Best Divorce Lawyers in Newport Beach, CA

A: It is a legal end to a marriage. Each party is restored to the status of single person. The process is begun by the first party to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. He or she will be known as the Petitioner. The other party, who may or may not file a Response paper, is known as the Respondent. Without the spouses creating agreements to resolve the issues arising from their divorce, the court will decide them.

A: The State of California is a no fault divorce state. You can have a divorce simply by swearing that irreconcilable differences have arisen in the marriage that have caused its irreparable breakdown. Other grounds for ending a marriage exist, but require proof. Your spouse cannot stop you from obtaining a divorce in California.

A: Generally, the State of California has jurisdiction over the marriage when one of the parties is a resident of the State, plus power over the property of the marriage after either party has at least six months residency immediately before the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and at least three months as a resident of the county in which the Petition is filed.

A: Six months and a day must pass from the date that the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is served on the Respondent before you can become restored to single status. Because so many cases take longer than 6 months to complete, the court can restore single status and later decide other issues.

A: Each spouse equally owns the community property assets and debts. Unless the parties agree differently, a court will divide these assets and debts equally between them. It takes creative and experienced counsel to foresee tax consequences and other reasons not to merely recommend slicing the community in two.