| GENERAL INFORMATION |
| How does DivorceWriter work? |
| First, complete the basic pre-purchase portion of the online interview. Then, set up your... more |
| What happens after I receive my DivorceWriter documents? |
| Just follow the step-by-step instructions included with your DivorceWriter package, which ... more |
| How do I make changes to my documents after receiving my self-prepared DivorceWriter package? |
| If you want to make changes to any of your documents after receiving them in the mail, you... more |
| Will DivorceWriter documents work in my state and/or in my situation? |
| DivorceWriter's goal is to provide self-help divorce documents. However, DivorceWriter is ... more |
| Can I use DivorceWriter in my state? |
| DivorceWriter offers documents for most U.S. states and the District of Columbia. To see ... more |
| I finished the online interview. How long will it take to receive my documents? |
| DivorceWriter promptly ships your document package to you via Priority Mail the next busin... more |
| I want to use DivorceWriter to prepare my own divorce documents. What do I do next? |
| To get started, click on "Start the Process" above. You will be taken to our online inter... more |
| What is the online interview? |
| In as little as 10-15 minutes, the online interview allows you to enter the information ne... more |
| What if I need additional documents that were not included in my DivorceWriter package? |
| Contact customer service at info@divorcewriter.com with the name or form number of the the... more |
| Can you overnight my documents to me so that I can have them right away? |
| All DivorceWriter document packages are shipped via Priority Mail. However, as soon as yo... more |
| How do I change my password? |
| To change your password you must first log back into your account using the login section ... more |
| How do I make changes to my existing DivorceWriter account? |
| If you already have a DivorceWriter account and need to make changes to your online interv... more |
| Does DivorceWriter provide documents for annulments? |
| No. DivorceWriter does not currently provide documents for annulments. |
| How much does DivorceWriter cost? |
| The DivorceWriter fee is just $149. (Note: This does not include the divorce filing fee ch... more |
| Can my spouse and I get a divorce if we are still living together? |
| Yes. You can divorce while still living in the same residence with your spouse. |
| Will my documents be completed or will I have to fill them out myself when I receive them? |
| For the most part, your DivorceWriter documents arrive completed with the information that... more |
| I need a form that is not available online or in the DivorceWriter's supplemental forms database. How can I find a sample form elsewhere? |
| Divorce documents are public record, so it is usually possible to obtain a copy of one or ... more |
| Can I use my account for another divorce?
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| DivorceWriter accounts are for one divorce only. You may not reuse the account to complete... more |
| I didn't list any property or debts in the online interview. Why do some of my documents ask the court to divide property and debts? |
| Asking the Court for to divide property and debts fairly is standard language in the Divor... more |
| Do we need to notify the court of any address changes during the divorce? |
| Any questions concerning the requirements for notifying the court about changes of address... more |
| We were married in a foreign country. Can we divorce in the U.S.?
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| As long as you meet the residency requirements for filing for divorce in the state where y... more |
| I didn't list any property or debts in the online interview. Why do some of my documents ask the court to divide our property and/or debts? |
| The Divorce Petitions/Divorce Complaints in most states contain language asking the Court ... more |
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| STATE PROCEDURES |
| How long does it take to get a divorce in California? |
| After you file for divorce, you will receive a Divorce Decree in the mail that is signed b... more |
| How much is the filing fee in California? |
| The filing fee charged by the Court is NOT included in the DivorceWriter price. The fee f... more |
| What are the steps to getting a divorce in California? |
| 1) File the divorce papers with the Superior Court Clerk and pay the filing fee of approxi... more |
| How do I serve my spouse with the divorce papers in California? |
| The spouse who filed for divorce chooses a friend or relative to mail divorce papers to th... more |
| What is a California Summary Dissolution? |
| A California Summary Dissolution is basically a simplified divorce. You must meet several ... more |
| Will either of us be required to attend a court hearing? |
| In an uncontested California divorce, you typically will not need a court hearing. After ... more |
| Which spouse files the divorce documents? |
| The spouse who files for divorce is the Petitioner. The other spouse is the Respondent. ... more |
| What documents are included in the self-prepared DivorceWriter package? |
| Your self-prepared California DivorceWriter package will include: Detailed filing procedur... more |
| Do we qualify for a summary dissolution? |
| The DivorceWriter online interview provides qualifying customers with the ability to selec... more |
| Do any documents require notarization? |
| The filing instructions included with your DivorceWriter package will provide additional i... more |
| Can I change my name in the divorce proceedings? |
| If you select the name change option in the Online Interview, the request will be automati... more |
| Can I file for divorce in California? |
| To file for divorce in California, one or both spouses must be residents of that state for... more |
| What are the signature requirements for the documents I will receive? |
| The state-specific filing procedures included in the DivorceWriter package indicate which ... more |
