Quick California Divorce – 1-800-DIVORCE
Regrettably, in California, divorce is not as quick as it can be in other states. We are stuck with a minimum time frame of 6 months plus one day from the date on which the Respondent (the spouse/partner who did not file first) is served with process or filed an appearance, whichever occurs first.
What Online Divorce Lawyer can offer, however, is an uncontested divorce process that is as quick and stress free as it can possibly be. Our online divorce process is designed to save you time and money, while also providing the security and safety of having a local California lawyer on your team.
Why Choose Us?
Until Online Divorce Lawyer launched in 2019, California uncontested divorce consumers had two choices only, and both were hazardous to their legal and economic future.
You could get screwed by an incompetent almost completely fraudulent unlicensed online divorce mill often located in Ukraine, India or Mexico. They claimed to charge fees of $139-$299, but after all hidden monthly fees and aggressively up-sold “premium” fees were added, your average total could easily be $450+.
And those unlicensed divorce mills would somehow screw up your case because they had, and still have to this day, absolutely no idea of what they are doing. And because of their hidden monthly “storage” fees, they would make sure that your case was never a quick California divorce. The more they mess up your case, the more they get paid.
Alternatively, you could get screwed by a traditional divorce lawyer who would try to scare the crap out of you about some remote possibility that could possibly happen in your case, but almost certainly wouldn’t.
And the reason that scary traditional lawyer would do that is because s/he had nothing else to do. S/he had no other service offering that was better suited to your needs. You could not make that scary lawyer fit your case. Your case had to fit the lawyer.
The results were a $3500-$7500+ retainer fee plus $350-$450 per hour in billables after the retainer fee had been burned up. That traditional lawyer would usually do a good job for you, but you would have overspent by thousands on services you never needed.
The way to deal with some catastrophe that probably would not happen is to know your cost for a low flat-fee package up front and have a savvy divorce lawyer on your team, knowing your case and standing by in case that catastrophe happened. You would know that the low flat fee package would not cover you for the catastrophe. There would then be much higher fees, but you would also know that you had a good shot at holding down the fees and had not surrendered to the scary traditional lawyer up front.
So until 2019, divorce consumers either got screwed by an unlicensed incompetent and fraudulent online divorce mill or by a dishonest over-charging traditional California lawyer.
Choosing your local Online Divorce Lawyer to handle your quick California divorce is now a third option. And it is a Best of Both Worlds option.
You get the low cost, convenience and self-empowerment of online divorce PLUS the safety and security of a California divorce lawyer on your team should you need additional services and/or in case your case blows up into a contested case.
Low Cost and Speed of Online Divorce
Our online divorce process is designed to be both fast and affordable.
Most divorce consumers complete our interactive online divorce interview in 60-90 minutes if there are minor children of the marriage and/or property/debt to be listed or 45-75 minutes if no minor children or property/debt. You should NOT rush the online interview. Go at YOUR pace and know that your Online Divorce Lawyer is just a phone call away on 1-800-DIVORCE or ready to answer your questions by email also.
You do not have to finish your interview in one session. Most divorce consumers complete their interviews in 2 to 4 sessions, but there is no limit. Your date is encrypted and saved to our state-of-the-art servers.
Security of a Local Lawyer on Your Team
When you choose Online Divorce Lawyer for your quick California divorce, you can rest assured that you will have a local California divorce lawyer on your team.
Each Online Divorce Lawyer is independently owned and operated and is experienced in California divorce law and procedure. S/he will work hard to ensure that your quick California divorce is handled with care and professionalism. You can trust that your team will be there to answer any questions you may have throughout the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does the Process Take?
Despite many rumors and lots of wishful thinking over the last few decades, there is no way around the California 6-month minimum waiting period to get the divorce finalized.
Just be happy that it is no longer a one-year minimum wait.
However, there has often been confusion around the length of time it takes to get the proposed divorce judgment signed and approved by the judge. That can easily happen, and usually does happen, within the 6 month waiting period.
Depending on which county the case is filed in, you can get your judgment signed in anywhere from 6 weeks from the date your spouse/partner was served to as long as about 20-21 weeks from that date. The point here is that even if the judgment is signed and approved and entered in the official judgment book at the court, your divorce is still not finalized until that 6-month minimum waiting period has expired.
