Sacramento, CA Divorce Attorney Office

You must be a resident of the State of California for at least six months and a resident of the county in which you file for at least three months before filing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. There is no residency requirement for filing a Petition for Legal Separation.

There is a six-month waiting period in California before the divorce can become final.

You can publish a serve in the local paper. After a certain number of serves a document can be filed with the court to show the attempts that have been made. The court may hear the matter, and you could also attempt to file for a default judgment.

The forms needed are Petition for Dissolution, Summons, and Proof of Service. A UCCJEA Declaration also needs to be filed when there are minor children involved.

In the county and Superior Court where you reside. You can also file in the county where the opposing party resides assuming she has been living there at least three months.