The soonest you can be divorced in California is 6 months from the date of service or the date respondent appears.
Family Code section 2339(a) reads “Subject to subdivision (b) and to Sections 2340 to 2344, inclusive, no judgment of dissolution is final for the purpose of terminating the marriage relationship of the parties until six months have expired from the date of service of a copy of the summons and petition or the date of appearance of the respondent, whichever occurs first.”
Family Code section 2339(b) reads “The court may extend the six-month period described in subdivision (a) for good cause shown.”
The divorce is not automatic once you have filed and there is work that must be done to bring your case to judgement. Steps to a divorce can be found at https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce. It is not as simple as filing and the other party signs off on the divorce.
It is important to know that although there are certain steps that every party going through a divorce must do, every case is different and there may be steps that you need to do in addition to the mandatory steps. Given the circumstances of the parties, one or both may need the courts intervention for issues like custody or support as you also move through the divorce process. You should consult with a licensed family law attorney to discuss your case and how they can assist.
Contact the law office of Sara S. Thompson, PC
For assistance to see how we can help, contact Sara Thompson, an Auburn Divorce Attorney.
Law Office of Sara S. Thompson, PC
11601 Blocker Drive, Suite 100
Auburn, CA 95603
www.sthompson-law.com
