Foreclosures Foreclosure is a legal process that forces the sale of a home to cover a debt Foreclosure is when a lender uses a legal process to force the sale of a property (like a home) to cover a debt. This can happen when someone takes out a mortgage to buy a home and then stops making payments (defaults on the mortgage). The company that owns the mortgage can force the sale of the property to cover the remaining debt amount.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Benefits to limited-scope representation Compared to hiring a lawyer to help you with all of your case (full-representation), limited-scope representation can help you save money. Your lawyer can focus on things you can't effectively do yourself and leave other more time-consuming tasks to you. You can also have greater control over your case.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Different ways to make decisions You can work with your spouse to decide these issues together Working out an agreement with your spouse does not necessarily mean you have to sit down together. Some people work out agreements over the phone or email, or get help from someone else, like a mediator. Once you reach an agreement, you'll write down that agreement.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Sharing financial information makes it easier to work out an agreement In this part of a divorce, you'll fill out forms to show what you own, owe, earn, and spend. You give these forms and copies of some financial documents to your spouse.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
A company you owe money to does not have to honor an agreement with your spouse If you and your spouse make an agreement between yourselves that just one of you will pay off a joint debt, the company or person you owe the debt to, like a credit card or mortgage company, does not have to honor the agreement. If the person who agreed to pay the joint debt doesn't pay or misses a payment:| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Before you start Get familiar with a few key terms The way you fill out these forms will impact the outcome of your case, so it’s important to do it correctly. The forms include some terms that may be unfamiliar to you. You can read more about these terms:| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Self-Help Centers can provide legal information and resources to people without a lawyer. Help can be in person, over the phone, or online.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
There are many ways to find legal help. This guide can help you learn about free or low-cost legal help, as well as understand when and how to hire a lawyer for your case.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
When to ask for a fee waiver Typically, you ask for a fee waiver when you first file papers and have to pay your first filing fee. You can also ask for a fee waiver if you can't afford fees later in your case.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Legal separation basics In a legal separation, you stay married but the court divides your property and debts and makes orders about financial support. If you have children together, you can also ask for orders about their care and support. You can ask the judge to make orders about:| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Annulment basics You must give a reason why your marriage wasn't legal from the start A judge can only annul a marriage for a specific legal reason. A few examples| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Get help with papers I was served| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Order to Seal Arrest and Related Records (Pen. Code, Sections 851.91, 851.92) (CR-410)| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
This page doesn't cover suing a healthcare provider (medical malpractice). Those tend to be very expensive and complex cases. On this page:| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
A judge has to approve how you’ll divide your property and debts Part of your divorce involves dividing your property and debts. Property is anything you can buy or sell or has value. For example, a house, car, or furniture. And things like a bank account, pension, 401k, or stocks. It is also your debts, like your credit card debt or loans.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
Overview In California, you get a divorce by starting a court case. No one has to prove someone did something wrong to cause the divorce (this is called no fault divorce). You can get a divorce even if the other person doesn't want one.| selfhelp.courts.ca.gov