What are the residency requirements for divorce?

In California, residency requirements for divorce must be met in order for the court to have jurisdiction. This means that at least one of the parties, either the petitioner or the respondent, must have lived in the state for a minimum of six months prior to filing for divorce. Additionally, the party must have lived in the county of filing for at least three months prior to filing. The residency requirements are designed to ensure that the court is able to properly exercise its jurisdiction over the case and make an adjudication based on the laws of the state and county in which the proceedings take place. In other words, it ensures that the court has the power to make legally binding decisions regarding the case. The court can accept the case even if the petitioner, who begins the action, moves out of the state after the filing process has begun. As long as the petitioner had sufficient residency before filing, the court will continue to exercise jurisdiction over the case. If the parties in the divorce case do not meet the residency requirements, the court will dismiss the action or the petitioner can choose to refile the case after the necessary period of residency has been satisfied. It is important to be aware of the residency requirements prior to filing for divorce in California.

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