Divorce Lawyer in Roseville, CA

Experienced Divorce Attorney Serving Placer County

For thousands of Americans every year, divorce represents an unexpected challenge that will impact them for the rest of their lives. If you are considering divorce, have a legal family matter, or if you have been handed divorce papers, it is important to start by remembering that a divorce can be overwhelmingly positive when managed the right way. After all, if you or your spouse want to end your marriage, it is surely due to the fact that one or both of you are no longer happy being together.

The Law Offices of Frank F. Ali and our Roseville attorney want to be the legal team that helps you through this confusing time. When you choose to work with our law firm, you will find that everything we do is meant to benefit you, from educating you diligently of your rights as a divorcé to offering tireless advocacy should matters need to go to court. You will also be pleased to find that our head attorney, Mr. Ali, personally handles each and every case we accept, rather than passing you off to a paralegal or assistant.

Let's discuss your options in detail – call 916.745.8444 for a consultation with an experienced Roseville, CA divorce attorney.

Uncontested & Contested Divorces in California

Your divorce will fall under one of two types of divorce in California:

• Uncontested:In an uncontested divorce, each spouse agrees completely with each important aspect of their divorce agreement, such as child support, child custody, property division, and so on. Due to the overall agreement, uncontested divorces tend to conclude quickly and at lower costs when compared to other forms of divorce.
• Contested:If you or your spouse disagree with even a single aspect of the divorce agreement, it becomes a contested divorce. Other methods, including courtroom intervention, will be necessary to finalize the divorce. While this may conjure up images of heated arguments, contested divorces can and often do remain civilized.

Try not to overthink about the category of your divorce. In either situation, it is crucial that you instead focus on your own best interests, and those of your children, if you share any with your spouse. The rest of the details will fall into place if you do, regardless of whether or not it is a contested or uncontested divorce. For excellent legal assistance no matter what the divorce process entails, be sure to get in contact with our Roseville attorney.

Is California a No-Fault Divorce State?

California is a no-fault divorce state, meaning that couples do not need to establish fault for the divorce to be granted. In California, either party can file for a no-fault divorce if they are "irreconcilably" or permanently separated after attempting all possible means of reconciliation. When filing a petition for dissolution of marriage (divorce), neither spouse must prove that the other person was at fault or responsible for the breakup. If spouses wish to settle matters outside of court, they may do so through mediation and negotiation.

Do I Have Any Alternatives to Divorce?

The end of your marriage will likely involve a typical divorce process, but it may not. There are useful alternatives you should consider if you want to minimize stress and avoid needless confrontations

Three divorce alternatives our law firm can help you utilize are:

1. Divorce mediation:The goal of mediation is to keep your divorce out of the courtroom as much as possible, which can save you big on court costs. A neutral third-party mediator – a divorce attorney trained specifically in mediation – will sit with both you and your spouse to provide legal assistance, but not necessarily direct influence into either of your decisions.
2. Collaborative divorce: Each spouse retains their own divorce attorney and agrees to meet up for routine discussions outside of the courtroom. All four parties agree to do their best to come to an amicable solution and avoid litigation. If an agreeable conclusion is not reached, both collaborative divorce lawyers must not represent either spouse in the following court case.
3. Legal separation:If the finality of divorce does not work for you or your spouse for any reason, you may want to seek legal separation instead. When you are legally separated, you will still need to abide by any established rules – such as visitation or spousal support – but you will not technically be married. Another benefit of legal separation is that it does not dismantle any benefits gained through marriage, such as tax advantages or shared health insurance.

Documents for Filing Divorce in California

Preparation is key to making any process, project, or challenge in your life easier and conclude sooner than later. This is also true for when you are going through a divorce. Jumping right in without knowing what to expect, or really what you want out of it, can get you tied up in an impersonal legal system and add extra court dates to your calendar. Planning ahead and preparing the paperwork you are going to need will save you unnecessary headaches and help you avoid speedbumps.

If you are filing divorce papers in California, the forms you should gather first are:

• Divorce petition: You won't get far with the divorce court system if you don't follow their instructions and use their specific and approved divorce petition forms. Download and print out a form straight from the California Court's website (by clicking here) and fill it out carefully with your attorney. In your petition, you need to say why you want to get a divorce – you can get detailed or stay vague by saying experienced "irreconcilable differences" – and what you want out of it in terms of child custody, child support, property division, spousal support, and so on. Make your intentions and wishes clear to prevent an added conference room meeting just to interpret what you wrote down.
• Financial information: As part of a divorce, you need to disclose your personal finances to the court and your future ex-spouse since it needs to be known if alimony and child support are to be fairly calculated. Revealing your financial figures accurately and immediately shows your good faith and can steer your divorce away from conflict. One of the top reasons an uncontested divorce derails into a contested one is hidden or undisclosed finances. Trust your lawyer when they say you cannot hide anything from the court; if money exists somewhere, it will come to light sooner or later.
• Additional evidence: If there is a specific reason you want to file for divorce, state it in your petition and back it up with proof in case it has to become evidence in court down the road. Whatever you can use to prove that they damaged your marriage's integrity or stability, the better. California may be a community property state when it comes to property division but evidence of wrongdoing can sway the judge to act in your favor when it comes to child support or split decisions. For example:
  • Do you have email transcripts of your spouse talking with another romantic partner?
  • Have you collected receipts of intentional and wasteful overspending on behalf of your spouse?

For help gathering everything you will need before filing for divorce, contact the Law Offices of Frank F. Ali for a consultation.

How Our Experienced Roseville Divorce Attorneys Can Help

When we accept a divorce, child custody, or family law case, we act as if we are representing ourselves. It is for this reason and many more that our clients know us as effective, focused, and understanding above all else. Our family law firm has been providing Placer County with high-quality divorce representation since 2005. Come see what our Roseville lawyer can do for you by contacting our firm.

If you are filing for divorce, it is important to get experience on your side. Contact us online or call our Roseville divorce lawyer today!