In Sacramento County, there is a new wave sweeping the Sacramento divorce law community known as the “One Day Divorce” program. (See the following link for more information http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/One-Day-Divorce-Program-helps-divorcees-Sacramento-court/-/12969376/19515182/-/item/1/-/12jnny1z/-/index.html.) This program is intended to help parties obtain faster service from the court and expedite the process of decongesting the overworked and underfunded court system from cases that should be settled.
While we applaud the Sacramento divorce judges and court system for devising solutions to decongest the court system, we are skeptical that the “One Day Divorce” program will work for most Sacramento divorces. As we noted in prior blog entries, the One Day Divorce program requires the parties to agree on everything. If the parties are still fighting over any issues, the Sacramento One Day Divorce program will not work. Also, if one or both spouses fail to provide full, accurate, and complete disclosure of all assets, debts, income and income earning opportunities, the hard work of the court system during the One Day Divorce program can be undone. Also, we caution anyone considering this program to make sure they speak to a lawyer before signing any divorce agreements.
We believe parties involved in a Sacramento divorce who find themselves mostly in agreement should strongly consider utilizing a lawyer trained in Sacramento divorce mediation. This works particularly well with both parties are committed to negotiating a resolution and keeping the case out of court. A Sacramento divorce mediator will meet with both parties and help them identify their disagreements and help them reach agreements. The Sacramento divorce mediator is neutral and fair to both parties. This option is also cost effective because both parties split the cost of the same Sacramento divorce mediator. Also, the parties are getting fair and balanced legal advice as opposed to rushing their case through the court in one day with the possibility of errors, inaccurate or fraudulent disclosure, and unfair provisions that will be later regretted.
If you are interested in the Sacramento One Day Divorce program and Sacramento divorce mediation as an alternative, please give us a call. We can meet with both you and your spouse and discuss the divorce mediation process in a free half-hour attorney consultation.
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