Los Angeles Online Uncontested Divorce

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California is a Community Property State

California family law adheres to marital community property laws. This mandates that couples complete financial disclosures in their initial divorce papers, even if they are opting for an online divorce. Couples engaged in a California divorce case can reach any agreement they wish on their own, or a judge will divide their marital assets equally in half, regardless of how long they are married, how many children they have, or how much money, income or expenses either person has.

Marital assets include all property acquired by either person during the course of the marriage, such as cash, investments, and real estate. In addition, any debt -- like car loans, credit cards, mortgages -- that the couple acquires during the marriage is also shared between the two people and defined as “community debt.” Marital assets are not accrued all the way up until a divorce is final. Rather, they stop being accrued until the legal separation date.

The parties do not need to live apart in order for the legal separation date to have occurred. Instead, either the parties agree to a date when their differences became irreconcilable, or else the petition date will serve as their legal separation date.

The marital settlement agreement outlines the property each spouse will retain after the divorce proceedings. In a contested divorce, your divorce lawyer may be able to argue for you retaining certain marital assets over others, but the net value will always be split up 50/50 by the court.

California Residency Requirements

In California, the divorce process cannot be finalized in less than 6 months because of the mandatory "cooling off" period. The 6 month period begins the date the petitioner starts the court divorce filing process and serves the petition for divorce to the respondent. Thus, the Superior Court will not issue a certified copy of the divorce decree until 6 months later. In practice, Los Angeles divorce usually takes longer than 6 months. Online divorce is generally the fastest option.

California "No-Fault" Divorce

California is a “no-fault” divorce state, which means that the grounds for divorce have no effect on the divorce proceedings or outcome. "Irreconcilable differences" – the inability to agree on most things or on important things – is a sufficient reason to file for uncontested divorce in California, although not every no-fault divorce is automatically an uncontested divorce.

In a contested divorce, the parties do not agree on how to resolve issues like dividing marital property, alimony, child support, and child custody, while in an uncontested divorce, the couple has already reached an agreement on their own without judicial intervention. Only an uncontested divorce case will be eligible for online divorce.

In a no-fault divorce, a judge will simply not take into account either spouse's behavior or perceived "marital misconduct" (things like adultery, domestic violence, etc.) during the marriage when reviewing the couple's circumstances and issuing the final divorce decree. Even if the judge is not considering marital misconduct, it may still be a contested divorce if the parties need the judge’s help in reaching a settlement agreement.

California Residency Requirements

California divorce guidelines require that at least one person in the marriage has been a resident of the state for a minimum of six (6) months before filing a divorce. In addition, one person has to live in the county in which they are filing for a minimum of three (3) months. For example, if one spouse has lived in California for seven (7) months and Los Angeles County for four (4) months, they can file for divorce in LA County. You will need to attest that you and your spouse meet the residency requirements in your divorce papers.

California Filing Fees

Both spouses are required to pay court filing fees when submitting their divorce forms in California. The petitioner pays a court filing fee of $435 for the divorce petition. The respondent then also pays a fee of $435 for the response to the petition forms. These fees apply in both in-court and online divorce, whether or not you hire an attorney. A couple may also pay additional court fees depending on the county in which they are filing. Depending on your financial situation, you or your spouse may be eligible for a fee waiver.

California Child Support

According to California family law, children are considered minors until the age of 18 and child support is payable until that age. The California divorce process also uses several guideline factors to calculate the child support amount. These may differ based on the county, but are typically determined by:

• The number of children,
• Both spouse’s income,
• Tax status,
• The amount of time each parent spends with each child, as outlined in the child visitation and co-parenting plan outlined in the marital settlement agreement.

California Divorce Papers

Unfortunately, getting divorced involves a great deal of paperwork. The Los Angeles Superior Court utilizes several specific local forms in addition to those approved by the State Judicial Council. All of the Los Angeles family law forms are provided here if you would like to take a look at them. They can definitely be time consuming and confusing (think doing your own taxes), so you might want to consider having an online platform like It’s Over Easy fill them out for you.

California Divorce Forms

• Petition FL-100 - The first form in the divorce process, which is completed by the person filing for divorce, referred to as the "Petitioner". This document asks questions about your marriage, such as legal requirements, residence, statistical facts and children.
  
  
• Summons FL-110 - This form alerts the Petitioner's spouse, known as the "Respondent", that they are being sued on the grounds for divorce.
  
  
• UCCJEA FL-105 (for couples with kids)- This form includes information about your kids, including name, age, and residence info for the previous 5 years.
  
  
• Respondent Response FL-120 - The  Respondent completes and returns this form to confirm their acknowledgment of the divorce process.
  
  
• Schedule of assets and debts FL-142 - Both spouses provide their shared and individually owned assets and debts.
  
  
• Income and Expense Declaration FL-150 - Both spouses provide their sources of income and average monthly expenses.
  
  
• Download all California Divorce Forms

California Co-Parenting Plans

For couples with kids, one of the most important aspects of your divorce is how often your kids will spend time with you and your co-parent. An effective method to negotiate your child's schedule with your spouse is to create a Co-Parenting Plan as part of the divorce settlement agreement. When planning a co-parenting schedule for your children, you and your spouse will need to agree on whether you will share equal physical custody (50/50 split) or another shared percentage (like 70/30 for example), wherein the kids spend more time with one parent than the other. Visit www.custodyexchange.com for examples of common co-parenting schedules. This is an especially important resource for couples undergoing online divorce.

California Divorce Courts

• List of California courts

• Lookup divorce case by number

• Lookup divorce case by name
  
  

• Divorce court calendars

• Family law glossary
  
  
• Family law fees

California Family Court Contact Info

Los Angeles family law matters are handled at 12 locations throughout the county. The downtown Los Angeles address is provided below.

Stanley Mosk Courthouse
111 North Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Los Angeles Divorce Articles

• Ten Steps in an Uncontested Divorce

• Causes of Divorce: 13 of the Most Common Reasons
  
  

• Filing for Divorce in California vs. New York

• Understanding DIY Divorce

Online Divorce Info on Other States

• Online divorce in California
  
  
• Online divorce in New York
  
  
• Online divorce in Florida

• Online divorce in Georgia
  
  
• Online divorce in Pennsylvania
  
  
• Online divorce in Ohio

• Online divorce in Illinois
  
  
• Online divorce in New Jersey
  
  
• Online divorce in Virginia

California county courts are currently open and operational subject to health precautions. These precautions include limiting who is allowed in the courtroom, mandatory face coverings, and continuances (postponements) for certain matters. While you can still finalize your divorce in Superior Court, Family Court trials for property, custody, and support disputes are currently delayed. The procedures are subject to change, so visit https://www.courts.ca.gov and the court Covid-19 newsroom for the most up-to-date information. If you opt to work with an online divorce provider like It’s Over Easy, your divorce will likely be unaffected by COVID-19.