FREE HELP FOR YOUR DIVORCE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Every court has a family law facilitator office or a self-help clinic to help self-represented litigants in their divorce or paternity case. They offer free workshops which help you complete the paperwork for a divorce or paternity case.
The Office of the Family Law Facilitator assists parties with child support, spousal support and health insurance issues. One thing to remember is that the staff cannot give legal advice or represent you in court. For that, you would need to retain a family law attorney. However, if you don’t have the money to hire an experienced family law attorney, the Family Law Facilitator can help. The staff consists of attorneys and paralegals, which will provide educational workshops or meet with parties individually when appropriate to attempt to resolve their support issues.
WHERE CAN I GO FOR HELP?
The following is a list of service locations in Los Angeles County:
Family Law Facilitator Service Locations in Los Angeles County
WHAT DOES THE FAMILY LAW FACILITATOR DO?
The Office of the Family Law Facilitator provides the following assistance:
- Explains the process of establishing paternity
- Educates and assists parties to prepare Requests for Orders and Responsive Declarations to:
- Establish, modify or terminate a child support
- Establish, modify or terminate spousal support
- Establish, modify or terminate health insurance order
- Determine arrears
- Release licenses
- Establish repayment plans
- Seek reimbursement for overpayments
- Quash or modify wage assignment orders
- Prepares calculations for child support and spousal support
- Educates and assists parties in preparing stipulations pertaining to child support, spousal support or health insurance
- Educates and assists parties to prepare answers to Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department complaints
- Educates and assists parties to prepare motions to set aside in cases involving the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department
- Educates and assists parties to prepare Orders After Hearing and Wage Assignment Orders in which child support, spousal support or health insurance are at issue in family law cases
- Mediates child support, spousal support and health insurance issues between the parties
WHAT DOCUMENTS DO YOU NEED TO BRING TO YOUR APPOINTMENT?
- Pay stubs for the last three pay periods and information about any other income earned by the other party and you
- A federal tax return for the last two years, including tax filing status for both parties
- The location of the other party’s job and the amount he or she earns monthly, if known
- The location of the other party’s residence, if known
- The number of children not of this relationship living with and supported by the other party
- Monthly living expenses, including housing, utilities, insurance, food, transportation, education and clothing
- Names and ages of children of the relationship, and how much time each party spends with them each month
- Any extraordinary expenses related to health care and catastrophic losses
- Someone to translate if you do not speak English
WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREPARE MY FAMILY LAW CASE?
You should begin educating yourself on the law and understand the basics pertaining to child support, child custody, and spousal support. While it is always better to have an experienced family law attorney represent you in your divorce or paternity case, we understand that is not always possible. The Law Offices of Cathleen E. Norton has taken the time to explain common questions and answers at www.cnortonlaw.com and you would be well served to spend some time learning about these issues prior to going to court. Good luck!
The Law Offices of Cathleen E. Norton is a top family law firm dedicated to protecting your legal rights. Our goal is to empower you. Our job is to protect you. Cathleen E. Norton, Esq. is an experienced family law attorney who obtained both her B.A. and J.D. credentials from UCLA. You won’t find a better qualified attorney to represent you! We have offices in Beverly Hills, Woodland Hills, and Westlake Village and service family law cases in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Call us today for a free consultation at (310) 300-4021. For more information about the Law Offices of Cathleen E. Norton, please visit our website at www.cnortonlaw.com.
