Since 1970, what was once referred to in California as "divorce" is now known as a "dissolution of marriage”. The purpose of any dissolution action is to terminate the marriage and resolve any remaining marital issues. This judgment restores the parties to single status and contains court orders resolving many, if not all, of the issues in the case. Among the more common issues addressed in a judgment of dissolution are division of assets and debts, spousal support and child custody and support.

How It Works
A "dissolution of marriage" action begins when the Petitioner files a "Petition for Dissolution of Marriage" at the Superior Court. After the Petitioner files, the Petitioner must then properly serve the Respondent (i.e., their spouse). Once the Respondent has been properly served, the judgment of dissolution can be obtained in one of three ways:

• The Respondent is properly served, but never "appears" (responds). Under this scenario the Petitioner can obtain a default judgment.
• The Respondent is properly served, and the Petitioner and Respondent reach an agreement as to the unresolved marital issues. Under this scenario, the Petitioner can obtain a judgment by "stipulation" (mutual agreement) or by an "MSA" (Marital Settlement Agreement).
• The Respondent is properly served, and the Respondent "appears," but the parties are unable to reach an agreement. Under this scenario a judgment can be obtained after trial on the unresolved issues. In other words, a family law judge decides.

With our experience in Family Law and our commitment to helping our clients work through these emotional transitions, we feel that the CC LawGroup is uniquely qualified to address the painful and often difficult issues that accompany divorce for both parents and children.

The CC LawGroup
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