California Divorce Laws:
What You Need to Know

How to Get Divorced in California

California is one of the easiest states to get a divorce in. The process will be a lot less complicated than it is in most states, because California has a no-fault divorce system. All you’ll need is one year of living separate and apart before you can start the divorce process. If you want to expedite the process, you can file a joint petition for dissolution of marriage instead of two individual filings. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort by doing this, but you’ll need an experienced family law attorney to guide you through the process. Remember that California is a community property state, which means that all assets and debts are split 50/50 between spouses. You’ll need to make sure that your divorce documents reflect this, especially if you have children or a trust that you’re managing.