Getting a divorce in Chula Vista
<h4><em>San Diego County court provides about as much help as it can</em></h4>
mike hinshaw
I’ve written several pieces about divorce in California, for your perusal:
- Divorce in California;
- Updated: Divorce in California;
- Getting a divorce in San Francisco;
- Getting a divorce in Sacramento;
- Getting a divorce in Riverside.
Commonalities
By their very nature, these articles overlap because they’re all about places that are, ultimately, governed by the same state laws, the statutes on domestic relations, whether that be marriage, divorce (“dissolution of marriage) or ending a domestic relationship. One thing you’ll notice, I repeat the advantages of obtaining grief counseling, perhaps because it helped me so much after the collapse of my second marriage.
Another thing to consider, emphasized by family experts and legal authorities, alike, is the need to urgently address any domestic violence that may present: In short, you, your children–and even your pets–may be in danger if domestic violence is part of your family’s life.
Accordingly we have assembled some local links that may be able to connect you with facilities and agencies in the Chula Vista/San Diego County area:
- Chula Vista Police Department;
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders;
- South Bay Community Services (SBCS);
- brochure, “Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victim Resources“;
- pamphlet, San Diego Sheriff’s Department.
Venue: where to file
To start, let’s look at the FAQ for Chula Vista:
Q: Who do I talk to about filing for divorce, child custody, name change, or restraining orders?
A: Call Superior Court – Family Law at (619) 450-7777
Superior Court navigation
From there we get to this link for the Superior Court of California, San Diego County.
To help with “where to file” questions, the court provides a zip-code based directory.
Help from the court
Unlike many courts in the nation, you guys in San Diego County have a very helpful court–that is, judged by its online promises. I write about this every day, and I’ll tell ya…many, many courts hew to the line that court/clerk personnel can NOT help in any way, beyond the most basic information.
Contrast such “get-away-from-me” type language with the language found in your court’s Family Law Facilitator’s Office:
The staff of the Family Law Facilitator’s Office (FLF) is available to help unrepresented parents and parties who have questions about family law issues. They can help you in preparing court forms and can give you general legal information. The Family Law Facilitator’s Office is staffed by court attorneys, paralegals, and clerks with experience in family law. The Family Law Facilitator’s Office does not assist parents or parties who are represented by an attorney. The attorneys at the Family Law Facilitator’s Office are not your lawyer, but are neutral court employees who do not represent any parent or party and may provide information and services to all parties in the case.
A caveat
That being said, please also notice the language in the final two sentences of that passage: first, they won’t help you if you have a lawyer; second, what they’re saying is they will provide the same info to you or your spouse.
This could be a good thing: fairness to all, etc.
However, this could also work against you.
No attorney can advise you about what to do unless you ask for advice.
Free evaluation
No matter your marital situation, we can help. If you’re ready to begin the search for a compatible, well trained, experienced divorce attorney, you can start with our free case evaluation. If you need more information, please browse our site, using the tabs at the top of the page.
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