final documents.
9. We will file the final documents with the Court. The court takes anywhere from two to twelve weeks, maybe even longer to sign off on the papers. That's one reason to complete the documents promptly and return for filing.
10. When your divorce is final, we will mail you a copy of your case file.