The do-it-yourself mentality in California and around the country is leading to an increase in self-represented divorces, but many of these do-it-yourselfers are not doing it correctly.
Legal experts and court officials are worried because tens of thousands of separated California couples don’t realize that their divorces were never finalized and that they are actually still married. Many more, experts say, let their cases linger because they become exasperated with complex paperwork and court procedures.
“People just don’t get it done. They don’t know how to get it all done,” said Mark Juhas, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge. “That’s troubling. There are legal ramifications to continuing to be married.”
It is estimated that about one-third of all petitions from Californians who handle their own divorce have not been finalized.
Why the rise in do-it-yourself divorces?
The trend of do-it-yourself divorces can be attributed to decreased legal aid services for the poor, lawyer costs, and a “Home Depot Philosophy of people feeling they can do things on their own,” said Richard Zorza, coordinator of a national network of organizations that works on self-representation.
In San Diego, self-handled divorces have increased about 50 percent from 1992 to 2000.
But, said Zorza, the legal system is very complex and should not be dabbled in by people with no legal training.
Many Are Mistaken
Officials at a legal services center in Van Nuys said that they get about 20 people a month who incorrectly assume they are divorced.
“They come in screaming,” said Norma Valencia, a paralegal at the center. “They say, ‘You don’t understand my situation. I want a divorce right now.’”
Couples also sometimes burst into tears because they’ve remarried without finalizing a divorce and are scared of telling their new spouses.
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