You can obtain a cheap divorce in California by filing yourself without using an attorney. Assuming you and your spouse are in agreement on everything including child support and custody, visitation rights, how property will be split, spousal support, etc., you can simply do it yourself and save a bundle in the process
First you will need to have prepared a settlement agreement. This is basically an agreement on how your community property will be split. If you who haven't prepared one yet, see How to Prepare a Divorce Settlement Agreement in California for step by step instructions.
The next part of the process is to agree on a custody and visitation schedule if you have children. The agreement will be submitted along with your divorce petition which will be followed up by a notice for the both of you to attend a mediation hearing to confirm your agreement.
You will also need to decide on an agreement for child and spousal support. Not all spouses can come to an agreement on their own but rather leave it up to the court to decide if either parent is entitled to support from the other. Factors such as financial status & custody schedule are considered when making this decision. If neither has decided to pursue the other for support you will stipulate this during your mediation hearing.
There are many good online resources available to assist in filing for divorce in yourself. There's no reason you can't go the cheap route by carefully following instructions. Just keep in mind family law in California is different from other states. Contact your local court house for specifics in the state you currently reside.
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Pro Se divorce (described above) can also be used by couples who choose to work with a mediator to form a complete divorce agreement. Divorce Mediation allows those who are divorcing to create a plan that works for their unique situation from the onset. If children are involved mediation encourages parents to put their children first, improve communication for the future, and establish a plan for co-parenting that will work for the unique needs of their family.
Coming up with the terms of the settlement is typically the most expensive part of divorce litigation. Most CFR Mediation divorce cases - regardless of how complex - are completely resolved for less than $2500.
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