Protracted divorce proceedings may soon be another footnote in legal history. Judge James Mize in Sacramento County, CA created a program in 2013 which makes it easy and swift to divorce in a day. The program is made to cater to individuals who are unable to afford a divorce lawyer. According to Judge Mize, the program pulls in folks who languish at the bottom and who have no help and do not have any kind of representative assistance. Needed services for such an initiative are completed with the assistance of approximately 80 attorneys, miscellaneous staff and a number of law students. They will volunteer the needed services to assist couples discuss all terms related to divorce agreements. They will also prepare the necessary paperwork needed to obtain final judgment. When all the steps are completed, the relevant parties will approach the judge in the same day. The once couples will subsequently exit the courthouse carrying a final judgment of marriage dissolution.
Participation This One Day Divorce Program is best for litigants who want to represent themselves. They should have filed a divorce or dissolution of marriage case within Sacramento County, California. They also must show themselves ready for judgment. To figure out whether the case is ready for judgment, the answer must be positive for questions like whether the Respondent were served summons and also petition. There should a Proof of Service of Summons. Alternatively, a response should have been filed with Court. The final question is whether the individual and spouse would have completed an agreement on all the orders which will be included in the judgment, like property division, spousal support and debts. In case the couple has children, child support and a parenting plan should have been included as well. Do note that any action leading to dissolution in Sacramento County is possible only if one spouse or both have lived in the county for the last three months. They should be California residents for a minimum of six months. Other than the residency requirements, a few extra rules must also be considered in case one spouse lives outside California State. Whether other counties in California will follow Sacramento’s lead in starting their own one-day divorce program remains to be scene, but it is an idea worth considering to assist those in need and to help get such cases out of the court system quickly.