What are the Requirements for a Quick California Divorce?
In order to get a quick California divorce, which means that the process goes well and smoothly and as quickly as it can within that 6-month waiting period, you and your spouse/partner must agree on all issues related to the divorce, including property division, child custody, and support. There should also be no complex issues involved, the net marital estate value should not be very high and there should be no domestic violence or threat of domestic violence involved.
If you and your spouse cannot agree on these issues or one of those other conditions is not satisfied, you may need to pursue a traditional or contested divorce process, which can easily go well beyond the 6-month minimum waiting period. That would NOT be a quick California divorce.
Do I Need to Appear in Court?
In almost all uncontested divorces in California, you will not need to appear in court. The judge certainly has the power to require such a hearing, but most prefer to have all issues submitted by affidavit and handled without a physical court hearing.
If a hearing is required for some rare reason, these days it is often a Zoom or remote virtual hearing where you do not have to go to a courtroom.
How Much Does a Quick California Divorce Cost?
Each Online Divorce Lawyer is independent and responsible for constructing his or her own packages of services and fees.
However, many Online Divorce Lawyers offer flat fee uncontested divorce packages in the range of $695 to $1500 (not including court costs or other costs), depending on whether there are minor children or property/debt listed. Be sure to nail down the price on the package you agree upon.
Can I Still Get a Quick California Divorce if My Spouse is Not Willing to Cooperate?
The short answer is, “yes,” but it depends to some extent on HOW your spouse/partner is not willing to cooperate.
If s/he will not cooperate with being served with the filed documents in the case, either by mail or by a trusty friend or relative, then s/he can be served by the Sheriff or a registered process server who can track down your spouse.
After that, it will depend on the extent of your spouse/partner’s lack of cooperation. If s/he won’t cooperate but does nothing and just sits back, then the case can proceed and be finalized on what is called a true default – without any cooperation by your spouse.
However, if your spouse/partner files a Response to contest some issue, you would need to pursue a traditional and more expensive divorce procedure that is not an uncontested divorce. It will also not be a quick California divorce.
However, your Online Divorce Lawyer can continue to assist you with this process and help you navigate the contested divorce process albeit at a higher cost.
What Happens if There are Children Involved?
If there are children involved in your divorce, you will need to agree on issues related to child custody and support. Online Divorce Lawyers can advise and assist you with this process and ensure that your children’s best interests are taken into account.
The Online Divorce Lawyer Process
Our quick California divorce process is designed to be simple and efficient. Keep in mind that while each Online Divorce Lawyer is independently owned and operated and will each likely have their own procedures, the following is an accurate description of the general process:
Step 1: Fill Out Our Online Divorce Interview
Our online divorce interview will ask you a series of questions about your circumstances (see greater detail above). This information will be used by our wicked-cool divorce software to prepare your divorce documents.
Step 2: Review and Sign Your Documents
Once your online divorce interview has been completed, your Online Divorce Lawyer is advised. S/he will download and review your completed documents to file to begin the case. S/he will discuss any remaining strategies and potential problems in the case. You sign and date the documents to be filed. Your Online Divorce Lawyer will be available to answer any questions you may have.
Step 3: File Your Documents with the Court
After you have signed your documents, depending on the package of services you have agreed on, either you or your Online Divorce Lawyer will file them with the court. Most California counties now accept e-signatures and e-filing in family law cases.
Step 4: Serve the Filed Documents on Your Spouse/Partner (in most cases)
Your spouse/partner can be served in person or by mail. S/he will be served with the filed documents from Step 3 as well as a second un-filed batch of documents that will discharge California’s strict disclosure requirements.
Step 5: Receive Your Final Divorce Decree
After waiting the 31 day default period after the date your spouse is served with process (in most cases), Once your divorce is finalized, you will receive a final divorce decree. This document will officially end your marriage.
Contact Us
If you are interested in the quick California divorce services offered by Online Divorce Lawyers, either call 1-800-DIVORCE to reach your local Online Divorce Lawyer or complete and submit the web form below to be contacted by your local Online Divorce Lawyer.
