Every divorce in California begins with filing a divorce petition. Once the petition is filed, it must be personally served to the other spouse. This occurs regardless of whether both parties agreed to the divorce or not.
The party who is served the papers is the respondent. He or she has 30 days to file a response. Not all divorces go to trial. If the couple cooperates with each other, a Marital Settlement Agreement may be reached.
Unless there are marital issues that go on and on, a California divorce has a six-month waiting period before the marriage is over. The waiting period gives the couple the option to get back together if they desire.
If you were served divorce papers and don’t know what to do next, contact an experienced Orange County Family Law attorney who will discuss next steps with you in a language you can understand.
