The divorce rate in California has been notoriously high for many years. While the common statistics say, ‘50% of all marriages end in a divorce’ California’s divorce rate is 10% higher than the national average. Yes, you read it right. In California, especially in Riverside, almost 60% of marriages end in divorce. A percentage that’s both startling and disturbing.
Though hundreds of thousands of divorces occur in California every year, the divorce rate in California is still lower than the national average. In fact, it has fallen over the years and now stands at 9.30%.
Also, the divorce rate is not uniform across the state of California. While some counties record the highest divorce rate, in other counties, the divorce rate is uniformly low.
Where Does Riverside County Fall Under?
Riverside County falls in the higher divorce rate spectrum. Here, the divorce rate is as high as 60%. If you calculate it gender-wise, the divorce rate for men in Riverside County is 8.6% while it is 11.3% for women.
But what are the different reasons due to which couples split in California? What are the risk factors that one should be aware of? And what are the points that couples need to keep in mind while seeking a divorce in Riverside, California? In this article, we’ll help you find answers to all these questions and more. Let’s read along.
The Most Common Reasons That Lead to Divorce in Riverside, California
Every marriage is unique and so is every divorce. The reasons are personal to every couple and large vary on the circumstances. However, some of the most common reasons for seeking a divorce in California include:
- Infidelity or extramarital affair
- Lack of commitment and understanding
- Financial problems
- Domestic violence and/ or abuse
- Constant issues and arguments
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Different lifestyles and values
- Growing apart
While these are the most common and well-known reasons given by couples seeking a divorce, in recent years couples have cited various surprising reasons for divorce too. These include:
- Peer Pressure or constantly seeking marital advice from friends who are either divorced or going through one.
- Having different political views, thoughts, or inclinations. It could lead to constant arguments between spouses and can spell divorce.
- Thanks to technology addiction, people start ignoring their spouses, their marital duties, and household commitments. This causes constant strain on the relationship and often leads to ugly fights among couples and they see divorce as their last hope.
- Long work hours or poor work-life balance are also causing stress in relationships, fueling fights, arguments, and divorce.
- A sudden rise to fame is also one of the leading reasons for divorce in the US. In the quest to adjust to newly found fame, people start neglecting their spouse, which leads to resentment, anger, and divorce.
Common Risk Factors That Increase the Chances of Divorce
While predicting whether a marriage will be successful or will end up in divorce is not easy, here are some factors that statistically increase the risk of divorce:
- Marrying at a young age without actually understanding the roles and responsibilities that marriage brings along.
- Low education, which in turn leads to low income and frustration in life.
- Low income increases stress over money and leads to interpersonal disputes among spouses.
- Cohabitation with a future spouse before marriage also increases the risk of divorce.
- Individuals with parents who never got married or are divorced are also more likely to get divorced due to their exposure to different circumstances.
- Individuals who are in a second marriage generally have a higher chance of getting divorced again.
- Differences in religious belief can create tension among spouses and can increase their risk of divorce.
Is the Divorce Rate Increasing or Decreasing: What Do Numbers Say?
Though we are made to believe that the divorce rate is going upward, it’s the other way around. The divorce rates in California have actually begun to decrease. While in 2000, the state recorded 944,000 divorces, in 2019, only 746,971 divorces have been recorded and the numbers further went down in 2021-22. However, there’s more than what meets the eye.
Not only has the divorce rate gone down, the marriage rate has also gone down. Today millennials are waiting 4 years longer to get married, they are focusing on education and career, and a large percentage is adopting the living together norm to be sure of their choices. They consider marriage as the final step in commitment and take a plunge only when they are sure of their choice. That’s one of the biggest reasons why modern marriages are lasting better than before.
However, if, even after all the deliberation, spouses have irreconcilable differences among themselves, putting an end to the marriage comes as the last resort.
Filing for Divorce in Riverside County, California
Before you decide to file a divorce in Riverside County, here are some things that you need to know:
Eligibility
To file for divorce in Riverside County, you need to confirm your eligibility:
- You and/ or your spouse should be residing in California for at least 6 months.
- It is important for you and/ or your spouse to have lived in Riverside County for a minimum of 3 months.
Reason for Divorce
California is a ‘No Fault’ divorce state. This means that while filing for divorce, the court does not demand a reason why you are planning to end your marriage. You can seek divorce either due to irreconcilable differences or because your spouse has incurable insanity.
