California Divorce

Divorce requires decisions about property, debts, support, and, when children are involved, parenting arrangements. Edgar & Dow helps clients prepare financial disclosures, assess settlement proposals, and present disputed issues in California divorce cases.

By H. William Edgar | Edgar & Dow

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Start with the decisions your case requires

California’s divorce process generally involves starting and serving the case, financial disclosure, resolving the issues, and completing the judgment. What happens next depends on the papers already filed and the issues still disputed. The California Courts divorce guide provides an overview.

• Financial disclosure and hidden assets
• Property and debt division
• Business interests
• Mediation
• Collaborative divorce
• Complex and high asset divorce
• Professional practices
• Same-sex divorce

Financial disclosure and hidden assets

A useful financial picture includes assets, debts, income, expenses, and supporting records. When information appears incomplete, identify the missing account, document, transaction, or business record. Unexplained transfers and disputed valuations require evidence. Review the California Courts financial disclosure guidance.

Property and debt division

Begin with an inventory of real estate, accounts, investments, retirement benefits, businesses, and debts. Acquisition dates, title, source of funds, agreements, and payment history may matter. We help clients identify disputed classifications, valuation issues, and the documents needed to evaluate a proposed division.

Divorce for business owners

A business can raise separate questions about ownership, value, income, and operations during the case. Gather organizational documents, ownership records, tax returns, financial statements, and information about business-paid personal expenses. Valuation and support calculations should be coordinated so the same records are understood consistently.

Divorce mediation

Mediation provides a setting to discuss possible agreements. Preparation includes reliable financial information, an understanding of the disputed issues, and a realistic assessment of proposed terms. We help clients prepare, evaluate proposals, and address the documents needed to record an agreement.

Collaborative divorce

A collaborative process requires discussion of its participation terms, professional roles, costs, and the consequences if the process ends without agreement. Before choosing it, consider the parties’ ability to exchange information and negotiate, as well as any safety or financial concerns.

High asset and complex divorce

Cases involving multiple properties, concentrated investments, trusts, stock compensation, or substantial debt call for careful organization. Identify the ownership records, valuation dates, tax information, and expert assistance the issues may require. A settlement should be examined for how it will actually be carried out.

Divorce involving medical and other professional practices

Professional practices can involve ownership restrictions, compensation arrangements, receivables, retirement plans, and valuation disputes. Bring employment or ownership agreements and the financial records that explain compensation and the practice’s operations. We assess how those issues connect to property division and support.

Military divorce

Service, deployment, benefits, retirement, and jurisdiction can raise additional questions. Our Military Divorce Library provides detailed guidance on those issues and their relationship to a California case.

Same-sex divorce

Review the dates and places of marriage, any registered domestic partnership, existing agreements, and the family’s parenting and financial history. Overlapping legal relationships, property questions, and children’s orders may need coordinated attention.

Children and support

Use our Child Custody and Visitation Library for parenting arrangements, our Child Support hub for support calculations and enforcement, and our Spousal Support library for support between spouses.

Prepare for a divorce consultation

Tell us your county, the next deadline, and what you need the court order to address. Bring your existing orders, recent court papers, and relevant financial records. Contact Edgar & Dow or find an office and local information.

This page provides general information. The facts, governing orders, and applicable procedures determine the available options.