California Divorce and Family Law
Learn about California family laws governing divorce, child support & custody, alimony and more.
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Questions about child custody, division of property, alimony or the divorce process in California? Find useful information here.
A divorce is the legal ending of a marriage. Every state has different requirements in terms of how to complete a divorce, but all require a judge to review and approve the divorce settlement or, if the spouses can't agree to a settlement, decide how property will be divided and how parenting time will be shared.
Learn the basics about the divorce process in California.
In California, a dissolution of marriage can be granted if the court finds there to be "Irreconcilable differences" that have cause an irrevocable breakdown of the marriage.
Getting divorced is challenging in many ways, not the least of which is trying to find your way around the legal process.
Learn about the process to file for a divorce in California.
In California, a legal separation is not the same as a separation agreement and it is important for couples to understand the difference.
In California, a summary dissolution is a simple way to get a divorce, providing the possibility of avoiding a trial in court.
Whether you live in a minimalist apartment and get around on public transit, or own a big house with a two-car garage, you and your spouse probably own a significant amount of property, and if you're like most people, you have debts as well.
Assets and debts spouses acquire during marriage belong equally to both of them
Find in-depth information regarding division of assets (and debt) in a California divorce.
For divorcing parents, issues of custody are front and center.
California courts award custody of children based on the "best interests of the child" standard. Here's how it works.
California has a "joint custody" law that encourages judges to award joint "legal custody" to parents.
Find information about child custody in California, including how it's determined, visitation rights, modification of custody, move away cases, and more.
Alimony, spousal support, and maintenance are all words for the same thing: one spouse paying support to the other after a divorce. It's designed to help a lower-earning spouse--or a spouse who's been out of the workforce entirely while raising children or taking care of the household--to get through the divorce process and transition into being self-supporting.
A judge in California may award temporary—or "pendente lite"—support during divorce proceedings, as well as support after a divorce is final.
Spousal support is often awarded at an Order to Show Cause on a temporary basis, where one spouse is unemployed or earning significantly less than the other spouse.
California law says that where a marriage is "of long duration," the court "retains jurisdiction" indefinitely after the divorce is completed, unless the spouses agree otherwise.
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In general, the primary factors the court will consider are how much each parent earns and how much time each parent spends with the children.
To calculate the minimum amount of child support to be paid by a parent, the law directs the judge to first add up the total net monthly incomes of both parents.
In California, child support is calculated with a very complex algebraic formula that takes into consideration the parents’ incomes, each parent’s time with the child, and any tax deductions that are available to either parent.
State guidelines are the first place you should look if you want to estimate child support for your family.
Looking for California’s rules on marriage, divorce, child custody, and child support? Want to find California’s state court forms and instructions and local court websites? Here’s where to start.