During arbitration, you and your spouse will each state your cases, with or without legal representatives, along with evidence to support your argument. The panel of judges will listen to both sides and decide things such as asset division, spousal support, child custody and child support.
Consumers are more likely to win in arbitration than in court. This research from ndp | analytics demonstrates that in disputes initiated by a consumer, consumers fare much better in arbitration than they do in litigation.
Win Rate: Consumers prevailed in 41.7% of arbitrations that terminated with awards compared to 29.3% of litigations that terminated with awards. Employees prevailed in 37.7% of arbitrations that terminated with awards compared to 10.8% of litigations that terminated with awards.
Limited Appeal Options: One of the most significant downsides of arbitration is that it offers very limited options for appeal. Once the arbitrator makes a decision, it's usually final unless there was a substantial legal oversight.
You can always agree to arbitration later if your lawyer advises you it's a good choice in the particular situation you find yourself in. There's no benefit to you in doing so months or years ahead of time.
Divorce arbitration can be beneficial when spouses prioritize privacy and flexible scheduling. Couples with complex financial situations, such as businesses or significant investments, may find value in the specialized expertise of an arbitrator.
Arbitration agreements are subject to certain rules in order to have enforceability under California and federal law. If an arbitration agreement fails to meet these requirements, it can be held unenforceable.
In California, marital assets and debts are divided evenly in a divorce. In California, all assets of a marriage, including 401(k)s, IRAs, and other retirement accounts or plans, will be divided.
If you're not able to use the summary dissolution procedure, then the necessary paperwork used to begin a California uncontested divorce case are the Petition for Dissolution (Divorce) of Marriage/Domestic Partnership (Form FL-100), and Summons (Form FL-110).
When it comes to divorce, California is a 50/50 state. That means that if two spouses are separating, they will typically each get half of the property and assets they acquired during the marriage with some exceptions.