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To start a divorce case, at least one spouse must have lived in California for the past six months and in the county where the case is filed for at least three months.

The process begins when one spouse files a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage along with a Summons. These set out issues like property, support, and custody, and must be formally served on the other spouse. A filing fee (or waiver) is required, and the divorce cannot be finalized until at least six months have passed.

California has a mandatory waiting period — no divorce can be final until at least six months after the case begins. The clock starts when the other spouse is served or files a response. A legal separation does not require a six-month wait.

If parents cannot agree on a parenting plan, a judge decides based on the child's best interests: the child's age and health, emotional ties to each parent, connections to home, school and community, each parent's ability to care for the child, and any history of family violence or substance abuse.

Judges consider the length of the marriage, each spouse's age, health, income and earning capacity, the marital standard of living, and property or debt. For marriages under ten years, support typically lasts half the length of the marriage; for longer marriages, there is no set assumption.

Forbearance is a temporary agreement to pause or reduce mortgage payments (usually 3–12 months); interest often accrues and missed amounts must be repaid later. A loan modification permanently changes the loan's terms — such as a lower rate or longer repayment — and brings the loan out of default once approved.