Divorce 101. A series of occasional blogs about divorcing in California. Part 5. The Response

In today’s post we discuss the option of filing a Response to a Divorce Petition. The response is what the respondent in a divorce proceeding can file with the court in case he or she disagrees with any parts of the filed petition. It requires the payment of an additional filing fee with the court (currently $435 in Los Angeles County).
We should disclose that about 95% of the cases in our Woodland Hills location of The Document People/We The People are finalized without the need to file a response. That saves our customers money and time when filing for divorce.
Incredibly, a divorce website that shall remain nameless (let’s just say it rhymes with LegalDoom) states that “filing a response shows both parties agree to the divorce and makes it more likely the case will proceed without a court hearing“. The opposite is true, acknowledging being served, and not filing a response within the 30 days period allowed to do so, signals to the court the fact that the respondent is in agreement, and allows the petitioner to continue.
Generally, if a response is not filed within 30 days, the petitioner can request that a default be entered by the court. The 30 days is the minimum time a respondent has to file an answer. It doesn’t matter if the 30 days have passed already. The filing of the request to enter default is what precludes the respondent from filing a response.
The Document People is a network of legal document assistants with a common purpose: helping customers with uncontested divorces. We are looking forward to offering you divorce filing assistance at The Document People-We the People in Woodland Hills, The Document People-We the People Santa Monica and all other The Document People locations in San Fernando, Torrance, Anaheim and Oceanside.
The information contained in this blog – including information of a legal nature – is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.