How To Withdraw Divorce Filings And Cancel Your Case

By Gerald A. Maggio, Esq.

Orange County divorce mediation; California Divorce MediatorsIt is not uncommon for parties to a divorce or termination of domestic partnership to subsequently reconcile before their case is done.  In that event, you would need to file a “Request for Dismissal” with the court (California Judicial Council Form CIV-110). This will dismiss the case, if the legal separation or divorce is not finalized.  Remember that if you later wish to proceed down this path of reconciliation and then later you change your mind (you want to be divorced), you must begin from the start. You have to pay the court filing fee again and also qualify for any fee waiver.

In case you are not the spouse who have initiated the divorce case, it will not be possible to stop the process by your own. There is a need for the other spouse to file Request for Dismissa if they filed a Response in the case.  This is required to dismiss the case.

In case both the spouses or the domestic partners have filed for joint summary dissolution, and judgment has not reached the final stage, any one of the spouses can terminate the case by the filing of “Notice of Revocation of Petition for Summary Dissolution” (Judicial Counsel Form FL-830.) The other form is “Revocation of Termination of Domestic Partnership”. Both of them can be done with Secretary of State (domestic partners).

Registrations for domestic partnerships are different from the marriage licenses. The office of California Secretary of State continues to process the Declarations of Domestic Partnership and Notices of Termination of Domestic Partnership  along with other related filings which are permissible by the state laws. Marriage licenses are processed by County governments.

Provisions which govern the domestic partnerships can be located in California Family Code. It begins with section 297.  There is an establishment of domestic partnership when persons who satisfy criteria stated by section 297 of California Family Code file either Confidential Declaration of Domestic Partnership or Declaration of Domestic Partnership with California Secretary of State. The copy of declaration and Certificate of Registration of Domestic Partnership can be returned to partners post filing the declaration.

Two individuals who have lived together in a state that can be regarded as domestic partners and if those two meet criteria as laid out by the section 297 of California Family Code could file Confidential Declaration of Domestic Partnership with California Secretary of State.

To learn more about the divorce process in California and how mediation can help, please visit our page, What is Divorce Mediation