CDSOC

Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County

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Self Help Divorce

The Divorce Options™ Workshop

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Marriage is supposed to last forever, but approximately half the marriages in California end in divorce.  Just as couples carefully plan their weddings, if divorce occurs, the dissolution process should be carefully researched and selected.

There are many choices to transition a family when a marriage ends.  One of the best ways to make an informed decision is with the assistance of the Divorce Options Workshop, a presentation which informs couples about all their divorce choices including mediation, collaborative divorce, court litigation, and self-representation.

Each Divorce Options Workshop features legal, financial, and mental health professionals who describe the different, interconnecting issues of divorce including the division of property, money, and the parenting of children.  Then with information acquired from the Divorce Options Workshop, individuals and couples can more intelligently and respectfully plan their divorce through the process which best suits them and their family.

Locally, in Orange County, the Divorce Options Workshop is presented through the Community Education program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.  Information about the locations, dates, and times, of the Divorce Options Workshop is available on this CDSOC website, by contacting any of our members, or the Orange Coast College Community Education program.

Self-Help Is Not The Best Remedy at Time of Divorce

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By LESLEE J. NEWMAN, Family Law Mediator & Collaborator

Today in Orange County, approximately 75+% of the couples who are seeking divorce or legal separation do not have attorneys, and most do not even seek any professional advice.  Most couples believe that by finding information on the Internet, they can represent themselves through some of the most important decisions they will ever make in their lives concerning money, property, and most importantly, their children.

Most people do not know that family law is one of the most complicated areas of California law and the court system is not designed for couples who do not know how to represent themselves before a judge.  If you have to put on evidence in the form of a court hearing or trial, the California Rules of Evidence apply.  Most of the time, the self-represented person cannot competently present their most important documents or statements into the court record for judges to consider in making their decisions.

There are so many self-represented people now going to court who do not know how to address a judge or to present their case.  They spend much more court time than necessary and have substantially slowed down court proceedings, and the court’s calendar.  It can now take as long as 4 to 5 months or more for a hearing to be set before a judge.  Thus, the court’s consideration of important issues like parenting of children, monetary support, or even having the right to put the family residence up for sale is substantially put on hold to the great detriment of the divorcing couple.

It is a no brainer that seeking professional legal help is a smart move, and attorneys who can help you avoid going to court altogether are indispensable.  Unfortunately, it is a well-kept secret that transitioning couples can stay out of court and settle all aspects of their divorce through mediation or collaborative divorce.

The costs of a collaborative divorce typically are a lot less expensive than litigation which before a judge in Orange County has an average cost of about $90,000 and could take more than a year to complete.  A mediated divorce is typically about $5,000 to $7,500, and can be completed in about 3 months depending on the complexity of the divorce.  Which path should you choose?