Frequently Asked Questions about Divorce in California

Divorce Process in California

• What are residency requirements for California divorces?
  • You need to have lived in the state for at least 6 months, and in the county where you are filing for at least 3 months. (see CA courts for details)
  • SquareFairy will automatically use your address information to recommend the appropriate county courthouse to use.
• Do I need to file the list of properties and debts when filing for divorce?
  • No, not initially. The California form FL-142 (that gets filled out for you when you use our service) You do need to disclose this information to your spouse eventually, but this form is NOT filed with the court (it would become public information then, and you don’t want that).
• Can I serve the divorce papers on my spouse myself, or do I need to pay a process server?
  • You cannot serve the papers yourself, BUT, you can ask a friend or relative (age 18+) to do it. See “Service of Court Papers.”
• Child Support
  • Child Support Estimation
  • Income and Expenses to consider for Child Support
  • Calculate the % of time spent with children

Marriage Counseling

• Where can I find marriage counselors in my area?
  • Psychology Today has a good list that you can use to find a marriage counseling therapist that can help.