Property Distribution
California is a community property state. The property – real estate, investments, and wages – that you and your spouse have accumulated during the length of your marriage are divided equally. However, anything that you have owned before marriage or have inherited or received as a gift, belongs only to you.
Property distribution in California court may take a considerable amount of your time and energy. You will find yourself fighting for every last item that you have built, bought, or saved together.
If you want to preserve your sanity during the divorce process in California, a contested divorce is the best way forward. You may discuss your spouse and decide what stays with you and what goes away with him/ her. It is the easiest way to quickly process your divorce in California courts.
Child Custody and Support
Divorce can have a lasting impact on children. That’s why while deciding on child custody and support, California courts prioritize children. The judge puts their safety and well-being above all. In California, both parents share the responsibility for their children. The custody rights are split equally too unless there are safety issues. You need to come up with a parenting plan or a child custody agreement that determines joint/ sole custody, visitation schedule, and more. Your attorney can help you come up with a perfect parenting plan that can make your divorce process quick and hassle-free.
Yet, the judge will take a number of factors into account before allotting the custody of the children. These include, but are not limited to:
- The ages of the children
- Net income of each parent
- Time children get to spend with each parent
- Childcare and health insurance costs
- Extracurricular costs
Spousal Support
California courts ensure spousal support too. It can be either temporary or permanent, basis the following factors:
- Total assets and income of each spouse
- The earning potential of both the spouse
- The length of the marriage
- Standard of living while married
- Number of children and their expenses
- Time children get to spend with each parent
- Age and health of each spouse
- Reasons for seeking divorce: domestic violence, marital abuse, criminal convictions, and more
Mediation
Litigation is both lengthy and expensive. That’s why to simplify the divorce process, the Riverside courts, just like other California County courts, have put forward the provision for divorce mediation.
It’s a part of the divorce process that is held in private. It’s conducted in the presence of a psychologist or a qualified divorce mediator attorney, who may assist you in reaching mutually acceptable terms. The decisions are collaborative and in the best interest of both parties.
How to Quickly Finalize a Divorce Case in Riverside, California?
Divorce cases are legal proceedings that are full of complications. From property claims to scheduling conflicts to children custody and spousal support disagreements, there could be a number of reasons that may extend the process far longer than it should. This could delay your divorce from months to years together.
However, the easiest way to expedite your entire divorce proceeding is to opt for a summary dissolution. It’s less expensive and doesn’t require much paperwork too. However, there are certain rules that you need to qualify to initiate the process. These include:
- Your divorce must be uncontested
- You must be married for less than five years
- You should not have any children together
- You should have very limited shared debts and assets
- You should be ready to waive off spousal support
However, even though you agree to all the terms and meet all the criteria, under California State Law, you are still required to adhere to the mandatory six-month waiting period after filing. Though in actuality, the actual process may take a little longer than that.
Factors That May Delay Your Divorce Process in Riverside, California
In Riverside County, the timeline of your divorce proceeding is decided by the complexity of your case. There are various factors that may delay your divorce. These include:
- Contested divorce: If you and your spouse are not mutually agreeing to the terms set by the other, you have to go for a contested divorce. The judge might conduct multiple hearings to serve the final judgment and the entire process may take from months to a few years, depending on the issues.
- Missing Documents: A lack of proper documents can also delay your case. The court will not be able to come up with the right judgment if proper evidence is missing and may ask you and your attorney to furnish the required details. However, working with an experienced attorney can help you smoothness out your divorce proceedings. With complete knowledge, they can help you obtain all the required documents that can get your divorce processed as quickly as possible.
- Missing Respondent: Both parties need to be present at the time of divorce proceedings. The absence of any one of the parties can significantly delay your entire divorce proceeding. You may have to hire a personal investigator to locate the other party or furnish some additional set of documents to seek permission from the judge to proceed without the traditional personal serve.
- Social Media: Social media has become an invariant part of our lives. We spend much time on our social handles and share a lot of updates about our life and everyday happenings. However, when proceeding with a divorce, you need to refrain from posting anything regarding your divorce. Any information that you post can have a negative impact on your case. Similarly, you should not delete any previous post, tweet, or picture from your social media handles. It may be regarded as an effort to destroy or tamper with the evidence. This is illegal and could significantly derail your divorce proceeding and could even force the judge to give the verdict against you.
