Dissolution of Marriage – Divorce In California
The dissolution of marriage process, more commonly called filing for divorce in California usually follows one of three possible courses of action:
- Traditional Litigation
- Collaboration
- Divorce Mediation
Depending on the parties involved, a California divorce will generally follow one of the three processes below:
Traditional Litigation
Litigation is the traditional divorce process where both parties hire divorce attorneys who provide legal advice and represent their clients in negotiations and court hearings. Each divorce attorney advocates positions based on the personal wants, needs and viewpoints of their client. The process may involve the use of formal legal procedures, known as “discovery,” to obtain financial and other relevant information. Discovery may include the use of depositions (a formal taking of testimony before a court reporter) and the subpoenaing of documents or other material believed to be relevant to the issues. Each party may also hire experts to support their positions. These experts may include psychologists, real estate and personal property appraisers, business valuation specialists, accountants and others.
Collaboration
The goal of Collaborative Practice is to come to a mutually acceptable, negotiated settlement between two parties without the threat of going to court. In this practice, each party retains their own collaborative divorce attorney who will gather information, provide education on rights, responsibilities and options, and negotiate on their behalf. At the center of Collaborative Practice are the needs of the entire family, especially the needs of the children. With Collaborative Practice, conflict is kept to a minimum so all family members can move on positively with their lives.
Collaborative Practice is a good choice when each party prefers to have his or her own independent attorney guide them through the legal process. If the participants ultimately are unable to agree, the collaborative divorce attorneys withdraw and litigation attorneys can be retained to take the matter to court.
Divorce Mediation
Divorce Mediation is a voluntary process through which you make decisions together with your spouse based on an understanding of your views, your spouse’s views, and the reality you face. A mediator facilitates your discussions; but does not give advice or make decisions. The divorce mediator may, however, make suggestions as to how the various disputed issues can be resolved and what the process would be if the matter were litigated. The parties meet with the divorce mediator to identify issues, complete exchanges of information, and use non-adversarial problem-solving techniques to come to an agreement.
Conclusion
Divorce in California is a serious process. There is the possibility that your divorce could be amicable. The safe bet is to discuss your options with a lawyer before jumping into a divorce battle, filing for divorce in California, or even threatening divorce. Without a plan of action, and superior team of legal expertise behind you, the results may not be in your favor.
If you are considering separation or divorce, and your case will be tried in any family law court Los Angeles; start a conversation with the best family law attorney Los Angeles. We have experience in all venues of family law in the local area; from Los Angeles courthouses to Orange County courthouses. Choose the Long Beach Attorneys you can trust, William D. Evans, APLC.
Remember, William D. Evans is not only a family law attorney…he teaches the law. As a professor in the field of family law, he is especially suited to handling your divorce in California.
William D. Evans offers a free 30-minute initial consultation. Call William D. Evans at (562) 439-9001 to discuss your options today.