| What are the grounds for filing for divorce? |
| California allows a person to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage on the grounds o... more |
| What if my spouse and I don't live in the same state? |
| As long as one spouse meets the residency requirements for the state where the divorce wil... more |
| Do I have to divorce in the state where I was married? |
| No. You can divorce in any state where you or your spouse meet the divorce residency requi... more |
| How long does it usually take to finalize a divorce? |
| The Judge cannot sign the Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, which is the document that ... more |
| Where do I file the divorce documents? |
| Divorces are filed at the Superior Court Clerk's office in the county where one or both sp... more |
| Can the wife change her name back during the divorce? |
| Yes, the wife may restore her name to the name she had before the marriage took place. If ... more |
| Can my spouse have documents notarized in a different state? |
| Yes. If your spouse is unable to have documents notarized by a Notary Public in the state... more |
| How do I know which courthouse to file my divorce in Los Angeles County? |
| When both spouses live in Los Angeles County, the divorce can be filed in the district whe... more |
| I received a document entitled "Requirements for Submitted Judgments" from Los Angeles County. What does this form mean? |
| If you filed for divorce in L.A. County, you may have received a document entitled “Requir... more |
| The Clerk or Judge told me I need to file Further Orders and/or other attachments to my Judgment (FL-180) in addition to the Marital Settlement Agreement. Where can I get these? |
| In most counties, the Court only requires the Marital Settlement Agreement to be stapled t... more |
| I live in San Mateo County. Why am I directed to file in the Southern Branch in Redwood City when I live closer to the Northern Branch in San Francisco? |
| Effective January 31, 2011, the Family Law/Civil/Probate Clerk's Office located at the Nor... more |
| How soon after filing for divorce must the Respondent be served with a copy of the Petition and Summons? |
| The Petition and Summons must be served on the Respondent and the Proof of Service of Summ... more |
| Do we have to be separated to get a divorce? |
| The "date of separation" refers to the date when at least one of the spouses decided to en... more |
| My documents ask for the "Cause Number" instead of a "Case Number." Is this correct? |
| Yes. In a number of U.S. states, the Courts use the term "Cause Number" instead of "Case ... more |
| There was an error on one or more of the documents that I filed with the Clerk. Now that I have fixed the error(s) on the document(s), is there anything else I have to do to it before I file the corrected version with the Clerk? |
| Generally, if an error has been made in a document that was filed with the Clerk, the corr... more |
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| CUSTODY, VISITATION, SUPPORT |
| What is the difference between child support and spousal support? |
| Spousal support is paid to one spouse by the other for the support and care of the receivi... more |
| Will we be able to customize our documents to fit our specific custody and visitation arrangement? |
| DivorceWriter accommodates parents who want to share joint legal custody while designating... more |
| We have agreed that one spouse will pay spousal support to the other. What are some options? |
| Two common ways for one spouse to receive spousal support payments from the other are (1) ... more |
| How is spousal support/alimony calculated? |
| In uncontested divorces, spouses reach their own agreement regarding the amount of spousal... more |
| Can we specify how we will claim our child(ren) for income tax purposes? |
| The DivorceWriter online interview allows you to designate which spouse will claim your mi... more |
| When can a child support order be modified in California? |
| A child support order can be modified in California if there has been: a significant incre... more |
| We have received our documents, but have decided that we do not want any parenting time schedule. Is this possible? |
| The DivorceWriter online interview, which you completed previously, was designed to accomm... more |
| We have children. Can I still use DivorceWriter? |
| Yes, you can use DivorceWriter to create your divorce forms even if you have children. Th... more |
| What if my spouse and I have agreed to a child support amount that is different from the standard amount? |
| DivorceWriter shows the child support calculation under the guidelines using the parents' ... more |
| How is child support calculated? |
| Based on the information provided by the customer when completing this online interview, a... more |
| What are the different types of custody? |
| Click here to review how the California Code defines the various custody types: http://www... more |
| What if we already have an existing child support order? |
| DivorceWriter provides the option to enter information regarding an existing child support... more |
| Do I have to pay income tax on spousal support payments that I receive? |
| For federal income tax purposes, spousal support is commonly considered taxable income for... more |
| What if I have additional questions about child support? |
| Additional information on child support can be found at: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov and ... more |
| I was told that my documents are missing FC 2105 language and/or Declaration Regarding Service of Preliminary Disclosure (FL-141). What does this mean? |
| Generally, if you are told that you are missing FC Sec. 2105 language, it means that you a... more |
| I have been advised that FC Sec. 5616 is missing from my documents. What do I do? |
| All California Marital Settlement Agreements in cases involving children now include the f... more |
| Where do I obtain a Case Identifier for the Income Withholding for Support?
