Summary dissolution is the fastest way to get divorced, but you have to qualify and exchange financial disclosures with your spouse. It even costs less to do a Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution, because only one filing fee of $435 is needed, instead of two filing fees. In order to qualify for summary dissolution, you and your spouse must:
1) Both agree to waive spousal support.
2) Both fully disclose your assets and debts.
3) Not own any real property, and have less than $53,000 in community property assets (excluding cars) and less than $7,000 in community property debts (excluding cars).
4) Not have any minor children together (and not be pregnant or have adopted children under 18 years old together).
5) Have been married less than 5 years (from the date of marriage to the date of separation). The date of separation is when one of you first told the other spouse that the marriage was over, and that person took an act consistent with the marriage being over, such as moving out of a shared residence or sleeping another room. You both will have to agree on the date of separation.
6) One of you must have lived in California for the past 6 months, and in the county you are filing in for the last three months. (Or have a California domestic partnership you both seek to dissolve, or are a same sex couple seeking a divorce, but are from a jurisdiction not allowing divorce. If so, please contact my firm directly with the information contained requested below.)
You will have to wait 6 months for your divorce to be finalized. But with summary dissolution, typically the clerk's office sets a review date approximately 6 months out from the date the joint Summary Dissolution Petition is submitted for the clerk to pick up this file and either grant it or reject it. Meaning that if you choose this option you may actually be divorced in 6 months. This is extremely rare with regular divorce. This is one of the benefits of summary dissolution.
If you do not meet all of these qualifications or if your spouse will not agree to file this with you together, sadly you will have to file for regular divorce which is more costly and will take longer.
My firm typically offers a flat-rate of $965* for a Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution submission (and one re-submission if there is a Clerk rejection) plus the $435 initial filing fee required by the court. (*Subject to change, and availability.)
