How do I file for divorce in California?

Fight it out in court: There are two ways to file for divorce in California. The first is to hire lawyers to represent your case and your spouse's case in court. The lawyer will produce the forms needed to file with the court, review your marriage history, list your debts and assets, and argue with your spouse's lawyer until an agreement is reached. Then you and your spouse and your lawyers will appear in court before a judge and go over the entire divorce case, including all of the personal stuff. That is the traditional way to file for divorce in California. The process can take months and cost thousands of dollars on both sides of the legal fence. It is a complete waste of time and money if both you and your spouse agree that a divorce is necessary.

Do it Yourself by Fax: The other way to file for divorce is to do so by fax. When your divorce is not extremely complicated, and there is no fighting over the fact that you need a divorce you can file for divorce by fax. It is a process that is simple, affordable, and very legal. It also does not require you to go to court. It may sound too good to be true, but this is a legitimate way to file for divorce in California.

Is filing for divorce by fax legitimate?

Yes, divorce by fax is legitimate in California. While California makes it easy to file for divorce, the state does take divorce seriously.

How to prepare your own divorce papers

To file for divorce by fax, use a legal site such as Complete Case that produces legal forms that are approved by the California Judicial Council. Every court must accept legal forms that are approved by the California Judicial Council. The online process is simple. You fill out a series of forms by answering questions. Your answers provide the legal details of your marriage. The entire process can take as little as 20 minutes if you have all of your information prepared.

Review, Sign and Fax

Once the forms are complete, you and your spouse review them. If you are both in agreement, you sign them and fax them to the appropriate California court. Once you file for divorce by faxing your documents the judge will review them and either approve them or disallow the divorce. You and your spouse will each receive a copy of the signed divorce papers once the judge has approved the divorce. If the divorce is disallowed, you may be required to provide more information. Typically, that does not happen, but when it does you have re-file your divorce. Complete Case makes the process easy and affordable. You don't have to pay lawyers thousands of dollars to file your divorce petition.

Why file your own divorce?

Filing for divorce by fax saves people a ton of money. It is a 100% legitimate way to dissolve a marriage. It is also cheap. There are no lawyers to pay. All that you pay for the service and the filing fees. You save thousands of dollars in legal fees. Filing for divorce in California can be that easy.

Do you qualify for an online divorce?

Do you know the location of your spouse?
Is your spouse in agreement regarding this divorce and willing to sign the divorce papers with you?
Do you and your spouse have any children under the age of 18 from this marriage?