Erik Wayland Newton’s Answers

Mike is right. I would only add that if you hire an attorney you may be able to continue the trial date to give your new attorney time to prepare. I strongly advise you to hire counsel for this one.

I agree with Cristin and Dianne. You should consider Summary Dissolution if you qualify. Here's a blog article I wrote on the topic to give you some more insight:

Dianne is right about that - anyone can file the paperwork. Just so you know, the Plaintiff in a divorce case in California is referred to as the Petitioner. The other party is referred to as the Respondent. Best of luck.

Richard is right, you can't simply walk into court. Here are two blog articles I wrote on divorce basics. The first, on Summary Dissolution might be a good option for you if you meet the requirements.

I agree with David. You should pay for a consultation with an attorney in your area - just to get the forms straight. Here's a blog article I wrote on the paperwork process, but it's probably not as detailed as you're going to need:

Here's a link to an article I wrote on the topic of the California Divorce Process. It's a simple overview of the paperwork to give you a starting point. Hope it's helpful:

I agree with John. This may end up being quite simple for you. Because you were together for such a short time, you may qualify for a Summary Dissolution. Below are links to several articles that may be useful for you. Good luck and I hope these help:

I would also suggest you contact legal aid to get some pro bono help if you cannot afford an attorney. Here's a link:

I agree with Martha's response. It sounds like you are fairly well educated on the topic, but we have a brief explanation of the differences between legal and physical custody in California on our website. Here's a link for your convenience:

Here's a link for legal aid. They can probably help!