Legal Question in Family Law in California
Do I need to respond to divorce papers?
my husband filed for divorce. do i need to respond? what happens if i don't respond?
when does the 6 months till the divorce is final begin?
if we decide to dimiss the the divorce, what is the procedure?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Do I need to respond to divorce papers?
If he wants to dismiss the action, there is a form you can download from the superior court website called "Request for Dismissal" that he can fill out and file. However, you can leave the case hanging and not do anything and then in a couple of years, if you both decide that you want to be divorced after all, you can pick up where you left off and save on refiling.
Re: Do I need to respond to divorce papers?
The six months starts when you are served with the Petition. If there are no issues of contention, or you will be signing a Settlement Agreement, you can save the $320 fee for filing a Response. Thirty days after you are served, the Request for Judgment can be filed with the Court. If no Request is ever filed, you will never be divorced.