There are 3 main ways to end a marriage or registered domestic partnership in California: divorce, legal separation, and annulment. It is not necessary for both spouses or domestic partners to agree to end the marriage. Either spouse or partner can decide to end the marriage, and the other spouse/partner, even if he or she does not want to get a divorce, cannot stop the process by refusing to participate in the case. If a spouse or domestic partner does not participate in the divorce case, the other spouse/partner will still be able to get a “default” judgment and the divorce will go through.

California is a “no fault” divorce state, which means that the spouse or domestic partner that is asking for the divorce does not have to prove that the other spouse or domestic partner did something wrong.  To get a no fault divorce, 1 spouse or domestic partner has to state that the couple cannot get along. Legally, this is called “irreconcilable differences.”

After you decide how you want to end your marriage or domestic partnership, you need to plan your case ahead of time. Think about how you are going to handle your case. Planning before you start and talking to a lawyer can save you time and money as you go through the court process. And keep in mind that, normally, it does not matter who is the first to file the divorce or separation case. The court does not give any preference to the first person to file or a disadvantage to the person who responds to the case.

This excerpt is from the official California Courts website.  

Custody & Parenting Time (Visitation)
Understand the law in custody and parenting time (visitation) cases, how to make agreements between the parents, ask for a custody order, respond to a request, and change or enforce an order. Read information on custody mediation and how domestic violence affects children and custody rights.

Child Support
Learn how child support works, how to make agreements between the parents, ask for a child support order, respond to a request, and change, pay or collect a child support court order. Find where to get help, which court forms you need and read answers to frequently asked questions.

Parentage/Paternity 
This section explains how parentage (paternity) works, how to establish parentage for a child, and how to dispute parentage if you believe you are not a child’s parent. It includes forms and answers to frequently asked questions.

Guardianship
Learn about guardianship, which is when someone who is not a parent of a child gets custody of that child, with explanations of your legal options, how to ask for a guardianship, and how to end a guardianship.

Adoption
How to adopt a child or a stepchild with details about the different types of adoptions, and information about how to file for an adoption.

This excerpt is from the official California Courts website.  

Inform yourself about cases where there is abuse, harassment or violence. It is important to know what type of case you are dealing with, so start with the Basics section. Once you know what kind of case you want information about, click on that topic for much more information, instructions and resources for help.

Basics
Find basic information about abuse and harassment cases, how to protect yourself from abuse or harassment, and how to get help .

This excerpt is from the official California Courts website.  

With a court order you can change your legal name on government-issued identification documents such as your driver’s license, passport, and social security card. You will generally need a certified copy of the decree changing your name.

This excerpt is from the official California Courts website.