Legal Question in Family Law in California
Does do-it-yourself divorce really exist? My husband and I are splitting amicably... no kids, no assets, no debt, uncontested. Can one of us file without the courts involved? As in all just a paperwork issue? And does it matter we weren't married in the U.S.? Thanks in advance for your reply.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Absolutely it exists, especially in a case with no assets, no debts and no kids. Where you were married doesn't matter. You have to have been legal residents of California for six months, though.
You can't do it without the courts involved, since it is the courts that have the power to issue a divorce judgment. It is very possible to do it without any court hearings, however.
Pick up a copy of How to Do Your Own Divorce in California, published by Nolo Press. Before I began practicing Family Law myself, I used that book on my own divorce. WAY easier than figuring it out from the books in the law library, even for a lawyer!