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| The Court Clerk in your county should be able to provide you with the Case Identifier and ... more |
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| PROPERTY AND DEBTS |
| Can I receive a portion of my spouse's retirement plan even though his/her retirement is several years away? |
| The most common way for one spouse to secure the right to a portion of the other spouse's ... more |
| Do we have to list the debts we have agreed to divide? |
| About 30% of DivorceWriter customers list debts. The debts listed will appear on the sett... more |
| We want to transfer real estate into only one spouse's name. Do we need a Quit Claim Deed? |
| Generally, if you want to transfer jointly held real estate into the name of only one spou... more |
| Can we customize our documents to fit our plans for our real estate? |
| The DivorceWriter online interview allows customers to list not only the street address, c... more |
| Can we divide/list as many items of personal property as we want? |
| Choose to list all, some, or no property. The customer decides which property, if any, to ... more |
| What is the "legal description" of a piece of real estate? |
| The legal description, also referred to as the property description, is usually a one to t... more |
| My spouse and I listed no property or debts in the online interview. Why is 11(b) checked on FL-800 instead of 11(a)? |
| All California DivorceWriter document packages come with a Marital Settlement Agreement th... more |
| Why do my DivorceWriter documents say that we do not have life insurance or other property that we actually do have? |
| Some states require divorcing spouses to provide information on several different types of... more |
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| SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES |
| I received my DivorceWriter package today, but I'm not sure I want to file for divorce right away. How how long are these papers good for? |
| Unsigned divorce documents do not have an expiration date per se. Applicable time periods... more |
| I can't find my spouse. Can I still use DivorceWriter? |
| DivorceWriter is designed for couples who have reached an agreement on all issues and who ... more |
| I am not sure my marriage was legal. Do I even need a divorce? |
| DivorceWriter is for people who want to end their marriages. If you have any questions reg... more |
| What if one spouse is living in a foreign country? |
| If your spouse is able to receive documents in the mail and is willing to sign and return ... more |
| What if I have an out of state driver’s license or no license at all? |
| If the spouse who files for divorce does not have a valid in-state driver’s license it may... more |
| My spouse is currently incarcerated. Can we still use DivorceWriter? |
| DivorceWriter documents must be signed by both husband and wife. As long as your spouse is... more |
| What if one spouse is in the military? |
| If both parties are willing to sign the papers, ending your marriage when a spouse is in t... more |
| How do we get documents notarized in a foreign country? |
| The meaning of the term "notary" varies widely from country to country. To find a Notary ... more |
| My spouse is currently incarcerated. What address do I use? |
| You may use the address at the facility where your spouse is currently incarcerated. Divo... more |
| Does DivorceWriter provide gender-neutral documents for divorce in states where same-sex marriage is not specifically legalized, but is recognized when performed in another state? |
| DivorceWriter's current policy is to gender-neutralize our online interview and documents ... more |
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| ADDITIONAL RESOURCES |
| Where can I find the full-text version of the California Family Code online? |
| California Family Code |
| Where can I find additional help? |
| Additional help is available at: www.findlegalhelp.org |
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