San Diego Divorce Lawyer

Divorce can be a very difficult process. There are a lot of emotional decisions to make that will affect your livelihood and financial future. In most divorce cases, the case ends after both parties agree to a settlement. Once this settlement occurs, a Judgment is drafted and submitted to the Court, and then process is over. However, some cases, if settlement is not reached, end up going to trial. This is where the judicial officer will decide how the case should end. Attorney Burkett handles divorce proceedings at all four Courthouses in San Diego County: Central Courthouse, South County Chula Vista Courthouse, East County El Cajon Courthouse, and North County Vista Courthouse.

Step One

The first step in the divorce process is filing the initial paperwork for divorce. This can be the most difficult step for a lot of people. For a lot of people, the emotional aspect of the decision is overwhelming. In addition to the stress of leaving someone you built a life with, there are a lot of financial complications and legal questions that seem insurmountable. With the help of an experienced family law attorney, this hurdle can be overcome. This first step involves drafting documents to be filed with the Court. These preliminary documents request for divorce, legal separation, or an annulment, whichever is the case in your situation. Once filed, your case is now open.

Attorney Burkett would draft all the paperwork and file it with the Court, saving the client from having to go to the Courthouse themselves, which can be stressful for some people. Once your case is open, then the process is started.

Step Two

Once the case is open with the Court, then you can move to the next step. One of the next steps in the process in a divorce case is for both sides to prepare and serve on the other side their Declarations of Disclosures. In every divorce case, this is required. It is required twice: once in the beginning of the case which they call the Preliminary Declaration of Disclosure, and then again towards the end of the case, where they call it the Final Declaration of Disclosure. The Final Declarations of Disclosures can be waived by both parties if they choose.

The Declaration of Disclosure will list all your assets, debts, income from all sources, all of your expenses, and will require you to attach supporting documentation to it such as tax returns, paystubs, bank statement, etc. This includes any separate property, bank accounts, retirement accounts, etc. This step is strenuous for some, as it is a lot of information to put together alone.

With the aid of an experienced attorney like Attorney Burkett, the hassle of packaging together all these documents go away. As someone who has dealt with divorce cases for over two decades, Attorney Burkett knows exactly what needs to be presented and at what time, taking all the guessing out of whether a certain document is needed.

Step Three

The final step is getting a Judgment submitted to the Court. In most cases, the parties eventually come to an agreement. Once this agreement is reached by the parties, then all the stipulations are written up. It is then signed by the parties, and submitted to the Court for processing. Once it is finalized with the Court, then the process is over. When people who do not have an attorney try to draft something up, they usually forget certain things. This can be detrimental to ensuring their rights are protected. However, with an attorney who has written up hundreds of such documents, the client can feel secure in knowing that their rights are protected and what they are entitled to is safe. Attorney Burkett provides this service to his clients, who are satisfied with how their settlement is presented and carried out.

When the process is as emotionally taxing as it can get, you need an attorney who will help you finalize your case to help you achieve the goals you want. For more information on your specific case, please contact us to set up a free consultation by using the contact sheet on our home page or calling our office at (619) 250-2683. Please see our other pages on divorce for more information about divorce cases.