How to file for divorce in California without a lawyer? – THE FIRST ANGLE TO LOOK IS THE VALUE OF YOUR TIME AND PATIENCE TO LEARN
How to file for divorce in California without a lawyer is a very common question. Before answering we would like to point to some major issues relating to filing for divorce without a lawyer. The first issue is spouses’ knowledge of their rights and responsibilities which arrises when they file for the divorce. The second issue is their knowledge of the rules and procedures of the local courthouse for going through divorce proceedings.
Completing a divorce is very time-consuming for a person without legal background and experience. However, with the assistance of self-help services or with the assistance of a paralegal it is doable if you and your spouse don’t have a disagreement over a complex legal issue. Going on the path How to file for divorce in California without a lawyer, you should first think about the value of your time and compare the cost of options to file for divorce with lep of legal assistants.
How to file for divorce in California without a lawyer? – USING HELP OF OTHER LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
For example, you might Google “divorce paralegal near me” and find a surprisingly low flat-rate price for an uncontested divorce. The cost for an uncontested divorce is low because it much is easier to handle than a contested divorce.
If you are not able to dedicate more than 20 hours learning how to do the paperwork by yourself, you should hire an experienced certified paralegal.
There is one caution about paralegal’s assistance with the divorce. A paralegal must be registered as an LDA (Legal Document Assistant) in the County where he or she does business. An LDA is licensed, bonded, and has a financial responsibility to the clients he or she provides services to.
If a Paralegal is not registered as an LDA he or she should be working under the direct supervision of a lawyer physically present in the office. A paralegal under supervision will generally be more expensive than an LDA.
When you search for “divorce paralegal near me”, be sure the paralegal or LDA can assist you in the county you fulfill the residency requirement.
An experienced certified paralegal in California knows which documents are required to file with the court and how to follow the step by step process of filing them.
However, a paralegal is not allowed to choose the forms for your divorce without a lawyers’ supervision and cannot give you legal advice because it is the unauthorized practice of law.
LDAs usually use the material written by a licensed attorney to provide you with information good enough to make an informed decision.
How to file for divorce in California without a lawyer if your spouse wants to do a contested divorce?
you can do your divorce without lawyers but it would be more difficult for you.
If your spouse contests your divorce and your spouse goes in PROPER (self-represented), your divorce might run into problems because of improper document preparation. However, if your spouse hires a lawyer and you are not represented by a lawyer, it would be difficult for you to defend your marital rights in court. If your spouse is represented by a lawyer, we highly recommend that you to hire an attorney.
In addition, sometimes even in uncontested divorces with complex property division, multiple retirement accounts, stocks option, multiple investment properties outside the state, businesses, ext. it is advisable to get at least a legal consultation with an attorney. Our law firm can provide a cost-effective solution by using a paralegal where possible and a lawyer where necessary (whatever a paralegal cannot do, an attorney will do for you). An attorney will give you legal advice and represent you in the court ONLY to save you money. Everything else – all document preparation will be done by an experienced paralegal.
How to file for divorce in California without a lawyer doing it yourself.
If you decide that you will be able to do file divorce in California without a lawyer and without other legal professionals, you can follow starting by our guide how to start a divorce
Keep in mind that it is easy to file the documents for the first and the second steps of your divorce. However, it would be difficult to complete all documents for the last, final step of the divorce. We have prepared a detailed explanation of the divorce proceedings in this website, you are welcome to use this information for free following the link
LegalDocsA2Z prepare for you helpful resource to find out where do you need to file for the divorce and how much if the filing fees. Below click on the county you need to file:
LegalDocsA2Z would be useful for you if you need help with your documents preparation and filing with the court. We can complete your uncontested divorce for flat fees $699 without minor children, $799 with minor children. If your spouse changes his tune to proceed with the uncontested divorce and contest any issue, we would be able to help you as well with an affordable hourly rate. CALL 714-390-3766
